I was in my first year of photography school - circa 1974. My professor showed us the mirror trick. After the class, we had a homework assignment to do this in our door rooms. The idea was to practice shooting handheld and get the minimum amount of movement in the mirror reflection. We were taught to breath in, exhale, pause and release the shutter. Just like firing a firearm. With the mirror, we got pretty good at reducing the shake. Using a tripod is always best. I shot everything from 35 mm to 8x10 view. My go to tripod was a Gitzo Super Studex. (Think that was it). It weighed a ton, but it was rock solid. Great content. Thanks for sharing this tried-and-true trick for stabilizing your camera!
Totally agree, when I first saw your photos 5-6 years ago I was amazed and I was inspired by how crisp your photos were and the creativity you put in it. I started watching your videos and i improved over the years with your methods. Thank you.
I first started to get into photography for real, in about late 2019 or so and came across your classes, then went to school for Digital Media Production, but feel like if I want to know the "good stuff" I always come back to your videos! I will say that Joel Grimes is my #1 "go to" if I want legit knowledge! Not that others don't, but it just seems like it's ... Hmmm , how do I say it.... WISDOM! Nailed it on the head. Straight up Wisdom! I was so excited to see a video from you. Thank you Joel for sharing all your Wisdom with us! So appreciated! And God Bless!
I totally agree! I always used monopod stands and tripods in the studio and location, just another necessary tool, of course we shot all formats. When you are shooting people, the image or person does not jump around from frame to frame, models remain in the same position. Looking forward to more videos, thanks Joel!
This confirms what I have known for some time. I am lazy, I hereby promise to start using a tripod as my number one goal for photography in 2022. Thank you!
That’s one of the the things that Ansel Adams emphasized (The Camera, Chpt. 9). “Vibrations that will reduce image quality may arise in an otherwise well-matched camera-tripod unit because of resonance.” circa 1976-80 A good stable tripod is key, but make sure it isn’t vibrating when the shot goes off as communicated in this video. Excellent advice!
Even as I'm no more than a happy hamateur, it's never too late to learn, and I'm always happy to receive your input. Thank you. Had to smile on your comment re: LF.... as LF will definitely convert you to the virtues of tripod shooting. There's seldom an option ....David Burnett and his converted Speed Graphic foray on Capitol Hill excepted. Then again, shooting events where the action is the story, and the dynamics of the crowd the intended capture will tend to push mere mortals (like me) the other way - especially with family and kids. I've had a monopod of one sort or another since my teens in the 1970's.... never used it enough. Should crank it out more.
Joel, you have convinced me about the importance of tripods for landscape photography. My problem is that I shoot street photography here in New York City. Which means that I walk around my neighborhood and other close by neighborhoods documenting life in our communities. What do you recommend we street photographers do for sharpness. I can’t see carrying a tripod as one, I don’t have, want or ever need a car, and two a tripod was alert people that I am taking photos. I don’t even put the camera to my eye, in order not to telegraph to people that I am taking their photo. You can’t predict people’s behavior, reaction to their photo being taken. And who wants a posed photo? Some people have challenged me saying that I have to ask them permission before snapping their photo. So what do you recommend? I will look into your master classes to see if you cover street photography. Though the still life course might be of interest to me. Thanks for the video. You have a new subscriber.
In addition to using a tripod, setting the camera to Mirror Up helps to sharpen the images even more. Just turn the Vibration Reduction option OFF if on a tripod.
Thanks for reinforcing my dedication to tripods. I also use wireless remotes or cable releases and try not to touch the camera. As I am getting older I am developing an hand tremor (it's hereditary) and I know I can really screw up a shot because of this physical aberration.
As a hobby photographer, the best thing I ever did was switching to an aluminum surveing tripod I bought at home depot and mounted a good 3-way mount on. Under $100. Monopods have helped as well.
I thought I was the only one I have a Bosch surveyor tripod it's awesome. The other thing I do given that I have nerve damage is I use an elbow sling from a medical supply when I'm shooting hand held its not perfect, but it does help.
AMEN! How true. I did the cheaper tripod/head combo thing first. Now I own a RRS also. Very expensive but worth it. One of the best photography investments I have made. I am a little surprised you use a center column in your bigger tripod. For landscape & macro I will use a 2 second self-timer with a exposure delay timer also when I'm not feeling lazy. Rock solid. Like all your vids, good stuff!
