Steadying Yourself

[enochRoot]

Thats the part I can't master

yeah...i "forget" once in a while and wonder why i'm so jittery.

 

[enochRoot]

having the right "joint" helps 😉.

sure doesn't hurt 😀

 

[AOI Photo]

yeah...i "forget" once in a while and wonder why i'm so jittery.

Curently I"m at 10 cups a day.. down from 20.

I'm about 1/50 slowest for a 50mm with rangefinder, and 1/125 for a 50mm on an SLR

 

[enochRoot]

Curently I"m at 10 cups a day.. down from 20.

I'm about 1/50 slowest for a 50mm with rangefinder, and 1/125 for a 50mm on an SLR

seriously?! wow. my heart would blow up. i have more than one cup (or a large or something)...and i feel all cracked out. my body just isn't used to the caffeine anymore. i didn't drink *any* for about 5 years. now i'm back to a tea a day (and coffee once in a while).

 

[AOI Photo]

seriously?! wow. my heart would blow up. i have more than one cup (or a large or something)...and i feel all cracked out. my body just isn't used to the caffeine anymore. i didn't drink *any* for about 5 years. now i'm back to a tea a day (and coffee once in a while).

Seriously. I worked photographing very young children (4 weeks to 4 years). I went to the home to do this. It was a great job, and I got much better pictures than I ever did of kids that young in a studio, the familiar sorroundings, and the fact that the kids didn't have to be dressed up, then ride in the car, etc led to happier kids. The downside was that In a 9 hour day I probably spent 4 hours in a car. I found I tended to either drink 20 cups of coffee a day, or smoke about two packs a day. The coffee was marginally healthier.

 

[bmattock]

A beer helps me get steady. Sometimes I get so steady, I can't move.

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

 

[ErnestoJL]

There is an old trick that sometimes helps, and usually is as solid as a tripod: get a chain as long as your height with small links and fix it to a 1/4" hex head screw. Once the chain is affixed to the tripod socket, step on it and keep it straight upwards. Then shoot.

Benefits: is cheap, and fits easily in any pocket. And it works.

Ernesto

 

[jonasv]

The following trick won't work if you're just walking light with one rangefinder or just a small bag... But lately when doing "pj" assignments and carrying a lot of equipment, I swing my Domke to the front, hanging right in front of my belly, and I can rest both elbows upon it. Nice especially for longer lenses , otherwise I usually don't bother since I can shoot my Bessa and other rangefinders down till 1/8th-1/15th with any lens, and my SLR till 1/15th with wide and normal lenses (24-50) and 1/30th with long (85-105) lenses.

 

[dhartse]

In addition to some of the things others have mentioned, I try to hold the camera snug against my head. The (relatively) large muscles of the neck seem to be much steadier than the small muscles of the hands.

I also prefer heavier cameras, as their greater inertia tends to reduce camera shake. At least that's my perception.

Duane

 

[BJ Bignell]

quit drinking?

Geez, I was going to suggest that a pint always smoothes me right out.
Two pints, I might start to lose focus on what I'm doing.
Three pints, I get shaky again.
Four pints, I forget about cameras and start to think I should be chatting up the ladies. 😀 (That's usually about when the gf shows up and reminds me who's boss!)

In addition to some of the things others have mentioned, I try to hold the camera snug against my head.

I also do this. I find that after taking a shot I need to re-adjust my glasses, which usually have found their way squished deep into my right eye.