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How to Properly Hold a DSLR Camera

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Introduction

My inbox is filled each morning with questions from students in my online photography classes asking various photography questions.  I'm glad to get the questions because it helps me to think of what I should write about here on Improve Photography.  You would be shocked to see how many of the questions are about sharpness and how to avoid blurry pictures.  Most of the time, the question goes something like this…

“Hey Jim. I love doing photography, but the pictures that I get from my current assortment of beginner lenses aren't very clear. How can I get sharper and clearer pictures?”

This is a huge problem and it is nearly impossible to answer in an email which of the dozens of factors is contributing to the lack of sharpness; however, I also teach A LOT of in-person photography workshops, and I can comfortably say after watching hundreds of beginning and intermediate photographers that 99% of sharpness problems are caused by errors in the photographer's form–and not by the lens.  There are certainly exceptions.  I met a few of those exceptions when testing out lenses for Tamron last month…. (more on that in another post).

So, 99% of the blurry pictures I see are not caused by problems with the lens.  Most of the time, the picture was not taken properly.  If you feel like sharpness is an issue, then you should first read this previous post with tips on getting sharper pictures.  Once you've done that, then it's time to get to the nitty-gritty of how to hold a camera.

Why does it matter how I hold my DSLR?

Grab a flashlight or a laser light and shine it on the wall across the room.  No matter how hard you try, it is impossible to hold the light perfectly still.  That's actually an accurate description of sharpness in photography.  Your camera is attempting to record light from an area away from the camera, yet the camera is moving.  Learning to hold your camera properly will hugely impact how slow of a shutter speed you can achieve while hand-holding.

It's ironic to me that many photographers are willing to spend thousands of dollars on fast lenses or new cameras with better low-light performance, yet they don't spend 10 minutes to think of the steadiest ways to hold the camera.

Fundamentals of holding the camera properly

The most important aspect of holding a DSLR properly is good contact points.  The problem with the photographer featured on this page is that her arms are not supported at all, so they cannot hold the camera steadily.  While standing up, you can usually achieve solid contact points by resting your elbows against your body.

When holding the camera while crouching, kneeling, or lying down, photographers make many mistakes.  In these positions, photographers often rest their elbows on hard surfaces.  For example, while kneeling, many photographers rest one elbow on the knee.  This position is not solid because the joint-to-joint contact allows for a lot of play.  By scooting the elbow back slightly so it rests on the meat of the leg rather than on the knee, the contact point is much more solid.  This is a tip used by rifle shooters to increase their stability while aiming, and it is just as applicable for photographers.

Holding the camera in landscape orientation (horizontal)

The most important aspect of holding a camera in landscape orientation is that the elbows are tucked in tightly against the body.  This may feel awkward at first, but it will pay off when shooting in low-light or when you need to use a slow shutter speed without a tripod.

Second, be sure to press the viewfinder firmly against your face.  When I hold my camera to my face, I turn my head slightly so that it contacts some of my cheek, which is an additional contact point.

Last, recognize that most people will be able to hold a heavier camera more steadily than a light camera.  The body has a tough time reducing jitters without something to push against.  While I have found this to be true for me, it may not be true for all people.  My wife hates shooting with my Nikon because it is so heavy that she can't hold it still.

The picture below illustrates how to correctly hold a camera in landscape orientation.  Want an example of how NOT to hold a DSLR?  Look no further than the Improve Photography logo.  See how the elbows extend out from the body and form a right angle under the DSLR?  It's bad news…

The Improve Photography logo placed next to a woman holding a DSLR the best way.
Now that I've realized that the Improve Photography logo is wrong, do you suppose its worth it to pay a designer $50 to fix it?

Holding the camera in portrait orientation (vertical)

The vertical position is one of the most difficult positions to hand-hold, because one elbow needs to be raised in the air and has no contact point with the body; however, there are a few things you can do to increase your stability when hand-holding the DSLR in the vertical position.

The first tip is to consider purchasing a battery grip for your camera.  A battery grip is an extension to the bottom of the camera that holds an extra battery and provides a secondary shutter button so you don't have to reach up and over the camera to reach the built-in shutter button.  This feature comes standard with high-end DSLRs, but battery grips are available for any model camera.  While the battery grip made by the manufacturer (Canon or Nikon, for instance) costs about $200, you can usually buy a cheap third-party battery grip for your camera for under $50.  Just head over to Amazon and search the name of your camera and the words “battery grip” and you'll be sure to find it.

If you don't own a battery grip for your camera, then pay special attention to the picture below.  The model on the left has no support under her elbows, so it will be impossible to hold the camera steadily.  The model on the right uses the support by her elbow to be much more steady.  This simple fix can allow you to shoot at much slower shutter speeds than would otherwise be possible.

Two models holding cameras--one correctly, and the other one holding it the wrong way.
The photographer on the left has no support for the elbows with the camera in the vertical position, but the photographer on the right has supported the camera properly.

43 thoughts on “How to Properly Hold a DSLR Camera”

  1. As for changing your logo, I really like it the way it is. After all, the name of your company is “improve” photography, so what’s wrong with having something in the graphic that needs improvement. Ha Ha. Some pros make take it more serious if the elbows were in, but if someone questioned it, you could always tell them you wanted to illustrate a beginner, who needs instruction. If your clientele is largely amateur then the branding is appropriate the way it is. 🙂

  2. I had never known about a “Battery Grip” I am so excited and think it will help a lot. I have Multiple Sclerosis and Balance and tremors become issues that I have to always be creative and find extra ways to balance myself (so I don’t fall) for steadier pics. But it does bring on a Question for me. Due to the tremors I do use the multi burst option most times. I would love to have the extra battery for a few reasons (that I have read in a few of your readings). The “Battery Grip” I can buy Universal, which is much cheaper. What do you recommend on Buying Batteries For a Nikon? Do I buy from Nikon or can I go with Universal and save money?????