I had to smile when you said that tripods are an investment for a lifetime. I have a great Robus Carbon Fiber tripod that will extend to 6,' and is rated for 55 pounds, and weighs next to nothing. It usually has a ball head or gimbal on it and works great. I have a Bogen 3021 that I bought new in 1985 and sent the spider to Mike Kirk to modify so it will go flat on the ground. He also cut the post off to about 4". With a modern pan/tilt/leveling head on it, it's still my dedicated landscape tripod because it is simple, easy to maintain with just a couple of tools, and is solid as a rock. I get some funny looks when people see me walking with this thing, the legs covered with pipe insulation and electrical tape.,but it works great when I'm not too far from the car, in any kind of weather, and I don't hesitate to set it up in the water because I can easily take it apart and clean it. Tripods are essential tools, but if you can't afford the latest and greatest there are a LOT of excellent used units out there.
Watched your video a few times now. You make so much sense. I reckon 1/2 of all my photos are not as sharp as i would like. I have a big heavy aluminum Manfrotto. its a beast of a tripod. If you kicked it during a long exposure, the image would still be tack sharp ! I love it to bits, but, its too heavy, (for me) to carry for any length of time. So i bought a Sirui ST 124 carbon fibre travel tripod. Much much lighter, but amazingly rigid. And its just brilliant. its a joy to use. I also have a couple of Sirui monopods as well, one is amazing, it has feet ! The point i am making is i have used tripods or monopods 100% more since watching your tutorials, and the difference is amazing. Just great seeing tack sharp images time after time. Update.... I have started to use my camera bag (with lenses !) to hook under my tripod. I was seriously surprised just how much difference it makes to the tripods rigidity. Not that my Sirui wasn't rigid, but just another useful tool in the box !
Your tips are always good. I’ll check out what causes the least shake using your tip. My tripod is a small backpack one but I can hand weight. I don’t have any lens over 100mm at the moment.
Hello Joel, Thank you for sharing this tutorial. it may be a coincidence but this certainly answers the question I sent your organization last weekend. As I mentioned in the mail I work with professional equipment and thought I would take all the steps. But after listening very carefully to the details of this video, I caught myself making one big mistake.....not using the tripod anymore. In times where I almost exclusively did product and food photography, I was hooked on this device and after switching to portrait photography (a few years ago) I gradually started to ignore it. This may sound really stupid but every class (physical or online) I took focuses very much on good posture (no tripod!) So, along with a refresh of some other techniques I look ahead to reach the level that I pursue. thanks again.
Great stuff Marc. Obviously there are times when we can't use a tripod, but for my process I've found a way to feel mobile and still have the camera super still
Joel, I fully understand the "upgrade" thing... Especially with tripods... I purchased my Manfrotto about 20 years ago and I've never had to replace it with any other since then.
Could not agree more. But, at least for me, I seem to be a little less mobile when I'm out in nature as soon as I use my tripod. Great tips to use the mirror, thanks!
being an old school photographer like you i always feel 'naked' without a tripod. i'm a Manfrotto fan. my oldest Manfrotto is also the heaviest they ever made . I shoot very large format panoramas with often a 300mm lens (sensor / camera is irrelevant) and people Oh and Ahh at the details - simple as that. For a few years I shot with IS cameras hand held and tripod. Never ever as sharp as a non IS camera on a tripod. Now have an old LEica SL - no IS , and the images are as sharp as possible. I suspect that the IS mechanism in a camera is always a bit 'loose' - the slightest vibration will cause it to blur -even when switched off and on a tripod.
