Better Photography On A Budget Part 2: Camera Stabilization

To get sharp images you need three things: a stationary subject, a stable camera, and a high enough shutter speed to freeze that subject before motion occurs either on their end or yours. You can compensate for lack of shutter speed or moving subjects by doing a couple of things. One, develop a stable hand holding technique. Two, use lenses that incorporate some kind of vibration cancelling mechanism. Three, use something to mount the camera to in order to stabilize it.

Let's work backwards and cover external ways to stabilize your camera first. The most popular method are tripods. Now this goes against my nature, but don't buy a cheap tripod. Yes, I know, the whole point of these articles is not spending money. When it comes to tripods though, you definitely get what you pay for. Now I would never say a hobbyist should go out and drop $500 on a tripod. Nor would I wish those chinzy things they sell at Best Buy on anyone. What I've found is that the middle ground is superb in this field. Let me reiterate: Don't buy $20 tripods! They will cause you more frustration then they're worth. I've got 3 broken ones to attest to that. What I use is a Manfrotto 190XDB. Looks like this:

There are a million models and brands out there though. My advice would be to look for a brand that makes VERY nice models and get something down the line farther, instead of finding a brand that makes really cheap ones and buying their better model. I don't usually gush over equipment but this tripod has never disappointed me. As far as I'm concerned, with equipment it just has to work, stay working after it's been beaten on and stay out of the way. I've had this tripod drop out of my trunk on the highway and not only survive but work perfectly. Compare that to cheap tripods I've had that just broke while I was using them normally.

Another option if you can't bring a tripod is a monopod. As it's name suggests, it's just a single leg that extends instead of three. Sometimes, a tripod just isn't practical and sometimes it's prohibited. When we visited the Mammoth Caves for example, tripods were not allowed. Same with most concerts and sporting events. So a monopod is a practical solution. Essentially, your legs become the other sides of the tripod. Here I can make an inexpensive suggestion. The monopod I carry now is made by OSN and it's sold at Meijer and Walmart. It cost about $20 but it's been great. It's stable and solid. Usually I'd say stay away from camera equipment at the department stores but this has been a pleasant surprise.

Your camera can just attach to these by the screw hole in the bottom. Unless you want to shoot in landscape orientation and be very limited in your movement however, you're going to need a head. There are many different types of heads for different purposes, but I like ball heads for general use. Whatever kind you get, be sure to get a head that's big enough to support the camera and lens you'll be using. The descriptions on the packaging or website should tell you how much weight they'll hold.

Couple of tips for tripods. One, watch out for high wind. Nothing will stop your heart quicker than watching your camera get blown over while you stepped away. Two, if you need a little extra stability, try hanging something under the center of the tripod. Many people have carried an empty milk jug and filled it with water or rocks on site. More weight means it's more difficult for wind or vibrations to effect your photos. Three, most tripods and monopods worth their salt have convertible feet that can be either rubber for hard floors or a metal spike for dirt.

For times when you have to hand hold the camera, lenses with vibration compensation are very useful. Some camera makers actually build it into the cameras themselves. The two major companies, Canon and Nikon, have chosen to do it with their lenses though. Canon calls theirs "Image Stabilization" or "IS" and Nikon calls their lenses "Vibration Reduction" or "VR". Sigma and Tamron also have lenses that use this technology. How it works is that the lens actually senses your movement and moves one of the pieces of glass inside the lens to compensate. Pretty wild. Unfortunately, it only helps dampen your movements. So if you have a moving subject in dim light, it's not as helpful. Most lenses with this technology are pretty expensive. The exception would be the Nikon 18-55mm and 55-200mm VR lenses. They're plastic so don't abuse them, but the heavier pro versions cost more than ten times as much. I've owned the 55-200 and I can definitely vouch for it. It's probably the best deal on a lens out there at around $200.

