Tip: Hand-held HDR Breathing Technique
Erik writes:
“I always loved photography but never had the money to get the right camera. Now I have my very first DSLR. ‘Photography’ is my passion, it gives me a new eye to see beautiful things around us.”
Holding the camera steady
“When I learned photography, I was told that one should not shoot handheld if the shutter speed is less than 1/30s. Since then, I have proven that tip false by taking clear pictures at speeds as low as 1/4s.
All it takes is a bit of concentration and proper breathing, even if you do not have a steady surface to lean against. Keep your left hand under the lens and concentrate on keeping it as steady as possible. Before you click the shutter, take a breath and hold it as you depress the button. If you are not used to this technique, it will take a few times to get it right.”
When shooing hand-held HDR pictures without a tripod breathing is the most important factor to an unblurred photo. Erik mentions holding your breath in before taking the pictures, but the same can be said about breathing out as well. The main thing to consider, is relaxing your body to focus entirely on taking the pictures.
You can find more of Erik’s HDR photography on Flickr.
What techniques do you use to take HDR pictures without using a tripod?
July 3rd, 2007 at 11:44 pm
Breathing and how you stand are both important. If you stand with both feet side by side and together you are inherently unstable. I learned a lot about standing from Tai Chi. Try this - point one foot forwards in the direction of the subject and the other foot will be about 18inches back pointing out at 45degrees from the other foot. Also the 45degree foot should be out a little from the subject/straight foot line. Now, lean into the forward facing foot so that that knee is slightly bent and the 45degree foot leg is straight. Experiment with different spacings and leanings for your own body size and the situation, but generally I can feel how steady I become.
The other thing to aid steadiness is a heavier camera. One reason why a D2X is better than a D200. The extra weight provides more inertia and that reduces shake. If you have a DSLR, try adding the extra battery pack/portrait grip accessory. Not only will you be more able and steadier in portrait photos, but your landscape format photos should be better too.
Mike
July 23rd, 2007 at 7:51 am
Nice picture … but I’m sorry to say that - unnatural. Wouldn’t be easier to use cockin filter if you want just to have sky ?
Cheers - Matt.
August 16th, 2008 at 10:58 pm
Your blog is interesting!
Keep up the good work!
October 20th, 2008 at 3:10 pm
also if you can pause your heart for a few beats… that would make for an even more stable picture taking platform!