Completely matches my European photography school education. That old aluminum Gitzo Systematic V can't be beat and will last a lifetime - you can put it in your will for your heirs. With "digital" improving, as long as we do not use a lens's IS/VR and camera's IBIS, the increased dynamic range - some 15 EV now - is part of the problem. When you approach your studio portraits the classical way and fire your "black shot" to see that you eliminated available light, then the next time in your tethering software, raise exposure by three to five stops or so and see the portrait appear that you thought was black. If you have 15 EV and from average grey you have, say, 4 EV for the brighter parts in the shot, then you have some 10 EV contrast envelope for the darker parts. Or, if the "average grey" is exposed at 100%, then 4 stops up is 1,600% and at 10 stops down you are still registering 0.09765625% (about 0.1%). In terms of motion blur what does this mean? Simple: if you shoot with strobes, your black shot indicates the risk and if you shoot available light at 1/2000 sec, then 10 EV down compares to 1/2 sec. If you had moving bright white parts in the frame then these will still be recorded by the camera. Loss of sharpness is determined then by the speed of the subject (or the camera/lens, or both). When we buy tripods, bigger and heavier is not necessarily better. I hasten to add that light and finicky are a waste of money. The point is that some heavy tripods are not as good at vibration damping as you would hope. With mechanical shutters disappearing that may seem to relieve the hard vibration damping requirement, but that's not true, as in very windy circumstances where the camera and lens can excite a vibration in the tripod head that the tripod may not be able to dampen. Henri Cartier-Bresson would say, "sharpness is a bourgeois concept". The upper-class French art-school educator art, street, journalistic photographer thus expressed his disdain for narrow minded, little educated petty middle class that had no appreciation of art. And tried to manage expectations of his 35mm small format shots.
I thought my canon 5Ds is broken when i mounted it first time on aluminum Manfrotto tripod and saw shaking results changing to wooden studio beast from 1960 I understood how important is material and its ability to dump internal resonances. Wood and carbon is ideal, aluminum not so specially with ultra high density sensors. Excellent video, wonderful tip with mirror. I become Your great fan.
The tripod (and getting a good quality, sturdy one at that) is perhaps the most under-rated and overlooked thing. I remember Thom Hogan saying something along the lines of: Either way, you're going to spend at least $1000 on a tripod in the end -- either by buy a bunch of cheap $150 or $200 tripods every few years (as they break) or one quality tripod from thes tart that will last you a long time (10+ years). I've personally done the first route myself and finally invested a decent amount in a good tripod, costing about $1200 when said and done, but haven't had a problem with it in the 5 years I've owned it. Probably will get another 10 years out of it at least, and I will have considered that $1200 well spent if I can get 10-15 years out of the setup. Some people have claimed getting 20+ years out of their Really Right STuff ball heads (which they aren't cheap, but if you take care of them, can last a long time). I think the other aspect about getting sharp shots that holds people back is they are afraid of higher ISOs. If done right, you can get a better sharper shot (in the end, after PP is done) if you utilize an appropriate shutter speed, and up the ISO if you have to, rather than sacrificing sharpness in favor of a "cleaner" image (lower ISO). I've struggled with this myself at times (being a landscape and portrait shooter, always being on a tripod or shooting with flash which has let me keep lower ISOs in most cases) but it takes some getting used to and figuring out what is the maximum level of noise you can tolerate in terms of high ISO. As one photographer put it in a seminar once: We can fix noise (for the most part) but we can't fix blurry (soft) photos due to camera shake. Of course there are tools now to help compensate for camera shake, but with everything in photography, it's best to get it right out of the camera as much as possible and don't rely on post production as a crutch for poor technique and skill.
Hi Joel… with regards to your stabilization test with a mirror on front of the lens aren’t you eliminating the camera/lens IS? By way I took your Still Life Master Class, and added many tool to my post processing workflow. Always a fan, Ken
The older you get the more risk of camera shake you can get. I was formally trained at the Daytona Beach photo college. That's how we were taught, I even used my Hassy 500cm on a tripod. You will also take time in composing your image. I had an old aluminum tripod in school but purchased a RRS carbon fiber one with a BH-55 head and love it. You are 100% correct about this.
Hi Joel. Thanks for this upload. I've been shooting on tripods for years now including portraits. Like you, I bought the R5 and previously using the EOS R. I noticed that the images were softer on the R5 than the EOS R and I was scratching my head. It turns out that the IBIS is the culprit. Great for hand held but slightly moves the sensor when on a stable tripod. I know the tripod is a good one (Manfrotto 085B) with a 410 geared head. Just thought I'd put my 2 cents in. Once again thank you for the upload
Does it jelp to turn the IBIS off? I thought I seen or read somewhere Canon camera/lens combos know when they are mounted on a tripod & disable the IBIS? Maybe it is a setting in the menus?
