How To Get Better Night Photos - Eliminate Camera Shake!
Today's tip about how to eliminate camera shake, will give you better night photography! Actually, it will help with any long shutter speed exposures, not just night photography.
As tips go, it's not some earth shaking, hot off the presses idea. In fact, I'm sure that many or possibly even most of you will have heard of this... but unfortunately, like many of the best photo techniques, we don't actually DO it! It's time to stop procrastinating and take some action!
Here's the problem… Camera Shake.
Camera shake is the enemy of ANY photo but generally appears in long exposure shots. It is particularly bad in night photography because of the long shutter times involved.
Obviously you need a tripod to hold the camera steady - by the way, that's NOT today's tip - anyone trying to shoot at night without a tripod may as well give up and go home.
As a side note, be careful about kicking the tripod. In the dark it is easy to do and it will set up vibrations that seemingly take forever to settle down.
Enough said.
But, even with a tripod, we get a bit of camera shake! Just pressing the shutter button will slightly move the camera and instill some movement blur into the shot.
The further you are from the subject matter, the more magnified and obvious the movement becomes. Those gorgeous night time city skylines may look OK as a 4 x 6 print, but if you want something for the wall - it just won't happen.
So clearly, the way to remove this blur is to get your hands off the shutter button!
Most of the better cameras offer a timed shutter release or a bulb function...use it! Use it every time you are shooting a long shutter speed shot - not just at night.
This will trigger the shutter, without you having to touch the shutter button. Voila! No camera shake.
Hopefully you have been doing such a good job that you will never notice the difference in your final shots - but it's there! The more you "blow up" an image, the more visible even minor camera shake becomes.
Personally, I would rather use the technique and not notice any difference than not use it and ruin a shot! This is one of those things where no news is good news.
It's all these little things that will add up to contest winning photos. For more night photography tips and ideas, and other reviews of things you know you need to do but aren't - and a ton of new stuff you may have never heard of…check out the resources box.
As tips go, it's not some earth shaking, hot off the presses idea. In fact, I'm sure that many or possibly even most of you will have heard of this... but unfortunately, like many of the best photo techniques, we don't actually DO it! It's time to stop procrastinating and take some action!
Here's the problem… Camera Shake.
Camera shake is the enemy of ANY photo but generally appears in long exposure shots. It is particularly bad in night photography because of the long shutter times involved.
Obviously you need a tripod to hold the camera steady - by the way, that's NOT today's tip - anyone trying to shoot at night without a tripod may as well give up and go home.
As a side note, be careful about kicking the tripod. In the dark it is easy to do and it will set up vibrations that seemingly take forever to settle down.
Enough said.
But, even with a tripod, we get a bit of camera shake! Just pressing the shutter button will slightly move the camera and instill some movement blur into the shot.
The further you are from the subject matter, the more magnified and obvious the movement becomes. Those gorgeous night time city skylines may look OK as a 4 x 6 print, but if you want something for the wall - it just won't happen.
So clearly, the way to remove this blur is to get your hands off the shutter button!
Most of the better cameras offer a timed shutter release or a bulb function...use it! Use it every time you are shooting a long shutter speed shot - not just at night.
This will trigger the shutter, without you having to touch the shutter button. Voila! No camera shake.
Hopefully you have been doing such a good job that you will never notice the difference in your final shots - but it's there! The more you "blow up" an image, the more visible even minor camera shake becomes.
Personally, I would rather use the technique and not notice any difference than not use it and ruin a shot! This is one of those things where no news is good news.
It's all these little things that will add up to contest winning photos. For more night photography tips and ideas, and other reviews of things you know you need to do but aren't - and a ton of new stuff you may have never heard of…check out the resources box.
Source...