  3. I have found that, when shooting portrait (vertical), holding the camera the opposite direction from what’s pictured (shutter button at the bottom) is much more stable. It also puts less stress on your grip and allows you to support the camera with your whole arm. I can get my support arm very close to my body, and use the hand supporting the lens to be more secondary. I’ve never understood why all instructions on how to hold a camera have it the opposite way. Can someone explain? Thanks!

  4. In my firearms shooting experience/training (10 years worth with pistol and long guns) I have always been taught to shoot in the natural pause between breaths. If you pay attention to your own breathing pattern, there is a natural pause. That is the best time to pull the trigger as that is when you have the least amount of movement. If you hold your breath and you are unable to take the shot immediately, you will become antsy and uncomfortable because you need to breathe!

  5. Regarding shooting vertical I’m goofy eyed. When I water ski I put my right foot in the back and everyone told me that I ski in a “goofy foot” position. Since I roll the camera from horizontal to vertical by rotating 90 degrees clockwise and still use my right eye. This allows me to tuck my right hand firmly under the camera and the elbow against my chest. My left arm is also firm under the lens and tight against my other arm. I found this to be a rock solid position that rivals Da Grip from Joe McNally.

  6. When photographing vertical it can also improve your comfort to mount a battery grip on your camera, but that also adds to the weight, so that makes it even more important to hold your camera correct.

  7. Yes, I think it is worthwhile having the logo changed. (I noticed it before I read the caption.) Maybe a grateful photographer can donate that even.

  8. Very nice and helpful article.
    Two things though:
    1: “Now that I’ve realized that the Improve Photography logo is wrong, do you suppose its worth it to pay a designer $50 to fix it?”
    Being a (logo-)designer, that question really hurts me as much or even more than the girl in the cyan pullover on the top of the post.
    Not only that you’ve noticed that the part you want to improve is destroying the whole concept of your logo – you aren’t even sure if it’s worth be corrected?! C’mon, the logo is the face of this page! Isn’t this worth to you being correct? And isn’t THIS correction worth more than 50 bucks? Sure, you don’t want the logo to be redesigned, only corrected, so you don’t need a designer but a graphics guy which might be cheaper. But again: he has to bring knowledge and tools and time – which costs. What you’re saying about photography (when asking 75$/h, do so!), is the same in any other business.

    2: your last example in this blog: I’m turning my cam about 180° when shooting vertically, so my right arm can rest on my hip/belly and still trigger the shutter button, while my weaker left arm can stabilize the cam further. are there any disadvantages that i don’t know? laura asked a similar thing, i believe.

    1. On the vertical position, your method is far superior, and every time I see someone with their elbow stick into the air, I screams “amateur” to me and makes me mad. I was photographer and ultimately the photo editor of the school paper at my college, and at my very first basketball game, another photographer literally hit my arm and said “Put your elbow down!” I never shot that way again, and neither did any professional I worked side by side with on the line. The reason is two-fold: putting the trigger button on the lower side helps stabilize the camera, and perhaps more important, it keeps your elbow out of other photographers’ line of sight, which is important in a crowded environment the one often finds in events of high interest. Not doing that makes one look like an incompetent doofus, as I learned early on.

      Don’t listen to this page’s poor advice.

  9. Great article, thank you! I find the best thing which helps me keep the camera steady is when I exhale and take the shot.

  10. As Laura, and I believe a couple of other people have commented on. I find it so much more stable to hold my camera vertical with the shutter button at the bottom. Ive noticed professional photographers shooting vertical with their hand reaching over their camera and I thought I was doing it totally wrong but as long as there are other people out there that have the same idea as me then I will carry on with my way. Thanks.

  11. Great article,Thank you!!i find it very helpful. and as others mentioned i find it much more stable to hold the camera vertical with the shutter button at the bottom.helps you to get the best shoot.

  12. what if the dslr has a battery grip and a secondary shutter button? then how to do hold it when using the other shutter button.

    1. The tulip hood position is correct. The tulip hood is matched to the sensor dimensions and does not need to be moved when changing from landscape to portrait. I do agree, it looks wrong, but if you do rotate the hood, the long petals will cover a portion of your picture ruining it. Luckily, I only ruined a test shot. Try it yourself and you will see.

  13. I love the comment about the logo. LOL! I like that sense of humor and really ads to the site 🙂

  14. I have to disagree 100% with this article. First thing the woman in pink is not putting the camera to her face, she’s holding the camera out in front of her…not only she can’t see properly what she is shooting, but the support of the face is what holds the camera steady (unless you’re using a camera that doesn’t have a viewfinder of course, then you have to hold the camera out to look at the monitor on the back of it).

    Second, I tried to hold my cameras the “proper way” but my wrist is under tension, and when that happens I’m in pain and I can’t hold the camera steady!!! The “wrong way” I get perfect steady images (while bracing the camera against my face, like the woman in white)! It’s better to be comfortable when doing photography than doing it the “proper way”.

    For the record, my longest handheld shot is 2.5 seconds…the “wrong way”!

  15. Saeed
    on a calm day (not so windy) when you are out for a sunset or sunrise photos,normally if you lean to a big tree such as a coconut tree (if you are in a tropical country) this helps lot too. This is in addition to your elbow resting on your chest. Many thanks Jake. Very helpfull

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