@@thomastuorto9929 I’m not sure if canon cameras turn the IBIS off when on a tripod. Mine still shows the hand with the + symbol on. Once I turned the IBIS off, I noticed a sharper image. I will admit, as a retoucher, I do pixel peak.
The now old fashion 85mm, f/1.8 is often used by its owners only occasionally wide open at f/1.8. My suggestion for this lens is to try it at f/5.6 to f/8 as well. You’ll find this old-dog lens even by todays standards still is impressively sharp. Don’t take a pass on this cheap old prime lens. It is a great buy.
Every lens has a sweet spot that's for sure! Something that is hard to remember when looking at buying "better" glass rather than working with what you've got
Thanks for the video. I am with you on tripods. Have done my share of experimentation between hand hold and tripods. If I am trying to capture a moment and place that is really important- the tripod is my essential tool. Nice to hear that other photographers value tripods as much as I do.
Great video! Some awesome learning techniques. So glad you use a tripod in your studio, so do I and I am always being told it is over kill and a waste of time. Still using my Bogen 3021 tripod, so that one goes back a ways.
@@joelgrimes I think we have a mutual friend, I will send you private message someday with his name. He photographed the space shuttle right out if Brooks.
I love the nerdy stuff, and I think it's worth testing your set up for what is going to give you the best results. If there's no interference with the IS on then even better!
Thanks for this one! Such a simple advice, that I actually should know, but nope. Hahaha. Only time I use tripod is if I am to shoot a photo with myself together with someone, or when I go photographing machines in the middle of the (dark) night. And then my photos are crisp and clear, of course! But very often I'm not satisfied with other photos taken, and it never actually accured to me that i shook the camera even though I try to be as steady as possible every time. Thanks!
I really appreciate the suggestion of the laser. Projected onto say a white foam board surface or white wall would be a good test although not of optical lab precision and evaluation. Will be trying that out. As for tripods I don't think a classic Gitzo can be beat, it does not need to be carbon fiber at all unless weight bothers a person. Frankly, I think wood is the best tripod there is. Nothing absorbs vibration better than wooden legs. Ries and Berlbach are both superb tripods but many older surveyor tripods are very good bases to work off of and can be customized to work with modern photo gear. I use a very old Ries A100 with Hasselblad and large format that I rebuilt and it's fabulous, heavy like a classic Gitzo but an outstanding tripod. Not fancy like a modern CF but not absurdly priced either and far better for vibration reduction. As for an aluminum tripod a wonderful tripod along with Gitzo classics is the original Leitz Tiltall which I outfitted with an Arca B1 head and use it most of the time and I've never noticed any sharpness loss from using it but I use a release when on a tripod, not the timer. I think as long as a person uses a decent, very sturdy, well built tripod regardless of the material it is made of the resulting imagery will be sharp if good technique is applied and the lens and camera are in fine condition and of good quality as well.
I bought a tripod yrs ago, When I put my camera on it the head begins to slip downwards, I'm wondering if the head is too small for the camera? Also any tripod I've had I find the clips on the legs are a pain to use especially in the cold or with night photography. I just wish things were less complicated in photography. I thought IBIS was the answer but having doubts now. I also find the weakness in camera bags are the plastic clips they use to connect the bag to the handle!
Hey Joel- Never take sandbags- to the desert! I just fill 'em up while there. (ps: for max sharpness- I use the Ken Doesn't Rockwell Monopod; it features me, image stabilization, a shutter speed down to 1/8th= another fab series of palm fronds and neon hotel signage. Sure, the colors and subject matter are awful, but I'm an artist!)
Hi Joel. I've heard you should always turn your image stabilization off when using a tri-pod. Do you also recommend this for todays modern mirrorless full-frame cameras?.
Great stuff as always, Joel! It’s amazing how it all comes down to these fundamentals. Keep up the great work and I’m looking forward to watching your series on landscape photography.
My uncle, back in the 1970s, bought what he thought was a good tripod, but it turned out to be wobbly and difficult to adjust. In a fit of temper he hurled it into a canyon. A good tripod is wonderful, but a bad one is worse than free-handing it.
