holding for verticals

[payasam]

Even people no longer young can change: old woofer, new tricks. I had all along taken vertical frames with camera rotated either clockwise or anti-clockwise. In the few years for which I used a IIIc and a Zorki, each with accessory finder, I took to looking through the finder with my left eye rather than my right, which is dominant, camera rotated anti-clockwise and pressed against forehead and nose. Now I do the same with my M2, the only difference being that the camera is held slightly higher as the finder eyepiece is at one end. I have an impression of improved steadiness. Does anyone else do this or something like it? Do others have other tricks?

 

[nome_alice]

i do that too, with shutter button at the bottom rather than up the top. mostly because i'm heavily left eyed though. i much prefer it this way as i can keep my arms in at my sides instead of having to stick a chicken wing out.

actually, i just visualised your technique again, and no, i don't do that same as you. you're weird 😉

 

[robklurfield]

payasam, I will have try your technique. On the topic of teaching old woofers to roll over and such: after 49 yrs, 25 of them spent looking through the "wrong" eye (my dominant left eye) with my nose squished against the back of my M4 and M6, I finally determined to "teach" myself a new trick when I got an M8. I was annoyed with constant nose print on the camera back, so I relearned my shooting style. Easier than I expected. My large proboscis never provided any extra steadiness.

Totally off topic: my wife is pestering me to shave my beard. Please offer me three reasons I can provide to convince her otherwise.

Right eye vertical:

And, the reason for the beard question:

Both shot w/ J3 wide open.

 

[robklurfield]

Let's try those image links again:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3629/3505653081_4e7b377625.jpg?v=0

and

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3614/3505653051_a529ca3f5d.jpg?v=0

 

[hans voralberg]

A bit off-topic but I have to agree with your wife 😛

On-topic: I find holding vertical with the shutter @ bottom more comfortable.

 

[nikon_sam]

Shutter button up...shooting with left eye...
I was just trying my right eye with the button downward...sorry it doesn't feel right...I can't do it...

 

[laptoprob]

With the R-D1, the shutter button should be held upwards because of the meter ' hotspot'. I am not used to that, always held cameras button down and finder up. I don't like and am not used to holding the right arm over my head for button-up-verticals.

 

[payasam]

Dunno if I'm weird, nome_alice, but that's the way I do it. I'll grant that firing the shutter with the right thumb allows one to keep the elbows in. I used to do it -- and, for reasons not specified, hans finds it more comfortable. It is odd and not so logical, Rob, but strangely enough it works. Robk, your second picture makes me dizzy. That's without doubt a beard, I'll say. Your wife clearly does not know that conjugal facial hair, when applied correctly, makes the skin glow by keeping its pores clean and gently massaging it.

 

[Drewus]

Right eye, shutter button down, nose squished against back of camera. Get far better stability because my arms are tucked in.

 

[mcgrattan]

Normally: left-eye, shutter button down.

I'm left eye dominant so I always shoot that way. Generally shutter down because I am right-handed and that just feels easier, with the shutter release facing right.

 

[gudlagoba]

Shutter button to the top and right eye. Just like you do, Mukul. I have never done it any other way.

 

[payasam]

My new trick is shutter button to the top and left eye to the finder, gudlagoba. It will of course feel unfamiliar to you, but you might come to like it. It can also be called Using One's Head.

 

[petebown]

I usually turn the camera clockwise and shoot with the shutter button at the bottom. This could be because my right eye is dominant. However, I prefer to keep my right elbow tucked into ribs as this helps to reduce camera shake.
I think I may have taken some shots rotating the camera the other way but it just feels all wrong.
For me, it's the same for rangefinders and SLR cameras.

 

[Keith]

My Bronica RF645 is a tricky one. The camera's natural orientation is portrait and when shooting landscape I have yet to decide on top shutter or bottom shutter acuation. Top shutter feels a little weird because it's quite a large camera and your hand is way up in the air ... bottom shutter is a little arkward because I like to use my thumb but the shutter button is a long way to the front of the camera and is not in the natural position for my thumb! 😛

 

[ferider]

Shutter button up, right eye for me.

I try occasionally shutter button down, but always end up covering the 2nd RF window somehow.

One trick for improved steadyness both in portrait or landscape mode that works for me is
to pull on the (short) neck-strap and have my neck help me steady the camera if that makes
sense to anyone ....

Cheers,

Roland.

 

[Al Kaplan]

Mukul! Who says that we're "old woofers"?

It might well be giving you improved steadiness. I have deep set eyes and a prominant brow ridge (my Neanderthal genes showing?) and use my right hand to hold the camera, thumb under the wind lever, index finger on the release, and the other three fingers pressing the camera body against my palm. The fingers on left hand usually curved but palm down with the weight of the camera resting on the knuckles and backs of the fingers unless I'm shooting a long lens. I rarely actually grip the camera with my left hand. For years I did a lot of flash photography, holding the flash off camera in my left hand. I still use a bit of bounce flash on ocasion. I guess that's how I got in the habit of the one hand hold. It's pretty much the same whether vertical or horizontal.

I've never felt comfortable shooting an SLR like that, probably because the eyepiece is in the center.

I've heard that some photographers prefer useing their "other" eye because it lets them concentrate on overall composition. The master eye seems to get hung up on looking at the details. The other eye is mostly used just for depth perception, making the world look 3-D, but the way it's connected to your brain seems a lot different. Ever try reading with your left eye? It's doable but it isn't all that easy! Even peoples' faces can be difficult to recognize.

For the past three or four years I've done most of my shooting with just my right hand holding the camera "way out there" at arm's length and pointing back at an angle to include me in the frame. Equipped with the 15mm Heliar it gets in a lot of background too. The posing and facial expressions, hairstyle, the wardrobe I pick, all pure acting...

After awhile you become adept at winding and releasing the shutter while holding the camera out there, an 1/15 of a second doesn't scare me and I can usually pull off 1/8 no problem. Longer than that and I try to brace my hand against a wall.

One thing I haven't been able to do is compose the shots as verticals shot "blind" with any certainty. I've about given up trying. Back when I was trying I was releasing the shutter with my thumb.

http://thepriceofsilver.blogspot.com has a bunch of these shots. In a few of them you can see my reflection in a window, or shadow on the ground.

 

[Richard G]

I am heavily left eye dominant and some years ago, cannot remember when, taught myself to use the right eye. Maybe it was when I got a 35mm lens and needed to get closer to the viewfinder and managed surprisingly well. I now don't feel at all comfortable looking with the left when the camera is horizontal. I have always rotated clockwise for vertical and shot with the left eye and the shutter button down. I think having the hands lower allows for less tremor, but I can see the merits of up and the camera plastered to the forehead and I have occasionally done this for a very slow shot. Usually below 1/30 I have more confidence horizontal and try to avoid vertical altogether.

 

[MRohlfing]

With the R-D1, the shutter button should be held upwards because of the meter ' hotspot'.

Applies to the Bessa and Zeiss Ikon, too.

I prefer shutter button down, though, with most of my cameras.

 

[Pickett Wilson]

Shutter button up. I aways shoot with my left eye, so this just feels more natural.

 

[Larky]

Shutter button up, shoot with right eye. I can do both, but naturally do it this way because I like to have my chicken wing out.