vertical shooting: which hand up?

[Richard G]

I wonder if we can dig a little deeper? I can understand people using their right eye would put their right hand up, and the left hand for left eyed folk. I can’t see how it would be comfortable to do it the other way, but I’m only me. So, is anyone putting the opposite hand up to the eye they use?

I can only say what I do with a Leica. I mostly use left hand up and shoot with my left eye and use my right index finger to trip the shutter. I am heavily L eye dominant and am partially amblyopic with my right eye which has good visual acuity but I can barely read a paragraph with it. But, when I bought a 35mm lens finally, I was in my early thirties and I switched to right eye shooting to get closer to the viewfinder with my glasses on.

I shoot right hand down for comfort. When I really need the camera to be still with a slow shutter speed I will sometimes deliberately go right hand up so as to have the camera body plastered to my forehead for extra stability.

 

[shimokita]

-- Right handed, left eye shooter (it's my better eye), right hand up with (d)SLR... with the RF it's about 50-50

 

[dourbalistar]

I answered, "Sometimes clockwise, sometimes counterclockwise." But in this photo... 😎

Leica M5, Canon 50mm f/1.4 LTM, Ilford HP5+, developed in LegacyPro L110 at 1:31 for 5.5 minutes.


2018.10.01 Roll #186-03084-positive.jpg by dourbalistar, on Flickr

(edit: Not sure why the photo isn't embedding as it normally would. Link seems to work, though...)

 

[nickthetasmaniac]

I seem to be in the minority - right eye shooter, right hand (shutter hand) down. It always feels much more stable to have my shutter-side elbow wedged against my body than waving around in the air...

Yes. The new generation is used to TV screens, movies screens, computer screens...

Given that TV, movie and computer screens have been ubiquitous for decades at miminim, I’m curious which ‘new’ generation you’re talking about? Baby boomers perhaps?

The ‘new’ generation are used to spending hours a day on their vertically oriented smartphones...

 

[zuiko85]

Right hand up. But, I'm left eyed and the camera body rests against my left cheek /nose.

I also shoot horizontal with the same hold....When using my Pen F.

 

[raid]

😱 This poll made me conscious which way I was holding my camera every time I go for a vertical shot! It happened to me this morning! 😱

 

[_lou_]

Just use Bronica RF645!

 

[Doug]

I can recall the time when I was deciding this issue for myself, about 50 years ago! I experimented vertical shooting in different ways of holding the camera for verticals. Cameras are basically awkward for verticals. I decided that right-up was more attention-getting, less discreet, but more secure. Right-down has a less-secure grip with the right hand, thumb on shutter button improves this, left hand better oriented for focusing, both elbows easily tucked into sides for stability. And, I'm left-eyed so I chose right-down!

Maybe try for yourselves to see what works best for you... 🙂

 

[bhop73]

It varies, but don't really know why..

 

[Darthfeeble]

I chose the third option asI am trying to train myself to have both elbows on my chest to help stability. It's more awkward with the RF because of the location of the VF.

 

[Archiver]

For point and shoot cameras, I always shot vertically with right hand on the bottom, holding the camera with my palm facing me and thumb on the shutter button, and left hand with fingers on top to brace the camera, palm of the left hand resting against the bottom of the camera or my right hand fingers.

For SLR's, DSLR's, rangefinders and mirrorless, I shoot with my right hand on top, suspending the camera, while my left hand is underneath and supporting the main weight of the body and lens.

I'm right eye dominant and right handed.

 

[RObert Budding]

Both hands down. One on the camera and shutter, the other on the lens.

 

[telenous]

While it comes to me naturally to turn the camera anticlockwise (right-handed, right-eye dominant) I have accustomed myself to turn clockwise in practice. Tucked in elbows shrink a bit my profile as I shoot and also give me a feeling of greater stability, especially for the slower speeds.

 

[YouAreHere]

Usually I keep both elbows down and "push up" on the camera rather than raise one elbow which would mean a less stable "pulling up" on the camera.

 

[Guy Pinhas]

Can you guys expand on the below? Not sure I understand. All TV shows and movies that I have seen, wether on the silver screen, TV or computer were displayed horizontally? I use a half frame which does lend itself to vertical by nature 🙂 Also use my Leica but as of right now, the preference is the half frame.

Yes. The new generation is used to TV screens, movies screens, computer screens and this makes (just my opinion of course) more spontaneous to shoot in the same way. Me too, even if no more young 🙁 I'm more inclined shoot horizontally and sometimes I have to "force" myself to shoot vertically. I need more vertical exercise 🙂

The similarity horizontal photographs and TV or movies was also brought up by Ralph Gibson in a recent interview.

robert

 

[LCSmith]

When I am composing vertically, I hold the camera clockwise, I suppose, but I hold the camera with my right hand only and press the shutter release with my thumb. Because of the weight and compactness of the Leica rangefinders, I find this technique particularly useful for candid street shots where a vertical composition is desired. Just let the camera kind of balance vertically in the loving bosom of your fingers (as it were) and if you want to be extra steady, just let the camera rest against your right shoulder.

That's what I do, at least.

 

[furcafe]

I'm old(er) & am skeptical of any significant generational differences, except perhaps that w/the advent of high-res digital, it's easier to simply crop a horizontal shot than shoot vertically when a vertical shot is needed/works better. If anything, you're more likely to see vertically oriented video, etc., nowadays because of platforms like Instagram & the natural, vertical orientation of smartphones.

During the brief, ancient, heyday of 35mm film, there was a technical need to maximize use of the slide/negative & minimize cropping, so when you shot for a publication, for example, the editor/designer often would need both vertical & horizontal shots for layout purposes.

To answer the poll question, I shoot right-hand/shutter release down for verticals because I find it much more stable w/the elbows against the chest & the camera resting on my forehead. Depending on how quickly I need to shoot, I can use either my thumb or index finger to trip the shutter.

Can you guys expand on the below? Not sure I understand. All TV shows and movies that I have seen, whether on the silver screen, TV or computer were displayed horizontally? I use a half frame which does lend itself to vertical by nature 🙂 Also use my Leica but as of right now, the preference is the half frame.

 

[rbsinto]

I am left handed and a left-eye shooter, and always rotate the camera counter-clockwise (as seen from my position) so that my right hand is above the camera and I engage the shutter button with my index finger.
Have done it this way since 1977 on SLRs, rangefinders and DSLRs.
Robert

 

[littleearth]

Right hand up, unless I am shooting a P&S camera with flash.

 

[rbiemer]

Depends on the camera. I'm left eye shooter and mostly shoot verticals right hand down. Especially with rf cameras because that keeps my left hand out of the way of the vf/rf. I also tend to use the base of my right index finger--just ahead of the knuckle--for the shutter.

Rob