@@joelgrimes thanks for the feedback. In my case it's a real book with photos in it. Seems like I don't have a choice, because epub would not be suitable, since there are 130 hi-res pics in it...and I don't know any alternatives
Great video Joel! Quick question, I've heard when shooting on a tripod, Image Stabilization (on both lens and and in body) should be turned off. Does it really matter if it's on? Thanks in advance!
On brand lenses this will torn of automaticly in most cases. So when using Canon, Nikon, Sony lenses you'r good. With brands like Tamron, Sigma etc you'd better turn of the IS
I'm writing this comment BEFORE watching the video. I would absolutely love to get sharp images every single time I click the shutter, as the video title promises. But I shoot primarily with an 800mm lens that doesn't have any form of image stabilization, and I often shoot in very low light conditions, at dawn and dusk when wildlife is most active. If this video really can show me how to get sharp images every single time, then that would be awesome! But I must admit that I am very skeptical, and fear that the video will only show how to get sharp images when using shorter lenses, or in reasonable amounts of light, or when shooting subjects that aren't running around or flying. But I'll give Joel chance to prove my skepticism wrong ..... and I hope he does!
@@joelgrimes thanks, Joel. I'm a very experienced long lens shooter, had many photos on magazine covers, etc., but I must admit that when shooting at extremely long focal lengths, I don't get tack sharp images with every frame. Especially with moving wildlife when I am panning with the erratically moving mammal or bird. Tracking autofocus seems to really struggle to get every single image in a long high speed burst to be absolutely perfectly tack sharp. Was especially interested in this video of yours because of what the title promises. I know some of the world's most successful, most published wildlife photographers, and don't know any of them who get even a 50% sharpness rate when tracking erratically moving subjects at very long focal lengths. And yes, we already all use $1,000 tripods and $600+ gimbal heads and fully micro-adjusted body/lens combinations. When I read the title of this video I thought maybe you figured something out that none of us have figured out yet .... LOL
Does anyone who owns a canon and canon lens dslr know if when shooting sports should one turn off the lens IS WHEN shooting sports. I have heard differing answers but is off seems better to me shooting a 70-200 2.8 wide open at ss’s of 1250 of a sec and mostly 1600 of a sec or faster. Thx
Some of the older IS lenses you needed to do that, but with most current IS lenses it detects when it is on a tripod and turns it off automatically. Check with your lens manufacturer.
It depends on shutting speed especially for wildlife, like flying birds. Use electric shutter will be much better than that of mechanical on, which can greatly reduce any vibration of the shutter
Results in…. Absolutely true, tested my Canon R6 with RF 100-500mm with laser taped to lens ….tripod wins by a landslide, even with image stabilization on both camera body and lens. I’ll need to learn how to incorporate my tripod when birding as the birds move quickly, but for landscape and macro a must have ! 😁
I was in my first year of photography school - circa 1974. My professor showed us the mirror trick. After the class, we had a homework assignment to do this in our door rooms. The idea was to practice shooting handheld and get the minimum amount of movement in the mirror reflection. We were taught to breath in, exhale, pause and release the shutter. Just like firing a firearm. With the mirror, we got pretty good at reducing the shake. Using a tripod is always best.
I shot everything from 35 mm to 8x10 view. My go to tripod was a Gitzo Super Studex. (Think that was it). It weighed a ton, but it was rock solid. Great content. Thanks for sharing this tried-and-true trick for stabilizing your camera!
Totally agree, when I first saw your photos 5-6 years ago I was amazed and I was inspired by how crisp your photos were and the creativity you put in it. I started watching your videos and i improved over the years with your methods. Thank you.
Wow that's amazing! Thanks for the comment!
I first started to get into photography for real, in about late 2019 or so and came across your classes, then went to school for Digital Media Production, but feel like if I want to know the "good stuff" I always come back to your videos! I will say that Joel Grimes is my #1 "go to" if I want legit knowledge! Not that others don't, but it just seems like it's ... Hmmm , how do I say it.... WISDOM! Nailed it on the head. Straight up Wisdom! I was so excited to see a video from you. Thank you Joel for sharing all your Wisdom with us! So appreciated! And God Bless!
wow Jenny, thanks so much for the kind words. Always glad to know I can offer some help!
