How you hold your camera is so important, yet so many of us take our camera grip for granted, assuming that we will naturally hold it in the most stable way available. For some, it does come naturally, but for most of us, bad habits can take root before we even know it. To that end, there’s a couple pointers I’ve put together on How To Hold Your SLR and How To Hold Your P&S. To wrap things up, today I’d like to share a couple tips on How To Hold Your Phone Camera.
Video seems to work for demonstration purposes, so again, YouTube to the rescue:
The takeaways from the video? Three simple ones:
1. Finger Curl – curl your middle fingers around the front lower side of your camera phone – this will add stability and will help subconsciously you to keep your armed tucked in
2. Arm Tuck – Since I just mentioned it, avoid sticking your arms out – either to the side or in front of you. Extended your arms reduces stability and tends more toward camera shake. Keep your arms tucked in, elbows into your tummy by your waist.
3. Double L – Make an L with both hands and cradle your camera phone into the corner of each hand. Position the phone so that your camera lens is on the topside. That way, your thumb (either left or right depending on phone model) will be at the ready for the trigger on the edge of your phone (don’t use the on-screen one).
As always, there is no hard and fast set of rules to follow – using these techniques will not guarantee a stable shot. If you watch the video – notice even as I demonstrated, the camera shifted slightly even in my grip. The best way to hold any camera is not with your hands but with a tripod!
There are options out there for phone cameras now too – I like this one:
Got your own tips, ideas, or suggestions for hand holding a camera phone? What works for you? Do you use a tripod or a monopod? What gear would you recommend?