This is my tripod. There are many like it, but this one is mine.
As a landscape photographer, you may find yourself in low light situations. Sunrises, sunsets. You are looking for that dramatic sky and it sometimes comes when the light is low and requires you to extend your shutter speed. If you’re hand holding, you will definitely experience some camera shake. First word of advice, if you don’t have a tripod, GET ONE! For this reason, my tripod is my best friend. My tripod may not be the most sturdy but there are a few ways I can reduce the amount of camera shake that is introduced to an image just by pressing the shutter button.
Regardless of the tripod you use, when you press the shutter button on your camera, while it is sitting on the tripod head, you will see camera shake, You will reduce your chances of getting a tact sharp image due to the vibration caused by pressing and release of the shutter button.
4 Simple Ways to Reduce Camera Shake
There are several ways, and tools, available that can be used to help remove unwanted camera shake.
- Cable Release – this is a “wired” control that is attached to your camera with a button at the end that will allow you to control the shutter speed.
- Wireless Remote – most cameras today support a wireless remote. This is the same as the cable release, but without the cable.
- Exposure Delay – on some cameras there is an option within the camera’s settings that allow you to set an exposure delay. This will provide a few seconds from the time the shutter button is pressed to the time the shutter actually opens.
- Self-Timer – more than likely, your camera has a self-timer. Some can be set for different times, usually 2, 5, or 10 second delays, or for a single fixed amount of time. This usually allows the photographer to race into the family portrait, but with landscape photography, it can be used to extend the time from pressing the shutter button to the time the shutter opens.
All of the above options allow you to set your camera on a tripod and release the shutter without the shake that can be introduced during the actual pressing of the button on your camera.