I totally agree! I always used monopod stands and tripods in the studio and location, just another necessary tool, of course we shot all formats. When you are shooting people, the image or person does not jump around from frame to frame, models remain in the same position. Looking forward to more videos, thanks Joel!
Thanks for watching Al!
YOU ARE MY HERO! No REALLY! You make the complicated look easy! THANK YOU for sharing your gift!
Thanks Denise!! I really appreciate that!
This confirms what I have known for some time. I am lazy, I hereby promise to start using a tripod as my number one goal for photography in 2022. Thank you!
haha! good stuff!
That’s one of the the things that Ansel Adams emphasized (The Camera, Chpt. 9).
“Vibrations that will reduce image quality may arise in an otherwise well-matched camera-tripod unit because of resonance.” circa 1976-80
A good stable tripod is key, but make sure it isn’t vibrating when the shot goes off as communicated in this video. Excellent advice!
Even as I'm no more than a happy hamateur, it's never too late to learn, and I'm always happy to receive your input. Thank you. Had to smile on your comment re: LF.... as LF will definitely convert you to the virtues of tripod shooting. There's seldom an option ....David Burnett and his converted Speed Graphic foray on Capitol Hill excepted. Then again, shooting events where the action is the story, and the dynamics of the crowd the intended capture will tend to push mere mortals (like me) the other way - especially with family and kids. I've had a monopod of one sort or another since my teens in the 1970's.... never used it enough. Should crank it out more.
Joel, you have convinced me about the importance of tripods for landscape photography. My problem is that I shoot street photography here in New York City. Which means that I walk around my neighborhood and other close by neighborhoods documenting life in our communities. What do you recommend we street photographers do for sharpness. I can’t see carrying a tripod as one, I don’t have, want or ever need a car, and two a tripod was alert people that I am taking photos. I don’t even put the camera to my eye, in order not to telegraph to people that I am taking their photo. You can’t predict people’s behavior, reaction to their photo being taken. And who wants a posed photo? Some people have challenged me saying that I have to ask them permission before snapping their photo. So what do you recommend? I will look into your master classes to see if you cover street photography. Though the still life course might be of interest to me. Thanks for the video. You have a new subscriber.
In addition to using a tripod, setting the camera to Mirror Up helps to sharpen the images even more. Just turn the Vibration Reduction option OFF if on a tripod.
Thanks for reinforcing my dedication to tripods. I also use wireless remotes or cable releases and try not to touch the camera. As I am getting older I am developing an hand tremor (it's hereditary) and I know I can really screw up a shot because of this physical aberration.
I find using the timer a good option. By the time the countdown has finished, the camera is perfectly still.
Tripods, monopods, studio stands. They make all the difference!
That's for sure!
This guy is amazing, which is why I buy his courses.
As a hobby photographer, the best thing I ever did was switching to an aluminum surveing tripod I bought at home depot and mounted a good 3-way mount on. Under $100. Monopods have helped as well.
Awesome!
I thought I was the only one I have a Bosch surveyor tripod it's awesome. The other thing I do given that I have nerve damage is I use an elbow sling from a medical supply when I'm shooting hand held its not perfect, but it does help.
AMEN! How true. I did the cheaper tripod/head combo thing first. Now I own a RRS also. Very expensive but worth it. One of the best photography investments I have made. I am a little surprised you use a center column in your bigger tripod. For landscape & macro I will use a 2 second self-timer with a exposure delay timer also when I'm not feeling lazy. Rock solid. Like all your vids, good stuff!
Right on!
I'm still rockin the Velbon Neo Carmagne that you used to use. Love it!
I took a class from Joel a few years ago. He is good. :)
Thanks Erine!!
I had to smile when you said that tripods are an investment for a lifetime. I have a great Robus Carbon Fiber tripod that will extend to 6,' and is rated for 55 pounds, and weighs next to nothing. It usually has a ball head or gimbal on it and works great. I have a Bogen 3021 that I bought new in 1985 and sent the spider to Mike Kirk to modify so it will go flat on the ground. He also cut the post off to about 4". With a modern pan/tilt/leveling head on it, it's still my dedicated landscape tripod because it is simple, easy to maintain with just a couple of tools, and is solid as a rock. I get some funny looks when people see me walking with this thing, the legs covered with pipe insulation and electrical tape.,but it works great when I'm not too far from the car, in any kind of weather, and I don't hesitate to set it up in the water because I can easily take it apart and clean it. Tripods are essential tools, but if you can't afford the latest and greatest there are a LOT of excellent used units out there.
couldn't agree more!
