When I started out taking what I would call serious photographs I was told about a piece of equipment that would improve my picture taking enormously. This was back in the olden days of film, but it is still as true today as it was thirty odd years ago. This weapon in the photographer’s arsenal would not only improve the images that I produced but I would improve me as a photographer.
Today with the Microstock Photography market demanding the increased quality, this bit of equipment won’t guarantee success but it will cut down the rejections. So what is this amazing bit of technology and where can you get one? Well, the item that all photographers must have is a - Tripod. Yes that’s it, a tripod. Forget all the electronic gadgets and the digital meters etc. Buy yourself a tripod.
One of the hardest things to do when you are taking a picture is to hold the camera steady or rather rock solid. When I first started out on my journey into photography I was told to use a rule of thumb which went like this. The slowest shutter speed that you can use is equal to the lens size millimetres. So if I was to use a 50mm lens the slowest shutter speed that I should use is a 1/50th of a second or 1/60th on the shutter speed dial. If I used a 200mm lens I’d have to shoot at 1/250th of a second. Although this rule generally worked I still did get the odd image suffering with camera shake.
In the past days of film we could get away with a very small amount of camera shake. As lenses are far better nowadays and combined with the increased resolution and the digital technology available that enables the photographer to record every minute detail and at the same time highlighting the slightest flaw. You need to be shooting as close as possible to perfection therefore as digital photographers we need to take more care when shooting our pictures. By the way, I know that the 35mm film has effectively more pixels per square centimetre but digital images are recorded to increase the overall quality and clarity of the image. So whilst we have the equipment and technology to get better results all this is wasted by even the smallest amount of camera shake.
By fixing the camera to a tripod, and I mean a decent sturdy tripod, you will eliminate camera shake. Not only that but because you have taken the effort to use a tripod you tend to take more care and think about the subject. Landscapes for instance, when you are using a tripod you can evaluate the scene before pressing the shutter. This should improve your results as you can concentrate on the composition and forget about holding the camera.
Along with a tripod I like to use a shutter release. But if I’m shooting still-life I put the camera onto self-timer. This will ensure that there is absolutely no movement as the camera has ten seconds to stop moving after I have pressed the shutter.
I realise that you cannot use a tripod in all situations and for some subjects you need to move around freely. But on the occasions when you can use a tripod, use it! As I said earlier, if you want to submit your images to the Microstock Photography market the acceptable quality for digital photographic images has got even higher. The answer is to meet the demand with higher quality images and your trusty three legged friend will help you to do just that! After all, if a photograph is worth taking.. it’s worth taking right!
