9 Tips for Stabilizing Handheld Footage

Premium Beat by Caleb Ward Sometimes you just can?t shoot on a tripod. Heading to the set or into the field without a tripod? Getting beautiful handheld shots can be a difficult challenge ? the recent influx of camera stabilizers and Steadicam equipment is a testament to that. Thinking out your approach to handheld shooting and taking several of the approaches listed below can significantly minimize camera shake. 1. Use Two Hands One of the easiest ways to minimize shaky footage is to use two hands instead of one. Even if your camera is too small to be held by two hands, find a way to use both. This can be holding your wrist or simply holding one hand around another. Adding the extra hand will essential take your camera from being on a monopod to a bipod. 2. Keep the Camera Close Holding the camera away from your body will severely increase camera shake. Most people make the mistake of holding the camera like they would if they were taking pictures, near their eyes. But for shooting video you want to hold the camera near your chin and close to your body. By resting your elbows on your chest and holding your arms parallel with your body you can create a ?cocoon? that will make your footage more steady. This technique is certainly dependent on where your display screen is relative to your face, but for most DSLRs this should work perfectly. read more...