Watched your video a few times now. You make so much sense. I reckon 1/2 of all my photos are not as sharp as i would like. I have a big heavy aluminum Manfrotto. its a beast of a tripod. If you kicked it during a long exposure, the image would still be tack sharp ! I love it to bits, but, its too heavy, (for me) to carry for any length of time. So i bought a Sirui ST 124 carbon fibre travel tripod. Much much lighter, but amazingly rigid. And its just brilliant. its a joy to use. I also have a couple of Sirui monopods as well, one is amazing, it has feet ! The point i am making is i have used tripods or monopods 100% more since watching your tutorials, and the difference is amazing. Just great seeing tack sharp images time after time.
Update.... I have started to use my camera bag (with lenses !) to hook under my tripod. I was seriously surprised just how much difference it makes to the tripods rigidity. Not that my Sirui wasn't rigid, but just another useful tool in the box !
Awesome, mike! Couldn't agree more!
Absolutely fantastic!! Thank you Joel.
Joel, watched your masterclass this morning, super informative, thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and experience
I am an 85 year old photographer and always shoot with a good tripod when ever possible. Believe me, it does make a difference.
Awesome!
Wow... Totally blown away by that tip. Thank you for sharing your knowledge, it is greatly appreciated.
My pleasure!
very interesting info Joel......always looking for new and fun ways to shoot!!!
Awesome!
Your tips are always good. I’ll check out what causes the least shake using your tip. My tripod is a small backpack one but I can hand weight. I don’t have any lens over 100mm at the moment.
awesome!
Hello Joel, Thank you for sharing this tutorial. it may be a coincidence but this certainly answers the question I sent your organization last weekend. As I mentioned in the mail I work with professional equipment and thought I would take all the steps. But after listening very carefully to the details of this video, I caught myself making one big mistake.....not using the tripod anymore. In times where I almost exclusively did product and food photography, I was hooked on this device and after switching to portrait photography (a few years ago) I gradually started to ignore it. This may sound really stupid but every class (physical or online) I took focuses very much on good posture (no tripod!) So, along with a refresh of some other techniques I look ahead to reach the level that I pursue. thanks again.
Great stuff Marc. Obviously there are times when we can't use a tripod, but for my process I've found a way to feel mobile and still have the camera super still
GREAT INFO! Thanks, and keep up the great work! Are you all into mirrorless cameras now? HG-Chicago
Fundamentals as always, thanks Joel!!
First time here, learned all I needed to know about the instructor at 3:23.
thank you?
Joel, I fully understand the "upgrade" thing... Especially with tripods... I purchased my Manfrotto about 20 years ago and I've never had to replace it with any other since then.
Fantastic!
Thanks Joel, It's really cool to see how excited you still are at this point in your career. :)
Thanks, Chris! Sharing with and helping keen artists gets me excited!!!
Could not agree more. But, at least for me, I seem to be a little less mobile when I'm out in nature as soon as I use my tripod. Great tips to use the mirror, thanks!
A good point! Being mobile is great but once I’m framed up I always grab my tripod
Great info ! For concerts or weddings I wouldn't use a tripod though. For landscapes I use it a lot
being an old school photographer like you i always feel 'naked' without a tripod. i'm a Manfrotto fan. my oldest Manfrotto is also the heaviest they ever made . I shoot very large format panoramas with often a 300mm lens (sensor / camera is irrelevant) and people Oh and Ahh at the details - simple as that.
For a few years I shot with IS cameras hand held and tripod. Never ever as sharp as a non IS camera on a tripod. Now have an old LEica SL - no IS , and the images are as sharp as possible. I suspect that the IS mechanism in a camera is always a bit 'loose' - the slightest vibration will cause it to blur -even when switched off and on a tripod.
Thank you sir. May I have another?
