The number one cause of blurry and unsharp photos is due to camera shake at the instant of exposure. It's very critical that during the small slice of time when the shutter is open, the camera and the photographer be as stable as possible. Practicing this general technique will go a long ways toward achieving sharper images...especially at the slower shutter speeds.
Years ago (don't ask how many..!!), as a 'Green' Marine and in USMC rifle training, we were taught the B.R.A.S.S. ("BRASS") method of getting a steady shot, and I have used my own version of this technique whenever I am shooting (photographically, of course!) any subjects. The Acronym stands for:
B....Breathe...take a full breath.
R....Relax...let out about half of your air, until you feel comfortable and have a stable stance.
A....Aim... Look through your viewfinder and compose your shot.
S....Slack...take up the 'play' in the shutter release..the "half-press'.
S....Squeeze.. With a smooth motion, press the shutter. The idea with a rifle is to NOT know the exact time the round goes off to avoid flinching. With a camera, the same smooth and steady release idea applies. Too many shooters 'jab' the shutter, (none of the readers of this Forum, I am sure...!!)...this nearly always guarantees camera motion...and a wasted shot.
This is an easy technique to learn, it helps to practice it a few times until you have the timing and 'feel' down right. Depending on your previous habits, this could amount to an extra stop or two of speed. Remember the old saying, "Slow and steady, wins the race...!"
kskarma wrote:
The number one cause of blurry and unsharp photos is due to camera shake at the instant of exposure. It's very critical that during the small slice of time when the shutter is open, the camera and the photographer be as stable as possible. Practicing this general technique will go a long ways toward achieving sharper images...especially at the slower shutter speeds.
Years ago (don't ask how many..!!), as a 'Green' Marine and in USMC rifle training, we were taught the B.R.A.S.S. ("BRASS") method of getting a steady shot, and I have used my own version of this technique whenever I am shooting (photographically, of course!) any subjects. The Acronym stands for:
B....Breathe...take a full breath.
R....Relax...let out about half of your air, until you feel comfortable and have a stable stance.
A....Aim... Look through your viewfinder and compose your shot.
S....Slack...take up the 'play' in the shutter release..the "half-press'.
S....Squeeze.. With a smooth motion, press the shutter. The idea with a rifle is to NOT know the exact time the round goes off to avoid flinching. With a camera, the same smooth and steady release idea applies. Too many shooters 'jab' the shutter, (none of the readers of this Forum, I am sure...!!)...this nearly always guarantees camera motion...and a wasted shot.
This is an easy technique to learn, it helps to practice it a few times until you have the timing and 'feel' down. right. Depending on your previous habits, this could amount to an extra stop or two of speed. Remember the old saying, "Slow and steady, wins the race...!"
The number one cause of blurry and unsharp photos ... (
show quote)
Good advice! It works. But, sometimes the shooter rushes the job to get a shot and misses the shot because it turned out blurry. How many times I have got in a hurry? Have a GREAT DAY!
Yes, this does help. Making a "tripod" out of your elbows against your stomach also helps.
boberic
Loc: Quiet Corner, Connecticut. Ex long Islander
kskarma wrote:
The number one cause of blurry and unsharp photos is due to camera shake at the instant of exposure. It's very critical that during the small slice of time when the shutter is open, the camera and the photographer be as stable as possible. Practicing this general technique will go a long ways toward achieving sharper images...especially at the slower shutter speeds.
Years ago (don't ask how many..!!), as a 'Green' Marine and in USMC rifle training, we were taught the B.R.A.S.S. ("BRASS") method of getting a steady shot, and I have used my own version of this technique whenever I am shooting (photographically, of course!) any subjects. The Acronym stands for:
B....Breathe...take a full breath.
R....Relax...let out about half of your air, until you feel comfortable and have a stable stance.
A....Aim... Look through your viewfinder and compose your shot.
S....Slack...take up the 'play' in the shutter release..the "half-press'.
S....Squeeze.. With a smooth motion, press the shutter. The idea with a rifle is to NOT know the exact time the round goes off to avoid flinching. With a camera, the same smooth and steady release idea applies. Too many shooters 'jab' the shutter, (none of the readers of this Forum, I am sure...!!)...this nearly always guarantees camera motion...and a wasted shot.
