How To Take Perfect Pictures Without
Using A Tripod
By: Nelson Luc
 One
of the problems with digital photos (and film camera
photos) these days is camera shake. Camera shake
occurs when the camera is moved during exposure
(while the shutter is depressed). This results in a
blurred photo and is sometimes not all that apparent
until the photo is ‘blown’ up, revealing movement in
the photo. The dimmer the scene, the longer the
camera shutter is required to be ‘opened’ in order
to capture the image.
Whether you use a compact point and shoot or SLR
(Single Lens Reflex) camera, camera shake can ruin
an otherwise perfect photo. There are many ways to
minimise camera shake or eliminate it altogether.
The most obvious way is to use a tripod, however
that is not always readily available or practical at
times. Another popular method of stabilizing the
camera is to use a camera bean bag. One such camera
bean bag is called Cam-Pod. Cam-Pod is different to
the traditional camera bean bag because it has
bi-folding pockets that can fold to hold the camera
and lens snugly. It also contains plastic fillings,
making it customs friendly.
Taking hand held shots –
 When
taking handheld photos. It can sometimes be a
challenge to use a shutter speed fast enough to
prevent camera shake or blur. This depends on the
available light. A general rule of thumb is to
use a shutter speed equivalent to the focal length
of your lens. For example; if you are using a 50mm
lens, the minimum shutter speed for hand held
shots would be 1/50th sec or faster. On a 200mm
lens, use 1/250th sec or faster. Shoot hand held
with a speed slower than this and you are likely to
get camera shake. If you are extremely still with
your hands, you can probably get a way with speeds a
little slower than these suggested speeds.
To take the shot, hold the camera with both hands
and with your elbow beside your body. This will
provide additional stabilization of the camera. Many
cameras may have a shutter lag so after depressing
the shutter, do not move the camera immediately or
you may experience movement in your shot. When
taking the shot, breath in, press the shutter and
then exhale.
Using the camera bean bag support –
Find a firm surface to lean your camera on, eg a
rock, bin, fence, wall, tree, etc. Make sure surface
is solid and does not move easily. Place the camera
bean bag on the surface and your camera on top or to
the side if it is vertical. Wiggle the camera a
little to allow camera to sit firmly on the camera
bean bag. With an SLR/DSLR camera, just fold the
camera bean bag to provide support for the lens. For
point and shoot cameras, just rest the camera on the
camera bean bag and hold it with your hand and
finger on shutter button. Select the right shutter
speed and take the photo. The camera bean bag can be
folded, twisted and rolled to get the right angle
for your camera. You can also place the camera bean
bag against a wall and lean your camera against it
for a natural light shot without flash. This will
give you a more natural looking photo with even
lighting rather than one with harsh shadows caused
by the flash. When taking flash shots with dark
background, use a slower shutter speed such as 1/8
sec or 1/2 sec. Ensure that when using the camera
bean bag that your camera and the camera bean bag is
stable and won’t slip off the surface and cause
expensive damage to your gear. Eg when resting
camera and the camera bean bag on a car side mirror,
do not take your hand off the camera.
Selecting the correct shutter speed / aperture to
take the photo –
To correctly capture and expose a scene, the camera
will automatically choose the right combination of
shutter speed and aperture. In most cases, this
gives good results, however you may need to override
the auto settings and over/under compensate the
exposure to get the best results – This is most
prevalent when subject is in front of a bright
background. For SLR/DSLR cameras, set the shooting
mode to S (shutter priority). On some cameras, it is
the T setting (Time priority). Choose a shutter
speed and aperture appropriate for the scene. For
the sharpest pictures, many professional
photographers use the mid-range aperture of f8 or
f11. Ensure the camera is sitting firmly on the
camera bean bag with no movement.
 Focus
on the subject. Press the shutter release. Ensure
that there is no camera movement when pressing
shutter. If so, the picture maybe blurred. Re-adjust
the camera bean bag and the camera and try taking
the photo again. Look at the camera’s LCD to see the
focus and exposure of the photo. You may need to
zoom into the displayed photo to see the details. If
photo looks dark, increase the exposure by selecting
a longer shutter speed. Shutter speeds are typically
(from slowest to fastest) 8s, 6s, 4s, 3s, 2s,1.5s,
1s, 1/1.5, 1/2, 1/3, 1/4, 1/6, 1/8, 1/10, 1/15,
1/20, 1/30, 1/45, 1/60, 1/90, 1/125, 1/180, 1/250,
1/350, 1/500, 1/750, 1/1000, 1/1500, 1/2000, 1/3000,
1/4000, 1/6000 and 1/8000. Shutter speeds are in
seconds or fraction of a second. Eg a shutter of
1/60th means the shutter will open for one sixtieth
of a second. If the captured picture looks too dark
on the LCD display, use a slower shutter speed such
as 1/45 or 1/20. Alternatively and if possible, open
the aperture to let in more light. Aperture scales
are (from widest opening to smallest) f1, f2.8, f4,
f5.6, f8, f11, f16, f22, f32. (Note: your lens may
not have all these settings). Another way to shoot
in low light is to increase the ISO setting. However
this also introduces digital noise into your photos.
Using the self timer and remote control
Depending on the shutter speed you are using, you
may still end up with camera shake in your final
shot. Ie. As you press shutter, the camera may move
a little. To minimise this, set your camera to self
timer, press shutter and take your hand off camera.
The shot will be taken in a few seconds without the
camera being touched. For cameras with remote
function, set it to remote control function, adjust
camera and the camera bean bag and press remote
control. Some cameras allow you to use a shutter
release cable. Controlling your camera remotely is
the best way of minimising camera movement as there
is no camera contact during the shot, thus giving
you sharp photos every time.
Nelson Luc has been a freelance photographer for
over a decade. During this time he has photographed
people, places, nature and still life. Nelson
developed Cam-Pod after not being able to find a
camera bean bag that is small, portable and
foldable. Cam-Pod camera support is customs friendly
as it contains plastic fillings and not organic
material. For more information, go to
http://www.cam-pod.com
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