I’m always surprised to see how many people fail to hold their camera correctly. Most people get it right, when holding their camera horizontally, with their left hand cupped under the lens, to give it support, and their right hand on the body or grip, so their index finger over the shutter button. So far, so good.
But, when they shift their camera to vertical, they shift their hands all around so no longer have their left hand under the lens and their right hand is scrunched under the camera, still with their finger on the shutter button. Rather like my friend, Xavier, below.
The problem with this method is that the camera is poorly supported, and prone to camera shake — the biggest single cause of failed photographs. And it takes much longer to change from horizontal to vertical, so you risk losing your shot!
Instead, try leaving your hands in position and simply rotating your camera anti-clockwise. Your left hand will still be under the lens, to support the camera, while your right hand will now be above the camera, but your finger will still be on the shutter button!
Try it! You’ll also see that it’s much faster to switch from horizontal to vertical, which also makes it more likely you’ll catch that shot of a lifetime!
David Young’s eBook, “A Brief History of Photography,” is available now.