This is an easy technique to learn, it helps to practice it a few times until you have the timing and 'feel' down right. Depending on your previous habits, this could amount to an extra stop or two of speed. Remember the old saying, "Slow and steady, wins the race...!"
The number one cause of blurry and unsharp photos ... (
show quote)
Good advice. That's the reason why I have the 1/2press off. BTW a trained world class sniper can actually control his heart beat so that his shot is between heartbeats. As well as lower his blood pressure. This condition is known as cold zero. A world record kill was over 1 1/2 miles.
Good advice for static subjects. But for moving subjects you do want to control the exact time the shot is taken. But then you are probably using a high enough shutter speed to stop subject motion as well as camera motion.
DirtFarmer
Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA
AzPicLady wrote:
... Making a "tripod" out of your elbows against your stomach also helps.
What a wonderful excuse to develop a large stomach.
One very important point I feel you left out: Learn to hold the camera properly - weight of camera and lens should be supported by the left hand, while the right hand should remain fairly loose and relaxed. With a little practice, this technique can cut down on camera shake significantly!
Whenever I go to tourist sites, I can't help but notice how the majority of photographers are gripping the camera really tight with their right hand when they are taking a picture, using it instead of the left hand to support much of the weight. Unfortunately, most photography tutorials seem to rarely touch upon the subject of how to actually hold a camera to reduce camera shake. Although monopods and tripods obviously are very effective, they are not always practical to carry along or set up.
kskarma wrote:
B....Breathe...take a full breath.
R....Relax...let out about half of your air, until you feel comfortable and have a stable stance.
A....Aim... Look through your viewfinder and compose your shot.
S....Slack...take up the 'play' in the shutter release..the "half-press'.
S....Squeeze.. With a smooth motion, press the shutter. The idea with a rifle is to NOT know the exact time the round goes off to avoid flinching. With a camera, the same smooth and steady release idea applies. Too many shooters 'jab' the shutter, (none of the readers of this Forum, I am sure...!!)...this nearly always guarantees camera motion...and a wasted shot.
br B....Breathe...take a full breath. br br R...... (
show quote)
=========================
Thank you!... newbie just printed this out to put in my camera kit bag.
kskarma wrote:
The number one cause of blurry and unsharp photos is due to camera shake at the instant of exposure. It's very critical that during the small slice of time when the shutter is open, the camera and the photographer be as stable as possible. Practicing this general technique will go a long ways toward achieving sharper images...especially at the slower shutter speeds.
Years ago (don't ask how many..!!), as a 'Green' Marine and in USMC rifle training, we were taught the B.R.A.S.S. ("BRASS") method of getting a steady shot, and I have used my own version of this technique whenever I am shooting (photographically, of course!) any subjects. The Acronym stands for:
B....Breathe...take a full breath.
R....Relax...let out about half of your air, until you feel comfortable and have a stable stance.
A....Aim... Look through your viewfinder and compose your shot.
S....Slack...take up the 'play' in the shutter release..the "half-press'.
S....Squeeze.. With a smooth motion, press the shutter. The idea with a rifle is to NOT know the exact time the round goes off to avoid flinching. With a camera, the same smooth and steady release idea applies. Too many shooters 'jab' the shutter, (none of the readers of this Forum, I am sure...!!)...this nearly always guarantees camera motion...and a wasted shot.
This is an easy technique to learn, it helps to practice it a few times until you have the timing and 'feel' down right. Depending on your previous habits, this could amount to an extra stop or two of speed. Remember the old saying, "Slow and steady, wins the race...!"
The number one cause of blurry and unsharp photos ... (
show quote)
Your post on shooting technique is fine, for most things I have no problem with it and it is probably helpful.
Your quote about "Slow and steady wins the race" on the other hand is 100 percent false. I just got back from shooting the state track meet. slow and steady not only didn't win, it didn't even make the finals.
And when it came to photos at the finish line none of the big guns were using anything resembling a slow and steady approach. If you had tried slow and steady the action would have been gone and you would have still been sitting there getting ready to exhale.
rehess
Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA
rook2c4 wrote:
One very important point I feel you left out: Learn to hold the camera properly - weight of camera and lens should be supported by the left hand, while the right hand should remain fairly loose and relaxed. With a little practice, this technique can cut down on camera shake significantly!
