| One of the main apparatus the photographer uses | | | | like a car or fencepost or your body. Rolling up a |
| for perfect shots is his camera digital lenses. | | | | jacket or other item that you can brace your |
| Different lenses are used for different situations. | | | | elbows on, place your arms closely towards your |
| Whether you are closing in on a tight shot or | | | | body, lens and camera balanced by the left had |
| telescoping a wide landscape, your lens is crucial. | | | | and arm, aim the camera slightly above the |
| The further away your subject, the shaker the | | | | subject, take a deep breath, let the view drop to |
| focus gets. If you are shooting up close, you can | | | | the proper composition while exhaling, and gently |
| zoom in and focus fairly easily, but for those long | | | | depress the shutter button. |
| distance shots you must have a tele lens and a | | | | Using this technique takes practice and a high |
| steady hand. The high magnification of zoom | | | | resolution film and shutter speed. ISO 400 or |
| lenses accentuates the effects of camera shake. | | | | higher should be used. This will allow you to use |
| Camera shake is inevitably the greatest cause for | | | | the higher shutter speed and minimize the effects |
| unfocused, long distance shots. When shooting | | | | of shake. |
| great distances, you must be able to steady the | | | | If you have better support-like a steady |
| camera; even the depressing of the shutter | | | | object-place your camera on top of it while |
| button will smear your image. Here are a few | | | | shooting your image. This gives you the ability to |
| ideas that may help. | | | | use slower shutter speeds. The minimum shutter |
| Ideally, use a tripod. Setting your camera on a | | | | speed rule of thumb for hand-holding a long tele |
| tripod gives it the stability it needs to focus on | | | | or zoom lens is this: Slowest safe shutter speed |
| your subject and stay focused, and it will allow | | | | = 1 over the lens focal length. |
| you to use slower shutter speeds. But your tripod | | | | For the serious on the go photographer, try using |
| must be on steady ground. If you're on shaky | | | | a monopod. Monopods are easy to carry and |
| ground, tripods will transmit this motion. | | | | quick to set up. Your shutter speeds will have to |
| Tripod-mounting collars attach the lens at the | | | | be set on a higher speed, but it will enable you to |
| proper fulcrum to the tripod rather than the | | | | get those long distance shots without much |
| camera, when you use physically long lenses. You | | | | danger of image softening or camera shake, |
| can also use a secondary support for the camera | | | | which would occur if you just were hand holding. |
| like Bogen's Long Lens Support. This telescoping | | | | Practice in holding and focusing for long distance is |
| brace attaches to most tripod legs with a | | | | essential. Your camera lens will definitely take your |
| universal clamp at one end and a swivel ball head | | | | photography to a different level, but practice will |
| for the camera at the other. | | | | keep that shaking hand from distorting your |
| If don't have a tripod, try using something steady | | | | perfect image. |