Re: Standing still

[P3D John W Roberts <roberts@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

>Date: Wed, 25 Jun 1997 18:19:03 -0500
>From: P3D Larry Berlin  <lberlin@xxxxxxxxx>
>Subject: Re: Standing still

>>Date: Wed, 25 Jun 1997
>>From: P3D Vincent G. Macek explores:
>>...Any way of bracing yourself (assuming no handy solid surface)?  I
>>doubt if I can slow down my breathing let alone my pulse, and I figure
>>shutter times in excess of 10 seconds - if anyone has any ideas, thanks.

>[Some good ideas described by Larry]

For completely handheld, I've managed a second or two, but beyond that seems
very difficult - you might have to take a pretty large number of pictures
to have a good chance of one coming out OK. A few other techniques:
 - Hold the camera against your head and hold your breath as Larry
     describes, then briefly stop maintaining your balance with your feet.
     I find that helps me to hold much steadier for a second or two, at which
     point I start to pitch forward, and take a step to regain my balance.
     (Check where that step will take you before trying that technique!)
     With this additional refinement, it's amazing how often exposures
     up to 1/2 or 1 second will turn out well.
 - Sit on the ground with your knees bent, rest your elbows on your knees,
     and hold the camera against your forehead.
 - Borrow the shoulder of a friend as a place to rest the camera. If you
     can persuade the friend to bend slightly, with hands resting on slightly
     bent knees and elbows straight, that's an even better (though undignified)
     tripod substitute.
 - Other things being equal, a shorter focal length lens makes camera
     steadiness less critical.

>Other tactics might be to use nearby walls or other exhibit supports which
>you can lean against for stability.

Hand rails can be very useful - I've gotten a high yield of photos of
the illuminated fountains at Epcot by holding the 3D camera braced against
a hand rail. If you're in a car, propping the camera in the frame of an open
window is useful (of course, the car should be stopped, preferably with the
engine stopped, and no gusts of wind (e.g. from passing cars) to make your
car rock).

John R


------------------------------