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As landscape photographers, we prefer to shoot from a tripod. There are a lot of good reasons for this.\u00a0 Tripods help to ensure a sharp image.\u00a0 They slow you down so you\u2019re more likely to think through your shot.\u00a0 They can also keep you from taking so-so shots; if it\u2019s not worth the effort to set up a tripod it\u2019s not worth taking.\u00a0 And you can dial in very precise compositions.<\/p>\n
But when spontaneity is appropriate, tripods simply don\u2019t work. Shooting hand-held gives you the freedom and spontaneity that is required in some situations but it also presents challenges that you don\u2019t even think about when shooting from a tripod.\u00a0 Fortunately, there are several things you can do to overcome these challenges and create great photographs.<\/p>\n
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With a tripod we don\u2019t worry about shutter speed.\u00a0 It doesn\u2019t matter if it\u2019s 1\/1000 second or 30 seconds.\u00a0 But when shooting hand-held, the right shutter speed is essential for a sharp image.\u00a0 If the camera moves ever so slightly while the shutter is open, you have a blur.<\/p>\n
Fortunately, there\u2019s a simple way for you to determine what shutter speed will give you a sharp image and it depends on the focal length of your lens.\u00a0 The formula is simple: 1 \/ focal length.\u00a0 If your focal length is 60 mm then a shutter speed of 1\/60 second or shorter will give you a sharp image.\u00a0 But if your focal length is 100 mm then you need a shutter speed of 1\/100 second or shorter.<\/p>\n
If you have a crop sensor camera then you need to use the effective focal length.\u00a0 Using a crop sensor Nikon as an example, the conversion factor is 1.5.\u00a0 In other words, if the lens says 100 mm the effective focal length is 100 x 1.5 or 150 mm.\u00a0 So, the shutter speed needs to be 1\/150 second or shorter.<\/p>\n
This photograph above was taken at the Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco. \u00a0It\u2019s an extraordinary\u00a0experience, especially early in the morning when the crowds are light. \u00a0The focal length was 47 mm so a shutter speed of 1\/50 second would have been fast enough to get a sharp image. \u00a0However, \u00a0with image stabilization I was able to shoot it at 1\/25 sec. \u00a0ISO was bumped to 1600 because of the dark conditions. \u00a0And an aperture of f\/11 ensured enough depth of field for everything to be sharp.<\/p>\n
You still want to hold the camera as steady as possible when taking your shot.\u00a0 It\u2019s the combination of a steady camera and an appropriate shutter speed that will give you a sharp image.<\/p>\n
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You can get some help from image stabilization.\u00a0 This technology compensates for small camera movements can result in an extra stop or two advantage.\u00a0 So if the focal length is 100 mm, with image stabilization you can safely shoot at 1\/50 if you have a one stop advantage or even 1\/25 second if your IS advantage is two stops.<\/p>\n
Image stabilization goes by a number of names \u2013 vibration reduction, anti-shake, SteadyShot, etc.\u00a0 There are two ways manufactures implement it \u2013 in the lens or the camera body.<\/p>\n
Generally, you want to leave image stabilization off when shooting from a tripod.\u00a0 So, don\u2019t forget to turn it on when shooting hand-held, as long as your lens or camera body supports it.<\/p>\n
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Now that you know what shutter speed you need, you still need to get an optimum exposure.\u00a0 The other two exposure variables are aperture and ISO.\u00a0 But which of these you adjust is far from an arbitrary choice.\u00a0 Adjusting aperture affects depth of field.\u00a0 If you need a deep depth of field, you have to use a small aperture.\u00a0 That\u2019s fine if you\u2019re shooting on a bright day.\u00a0 But if you\u2019re shooting during twilight or in a gloomy cellar, you need to increase your ISO which creates noise.<\/p>\n
The above photograph was shot in the cellars of Castello de Amorosa winery in Napa Valley. \u00a0It was so dark I had to shoot at f\/5 and ISO 20000. \u00a0This gave me a shutter speed of 1\/80 sec and with image stabilization and a focal length of 24 mm it worked out just fine. \u00a0But, you either go for the extremely high ISO and live with the noise or you don\u2019t take the shot.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s another tip.\u00a0 Since depth of field is often the primary consideration in landscape photography, if your camera supports it, one solution is to set ISO on Automatic.\u00a0 That way you get the depth of field you need and the camera determines what ISO is needed to get an optimum exposure.<\/p>\n
When shooting hand-held you don\u2019t want anything reducing the amount of light that arrives at the sensor.\u00a0 That means filters.\u00a0 Some photographers like to keep a polarizer filter on their lens all the time.\u00a0 But that can reduce your exposure by one or more stops.\u00a0 And you definitely don\u2019t want a neutral density filter on your lens.\u00a0 The only filter that\u2019s ok is a UV filter as it doesn\u2019t affect exposure.<\/p>\n
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Getting a strong composition is perhaps the hardest part of hand-held landscape photography.\u00a0 This is because borders are so important.\u00a0 The problem is when you check the top of the frame you don\u2019t see the bottom.\u00a0 But when you check the bottom it\u2019s nearly impossible to keep from moving the camera just a tiny bit.\u00a0 The result is now the top can be off.\u00a0 The same thing happens with both sides. So, you end up inadvertently cutting off the tops of steeples and such.<\/p>\n
If you are aware of this potential problem you can \u00a0overcome it by being extra careful.\u00a0 Also, zooming out a little more than you need also helps. \u00a0Then you can do the final crop in Lightroom. \u00a0On a tripod you don\u2019t have this problem.\u00a0 And in genres like street photography and similar endeavors, this is not so much of a concern.<\/p>\n
When you keep these five tips in mind, you can enjoy the freedom and spontaneity of hand-held photography and return with photographs you will be proud of.<\/p>\n