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TBH This Makes Me Wince! - How to hold your camera

Tronhard
VIP
VIP

So, at a recent Diwali festival I grimaced at this person up on the stage taking still images (I checked). 
She was using a Canon EOS R5 with the EF 24-70 MkII f/2.8 with EF-RF adapter: a kit that weighs in at 1.7kg, or 3.75lb. 
Having to lean far forward is going to be hard on the back, and single-handed is really depending on the camera/lens stabilization.  Finally, on a bright, sunny day, I would say it's much harder to really see what you are shooting on the rear LCD.

Unsupported Forward Flexion.Unsupported Forward Flexion.  Not in video mode - no red lightNot in video mode - no red light  R62A1657 LR copy.jpg  Single-handed even!Single-handed even!

In an era when a whole new generation of stills photographers have migrated from cell phones to dedicated cameras, it seems to me that many have not appreciated that a dedicated camera like this is going to need a different technique from that of the small, light, and usually wide-angle cell phone. 

I still much prefer when stills shooting hand-held to do so via a viewfinder for quite specific reasons:
1. It provides three points of contact (like a tripod) between the camera and the photographer's body, which is much more stable platform.
2. Especially with heavier lenses, it's much safer for one's back not to perform unsupported forward flexion with a decent weight held at distance from the body - it's just plain poor postural behaviour. 

The longer the focal length and heavier the lens, the more these principles hold true. I am supported in this by several sources:
The correct techniquesThe correct techniques  00 Holding a Camera.jpg
and

Curious what others think...


cheers, TREVOR

The mark of good photographer is less what they hold in their hand, it's more what they hold in their head;
"All the variety, all the charm, all the beauty of life is made up of light and shadow", Leo Tolstoy;
"Skill in photography is acquired by practice and not by purchase" Percy W. Harris
6 REPLIES 6

rs-eos
Elite

I wonder if she was doing this to get a tighter framing? Along with much better positioning and proper camera/lens support, a 70-200mm would have been a better choice.

--
Ricky

Camera: EOS 5D IV, EF 50mm f/1.2L, EF 135mm f/2L
Lighting: Profoto Lights & Modifiers

Given the R5 is a 45MP camera, and she is working for a publication, I suspect she could have cropped if need be - I mean, would half a metre distance to subject make that much difference?  I will note that, at most,  she was barely 6m (20') from the action.  I would prefer to crop than have a shaky image to begin with.  I would have gone with the 24-105 f/4 personally for this scenario.
I will add that, as a professional, I would expect her to wear black clothing and bag to blend in with the stage setup, which is standard, and has been used at this venue for the same events regularly.  That way she can get close and not stick out like a sore thumb!


cheers, TREVOR

The mark of good photographer is less what they hold in their hand, it's more what they hold in their head;
"All the variety, all the charm, all the beauty of life is made up of light and shadow", Leo Tolstoy;
"Skill in photography is acquired by practice and not by purchase" Percy W. Harris

Stephen
Moderator
Moderator

Stephen_0-1699292879846.gif

i'm clumsy and don't trust myself to use my camera without the strap being firmly attached to my person. I'm so afraid I'm going to drop it, or something/someone is going to knock into me, and >crash< there it goes!

I think that's a wise precaution.  I never use a strap, but carry my cameras in holsters - mind you most of the time I'm using big tele zooms that would kill my neck if I hung them by a strap.
In this case, the strap is not doing much for the photographer, it's not really stabilizing the lens and camera.


cheers, TREVOR

The mark of good photographer is less what they hold in their hand, it's more what they hold in their head;
"All the variety, all the charm, all the beauty of life is made up of light and shadow", Leo Tolstoy;
"Skill in photography is acquired by practice and not by purchase" Percy W. Harris

Tintype_18
Authority
Authority

Use a tripod if possible, monopod would be good and easier to move around. I keep the strap around my neck, no matter what lens I'm using. The 150-600mm and camera are mounted on a tripod with the camera strap and lens strap wrapped around the tripod in some way. Too much invested to let them hit the ground.

John
Canon EOS T7; EF-S 18-55mm IS; EF 28-135mm IS; EF 75-300mm; Sigma 150-600mm DG

Fair enough, what about this scenario? 


cheers, TREVOR

The mark of good photographer is less what they hold in their hand, it's more what they hold in their head;
"All the variety, all the charm, all the beauty of life is made up of light and shadow", Leo Tolstoy;
"Skill in photography is acquired by practice and not by purchase" Percy W. Harris
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