Holding a camera

Holding your camera firmly is part of the basics of good photography. If the camera is stable, camera shake will be less of a problem in your shots. This section describes how to hold your camera correctly.

If you hold your camera with one hand, your elbow away from your body (as shown in the image below), the camera will be unsteady and your pictures may come out blurry,

Compact digital cameras are light enough to hold with one hand, so you might hold your camera as shown in this example. However, holding a camera with one hand is unsteady, doing so will increase the probability of camera shake.

Holding the camera with both hands is more stable than holding it with one hand, but if you do not keep your elbows pressed against your body, the camera will not be stable.

Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart to stabilize your lower body.

Because standing with your feet together tends to be unstable, stand in a relaxed posture with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.

Be careful not to over the lens with your fingers.

Hold the camera as shown in the example. Put your index finger on the shutter button.

Support the side panel of the camera with your left thumb, and the bottom panel with your left index finger.

You can hold your camera firmly this way, without touching the lens or flash with your hands.

Keeping your elbows pressed against your body stabilizes the camera and makes your hands less likely to shake.

Hold the camera with your elbows pressed against your body. If you take pictures using the viewfinder, you can keep your elbows pressed against your body naturally, making it easier to stabilize your camera.

Be careful not to keep your elbows too far from your body when shooting with the LCD screen.

Holding the camera when shooting a vertical picture.

Position your right hand the same way you would for horizontal shots, but move your left hand to the top of the camera. Be careful not to touch the flash or lens with your fingers.

When holding the camera vertically, sometimes it is easier to press the shutter button with your thumb. Hold the camera with your thumb joint and index finger, and put your thumb on the shutter button.

Stabilizing your camera on a handrails or similar fixtures.

You can also stabilize your camera by using a handrail or similar fixtures. This makes it possible to take pictures without camera shake even if you do not have a tripod.

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