Are you frustrated by the inconvenience of a tripod and prefer shooting handheld? Handheld photography boasts plenty of benefits – it’s far more accessible than tripod photography, it offers added flexibility, and it’s cheaper, too – but if you’re not careful, you risk coming home with memory cards full of blurry files.
Fortunately, it is possible to get stunningly sharp images with careful handholding, even if you like to shoot in low light. You just have to understand a few basic camera stabilization techniques, and you also have to be ready to adapt to tricky scenarios as required.
As a frequent handholder myself, I’m well-placed to explain the ins and outs of the technique, and in this article, I share clear tips and tricks for perfect results, whether you shoot birds, street subjects, portraits, landscapes, and more.
Let’s dive right in.
1. Use a fast shutter speed
It’s a basic rule of photography: the faster your shutter speed, the more you reduce the chance of blur caused by subject motion and camera shake.
Therefore, if you can boost the shutter speed without sacrificing other core elements of your photo, do it. In general, handholding at 1/250s and above (if your lens is shorter than 250mm) is very doable, especially if you use the techniques I share throughout this article. So whenever possible, make sure that you’re shooting at 1/250s – and jumping to 1/500s, 1/1000s, and even faster isn’t a bad idea, either.
Things get tricky, however, when the light is low. You may be unable to keep the shutter speed at 1/250s without boosting the ISO for an improved exposure, which can cause unpleasant noise to appear in your files. That’s when other handholding techniques become especially critical, such as:
2. Make sure your arms and hands are stable
Many photographers, especially when they’re just starting out, tend to shoot with the camera held out in various positions – but if you’re handholding and you’re worried about camera shake, it’s essential that you use a solid technique.
First, make sure that your elbows are tucked in at your sides, and make sure you place your left hand under the lens and your right hand around the body grip. I’d also recommend keeping your camera pressed firmly against your face (unless you’re shooting via the rear LCD, which is best avoided in low-light scenarios).
Finally, keep your knees slightly bent and your body balanced, and when you do push that shutter button, don’t jab at it; instead, press it gently. That way, you generate as little vibration as possible.
3. Stabilize your body against an object
Carrying a tripod is inconvenient, but did you know that you can mimic the effect of a tripod by becoming a human tripod? I’m talking about stabilizing your body and arms against a sturdy object, such as a car, a tree, or the ground.
(The ground is my favorite stabilizing object, as it’s reliably present!)
Depending on the length of your shutter speed, this technique may not be necessary – if you’re shooting at 1/250s, for instance, you’ll probably be just fine using the approach I shared in the previous tip – but when shooting handheld around dawn or dusk, or when working in heavy shade, it can make a huge difference.
When I’m shooting handheld, I often get down on the ground. I’ll lie on my stomach and press my elbows firmly against the soil – that way, I can feel fairly confident when taking my image that things will remain sharp, even if I’m shooting at 1/60s or below.
If you don’t want to get down on your stomach, that’s okay. You have plenty of other options! As I mentioned above, you can lean against a car or a tree, and another option is to crouch down and put your elbows on your knees.
4. Use your lens’s (or camera’s) image stabilization
Does your lens or camera possess image stabilization technology? If so, switch it on!
Image stabilization technology – also referred to as vibration reduction, optical stabilization, vibration compensation, and optical steady shot – is built in by clever camera manufacturers. It reduces (or eliminates) camera shake in one of two ways:
If the IS technology is built into the camera, the sensor physically moves to counteract any camera shake that the camera experiences. If it’s built into the lens, an optical element inside the lens moves while the sensor remains in place.
Note that different cameras and lenses offer different degrees of image stabilization effectiveness. If you plan to regularly handhold in low light, it can be a good idea to check different reviews to ensure you get the most effective model.
The downside of image stabilization technology is that it does add to the cost of your equipment. Only some cameras and some lenses possess it, and they tend to be on the pricier side of things. But for those who dislike shooting with a tripod, it’s a worthwhile investment.
5. Shoot with shorter lenses
An oft-cited rule in photography circles is this: You can handhold your lens at a shutter speed that is the reciprocal of the focal length (that is, 1/focal length).
While this may sound complex, it’s actually pretty simple. To find an acceptably fast shutter speed, just take the focal length and make it into a fraction with a one on top.
For instance, if you’re shooting with a 100mm lens, you can handhold at a shutter speed of 1/100s or faster. When you’re shooting with a 400mm lens, you can handhold at a shutter speed of 1/400s of a second or faster. Finally, if you’re shooting with a 25mm lens, you can handhold at a shutter speed of 1/25s or faster.
While I’ve already talked about the value of using a fast shutter speed, the reciprocal rule offers another key insight: The shorter your lens, the more you can drop your shutter speed and still come away with a sharp shot.
This is for a couple of reasons. First, long lenses tend to be bigger and heavier, which means they’re more difficult to keep steady. Second, longer lenses magnify camera shake, resulting in blurrier pictures.
Therefore, if you don’t have a tripod to cut down on camera shake, try using a lens that is more forgiving. In other words: Use shorter focal lengths for more success!
6. Shoot in burst mode
If you’re photographing handheld, especially if you’re working in an unstable position, it can be a great idea to use your camera’s burst mode setting. This helps with handheld photography for two reasons.
First, if you jab the shutter button with your finger, it’ll generate camera shake. But when you use burst mode, you only press the shutter button at the beginning of your image sequence. Later photographs will be taken with very little camera shake because the shutter button won’t actually be pressed before the image is captured.
Second, when you shoot in burst mode, the mirror won’t cause extra vibrations. DSLRs have mirrors in front of the sensor, and when the shutter button is pressed, the mirror flips up, briefly exposing the sensor to light (to capture the image).
This mirror is an essential part of DSLR operation, but the flip can cause small vibrations throughout the camera (which is another form of camera shake). Yet when you activate burst mode, the mirror only flips up only at the beginning of the burst. The later shots aren’t affected by the vibrations caused by the mirror, and as a consequence, they’re sharper.
(This last point doesn’t apply to mirrorless cameras; as the name suggests, they lack a mirror entirely.)
To activate burst mode, simply set your camera to high-speed drive mode and hold down the shutter button. You should hear the rapid-fire sound of images being taken.
7. Use the self-timer
Here’s my final tip for shooting handheld: If you’re in a pinch and you need to prevent even the slightest vibration, don’t be afraid to use your camera’s self-timer.
The self-timer allows you to press the shutter button without actually firing the camera; instead, you’ll need to wait for a specified number of seconds (generally two) before the image is taken.
This is useful for the same reason cited in the previous section: It prevents any camera shake generated when you press the shutter button.
So, next time you’re out in the field and you’re struggling to get sharp images without a tripod, try using the self-timer to reduce your camera shake! At first, it might make you frustrated – after all, who wants to wait two seconds for every photo? – but over time, you’ll learn to appreciate its value.
Handheld photography: final words
Many photographers think that tripods are essential, but this couldn’t be farther from the truth. It’s completely possible to capture tack-sharp images while handholding – in fact, it’s often an essential skill.
So remember the tips I’ve shared today, and start practicing your handheld technique. Before you know it, you’ll be an expert!
Now over to you:
Have any more tips for photographing without a tripod? Share them in the comments below.
