160 Better Available Light Digital Photography
deep breathing will further aid in stabilizing the camera. The
human tripod gains even more support when you sit down and
place your elbows onto the top of your legs. If possible, lie
on the ground with your elbows resting on the ground. Walls,
trees, and large rocks all become good supports to lean against.
Good stability can be found on adjacent fl at surfaces. Set
the camera down, activate the self-timer, or gently press the
shutter release.Some subjects require a delic-
ate approach—or, shall we say, a
keep-your-distance approach.
Barry didn’t want to take time to
set up a tripod, let alone attach a
monopod to his camera. He stayed
in his car, rolling the window
down, bracing the 300 mm f/4
lens on the window ledge of the
driver’s door. The fi nal steadying
touch: turning the engine off to
eliminate an obvious source of
vibration. © 2005 Barry Staver.