Whenever I go to tourist sites, I can't help but notice how the majority of photographers are gripping the camera really tight with their right hand when they are taking a picture, using it instead of the left hand to support much of the weight. Unfortunately, most photography tutorials seem to rarely touch upon the subject of how to actually hold a camera to reduce camera shake. Although monopods and tripods obviously are very effective, they are not always practical to carry along or set up.
One very important point I feel you left out: Lear... (
show quote)
Not just newcomers are grabbing the grip. So often I hear people say here they need a large body to "balance" a long lens .... if they were using left hand to support the lens, then "balance" wouldn't have been an issue.
btbg wrote:
Your post on shooting technique is fine, for most things I have no problem with it and it is probably helpful.
Your quote about "Slow and steady wins the race" on the other hand is 100 percent false. I just got back from shooting the state track meet. slow and steady not only didn't win, it didn't even make the finals.
And when it came to photos at the finish line none of the big guns were using anything resembling a slow and steady approach. If you had tried slow and steady the action would have been gone and you would have still been sitting there getting ready to exhale.
Your post on shooting technique is fine, for most ... (
show quote)
Thanks for your correction and pointing out that my quote was "100 percent false"...I actually had not considered that any of the 'big guns' would be reading my advice and trying to apply it to their situation... I posted that with the idea in mind that most of the photos that readers of this forum would be taking are probably pictures such as landscapes, family photos, vacation shots and not the very active sporting events.... And yes, I did not mean for my advice to apply to ALL situations, there really is no such thing as some sort of "Universal Practice" that should be used all of the time.... I'm not sure how I should put in some sort of 'disclaimer' on my future postings to make sure that professional sports photographers are not led astray by something I have suggested.....!! [Grins]
Currently I am working on a posting that covers panning with the action, burst mode shooting as well as selecting high frame rates and shutter speeds...just in case some professionals such as yourself might take my advice the wrong way....
I totally agree with you about the very common practice of having a 'death grip' with the right hand, I also notice that many folks will hold the lens with their thumb on the bottom of the lens and their four fingers on the top and do their focusing in this manner. This always looks very awkward and means they are supporting the weight of the lens mainly with their thumb..
Do I ever try to correct them?? Nope.....!!
Sounds good unless you are shooting a sporting event.
After all the breathing, relaxing and slacking, you have missed your shot!
But good technique for other shoots.
kskarma wrote:
The number one cause of blurry and unsharp photos is due to camera shake at the instant of exposure. It's very critical that during the small slice of time when the shutter is open, the camera and the photographer be as stable as possible. Practicing this general technique will go a long ways toward achieving sharper images...especially at the slower shutter speeds.
Years ago (don't ask how many..!!), as a 'Green' Marine and in USMC rifle training, we were taught the B.R.A.S.S. ("BRASS") method of getting a steady shot, and I have used my own version of this technique whenever I am shooting (photographically, of course!) any subjects. The Acronym stands for:
B....Breathe...take a full breath.
R....Relax...let out about half of your air, until you feel comfortable and have a stable stance.
A....Aim... Look through your viewfinder and compose your shot.
S....Slack...take up the 'play' in the shutter release..the "half-press'.
S....Squeeze.. With a smooth motion, press the shutter. The idea with a rifle is to NOT know the exact time the round goes off to avoid flinching. With a camera, the same smooth and steady release idea applies. Too many shooters 'jab' the shutter, (none of the readers of this Forum, I am sure...!!)...this nearly always guarantees camera motion...and a wasted shot.
This is an easy technique to learn, it helps to practice it a few times until you have the timing and 'feel' down right. Depending on your previous habits, this could amount to an extra stop or two of speed. Remember the old saying, "Slow and steady, wins the race...!"
The number one cause of blurry and unsharp photos ... (
show quote)
And the Marines are the BEST riflemen in the world....
In the Air Force, we weren't required to be quite as close to the target....
....Semper Fi......
An even simpler way to achieve sharper images is the "T-R-I-P-O-D" system!
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