Now we'll get to the cheapest way to sharpen up your images. You. Handholding technique is important even when using stabilized lenses. One of the bad habits people get into are putting your elbows out when you hold the camera up or holding the camera way out in front of you. The farther out your arms go from your body, the more prone you are to vibration and the heavier that camera is going to feel. So get those elbows in close to your body. I've found using a vertical battery grip on my SLR that has an extra shutter button on it allows me to do vertical photos without having to put my hand over the top of the camera and have to stick my elbow out. It used to be an option only on pro cameras, but even many entry-level SLR cameras have them available today. As an extra benefit, they also carry two batteries to give you twice the battery life between charges.

Also, if you're using an SLR, be sure to get your left hand under your lens. Unlike with compact cameras, SLR lenses can be heavy and long. If you're not putting a hand under that weight not only are you putting a strain on the lens mount but it's like holding a long stick out in front of you and trying to keep the end from wobbling.

Don't forget about your legs. The same principles that apply to tripods and monopods apply to you. Stand with your feet a shoulders width apart and especially if you're shooting with long lenses, lean against something solid if you can. Keep your elbows in and make sure you're supporting your camera effectively and you'll increase your percentage of sharp photos without spending a dime.

One more thing: indoors or otherwise too low light to get freeze action? It hurts me to say it but...use flash. I hate flat on camera flash lit photos but it's better than getting a streaky mess. And if you read my previous post, you saw how you can find creative ways to make that flash work for you.

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Expressing Yourself Through Photography: Depth of Field

The one technique that will make the biggest difference in the quality of most peoples photos is depth of field. Depth of field is essentially how much of a photo is in sharp focus, from the front to the back. It's the reason that most snap shots look flat and uninteresting. Shallow depth of field isolates your subject from the background, while a deeper focus is many times distracting to a viewer because your subject is just as focused as a painting on the wall or the people behind them, for example. On the other hand, sometimes you want that deep focus if you're shooting a landscape or a large group. It all depends on the look you want. I want to show you some tips on how to get it.

So how do you achieve your optimal depth of field? There are basically four factors.

1. Subjects distance from background/foreground.

If you put your subject with their back against a wall it's gonna look like a mug shot. If you instead put that subject on a hill overlooking a city, the background will fall more out of focus. That's an exaggerated example, but the idea is to put everything you don't want in focus as far behind, or in some cases in front, of your subject as possible.

2. Camera distance from the subject.

The closer you get to a subject, the shallower the depth of field. Only having someone's nose in a photo because you want to blur the tree behind them is not exactly optimal though so we use this technique in relation to...

3. Focal length of lens

Getting right in someone's face is not always make for good photos so use a longer lens to zoom in on your subject. This has the added effect of a more flattering perspective, especially with peoples faces (wide lens make things look um...round).

4. Aperture

The aperture is the opening at the back of the lens that controls the amount of light that gets through. Through the magic of physics it also controls your depth of field. The aperture is measured in f-stops and the smaller the number, the wider the opening (I know, it seems kinda backwards). The wider the opening, the shallower the focus. If you want more of the photo in focus, dial that aperture number up farther. Part of the reason that professionals shoot with these huge, wide aperture lenses is to get that shallow depth of field.

Here's an example of putting many of those factors to work together:

This is a shot of Dweezil Zappa playing at Rothbury in 2009. The only parts of the photo in focus are the hands and the parts of the guitar around the hands. The parts closer, such as the lettering on the toggle switch, and things farther away, like his shirt or the lighting rig behind him, are out of focus. This was shot with a fairly long focal length (about 155mm), from about 6-7 feet away with an aperture of f/5. Notice it has just the parts I wanted to bring attention to in focus and everything else falls out of focus so as not to distract attention from the subject.

Shooting with a compact camera presents some challenges for those wanting shallow depth of field. Small sensors in compact cameras mean small lenses and short focal lengths. By setting up your subject correctly and using the zoom you can do better than mug shots, but you won't get the silky smooth backgrounds you can achieve with an SLR camera and a long, wide aperture lens. That's why they cost ALOT of money though.

If you learned something useful from my site and want to help me keep it going you can buy through our affiliate Amazon.com Camera Store. Thanks!