ok i put this here because it seemed the best fit, tim feel free to move it you feel there's a more appropriate forum craig was talking about how he gets such good handheld night shots and i thought i'd try to help out the newbies to that with what i feel are some good learning tools how to develop and use a better body stance for longer hand held exposures 1. get any recent book on handgun shooting from a library, it must have a section on the 3 point combat stance 2. copy the pages and keep for yourself, unless you are developing an interest in competitive shooting you only need the pages about the combat stance and follow through 3, start practicing in the back yard, anywhere, the subjects, exposure all mean diddly squat, shoot at anything, how it looks isn't important, what is is developing good positioning, you are only looking for an improvement in sharpness, use manual to slowly, increase the length of exposure 4. the section on body position and foot placement is the key to it all, remember the strongest configuration in nature is the triangle, you are looking for that slightly bent natural triangle between the camera and it's relation to your feet, they should be about or slightly more than shoulder width. for those on the forum into either competitive shooting, trained po-leece, or martial artists will instinctively grasp what i'm trying to convey, this is where a good set of diagrams from the book will help as a retired po-leeces, and a competitive handgunner i found it a natural transition into a better photo stance, keep those elbows off the ribs, you don't want your breathing twitches affecting movement, i know it seems more natural to lock in tight, but you are better off learning some good breath control and squeezing the shutter release, on the exhale, and learn to caress that button, you are making love to the camera, not hurting it tim, it's been a long time since i was on the range instructing so if i've missed anything or have the technique scrambled feel free to correct
good points Gary. I would add: -shoot on a slow, shallow exhale, no one is timing you -definitely gently push the shutter, do not jerk it. It is a sensitive button, not a da handgun
the gentle squeeze is correct, but i would point out that although it's not camera equipment a well tuned firearm has a very smooth trigger feel, very progressive resistance throughout the trigger pull, so the handgun is more related to the shutter button than most would realize
and i just thought of another good technique under combat shooting, the use of barricades for cover, for photography as it relates to disney, it's the use of fixed objects, especially the lamp posts as a solid support, either against the back of the hand, either strong or weak side, or leaning the shoulder against it, the posts of the verandas on main street, the use of the tops of trash cans, or railings if wide enough, to support the elbows, again the use of the triangle as a base of support
continuing with the gun motif: -take a deep breath and exhale slowly then hold your breath. -gently press the shutter so its a "surprise" when it goes off. this keeps you from jerking the camera, causing blur. -like gary says, stance is key. center of gravity must be very stable. keep one foot back and bend your knees slightly, as if you don't want someone to push you over. -keep you elbows in and locked against your body. you want as many points of contact as possible for stability. GREAT TOPIC, GARY!
One of the things I remember from Tim's MK photo tour from last year was the "press the shutter so it's a surprise". It made me realize that I WAS jamming down on the button when I took pictures. I was shocked to discovered what I was doing, I mean I'd practically grown up around cameras. I should have known better. I was taught breathing techniques as a kid that I used with my 110 camera. I've since modified the technique, I want the shutter to open up when I want it to, I don't want it to be a surprise, but the point is still well taken. I try to use the minimum force that will still get the button to click when I want it to.