Completely matches my European photography school education. That old aluminum Gitzo Systematic V can't be beat and will last a lifetime - you can put it in your will for your heirs. With "digital" improving, as long as we do not use a lens's IS/VR and camera's IBIS, the increased dynamic range - some 15 EV now - is part of the problem. When you approach your studio portraits the classical way and fire your "black shot" to see that you eliminated available light, then the next time in your tethering software, raise exposure by three to five stops or so and see the portrait appear that you thought was black. If you have 15 EV and from average grey you have, say, 4 EV for the brighter parts in the shot, then you have some 10 EV contrast envelope for the darker parts. Or, if the "average grey" is exposed at 100%, then 4 stops up is 1,600% and at 10 stops down you are still registering 0.09765625% (about 0.1%). In terms of motion blur what does this mean? Simple: if you shoot with strobes, your black shot indicates the risk and if you shoot available light at 1/2000 sec, then 10 EV down compares to 1/2 sec. If you had moving bright white parts in the frame then these will still be recorded by the camera. Loss of sharpness is determined then by the speed of the subject (or the camera/lens, or both).
When we buy tripods, bigger and heavier is not necessarily better. I hasten to add that light and finicky are a waste of money. The point is that some heavy tripods are not as good at vibration damping as you would hope. With mechanical shutters disappearing that may seem to relieve the hard vibration damping requirement, but that's not true, as in very windy circumstances where the camera and lens can excite a vibration in the tripod head that the tripod may not be able to dampen.
Henri Cartier-Bresson would say, "sharpness is a bourgeois concept". The upper-class French art-school educator art, street, journalistic photographer thus expressed his disdain for narrow minded, little educated petty middle class that had no appreciation of art. And tried to manage expectations of his 35mm small format shots.
thanks for that very detailed response! And it sounds like you and I have a similar affinity for testing what works! 🤓
I enjoy the emphasis on tripods and am wondering what your opinion is of monopods? Thanks.
Thanks a heap for this video!! Got to be one of the most helpful for me. Going to get myself a proper tripod now 😆. Keep up the awesome work!!
Glad it helped!
I thought my canon 5Ds is broken when i mounted it first time on aluminum Manfrotto tripod and saw shaking results changing to wooden studio beast from 1960 I understood how important is material and its ability to dump internal resonances. Wood and carbon is ideal, aluminum not so specially with ultra high density sensors. Excellent video, wonderful tip with mirror. I become Your great fan.
Thanks very much Piotr!
You are always so informative!!! Thank you Joel!!
Thanks so much!
The tripod (and getting a good quality, sturdy one at that) is perhaps the most under-rated and overlooked thing. I remember Thom Hogan saying something along the lines of: Either way, you're going to spend at least $1000 on a tripod in the end -- either by buy a bunch of cheap $150 or $200 tripods every few years (as they break) or one quality tripod from thes tart that will last you a long time (10+ years). I've personally done the first route myself and finally invested a decent amount in a good tripod, costing about $1200 when said and done, but haven't had a problem with it in the 5 years I've owned it. Probably will get another 10 years out of it at least, and I will have considered that $1200 well spent if I can get 10-15 years out of the setup. Some people have claimed getting 20+ years out of their Really Right STuff ball heads (which they aren't cheap, but if you take care of them, can last a long time).
I think the other aspect about getting sharp shots that holds people back is they are afraid of higher ISOs. If done right, you can get a better sharper shot (in the end, after PP is done) if you utilize an appropriate shutter speed, and up the ISO if you have to, rather than sacrificing sharpness in favor of a "cleaner" image (lower ISO). I've struggled with this myself at times (being a landscape and portrait shooter, always being on a tripod or shooting with flash which has let me keep lower ISOs in most cases) but it takes some getting used to and figuring out what is the maximum level of noise you can tolerate in terms of high ISO. As one photographer put it in a seminar once: We can fix noise (for the most part) but we can't fix blurry (soft) photos due to camera shake. Of course there are tools now to help compensate for camera shake, but with everything in photography, it's best to get it right out of the camera as much as possible and don't rely on post production as a crutch for poor technique and skill.
🎉
Hi Joel… with regards to your stabilization test with a mirror on front of the lens aren’t you eliminating the camera/lens IS? By way I took your Still Life Master Class, and added many tool to my post processing workflow.
Always a fan,
Ken
Excellent video. Nothing beats a tripod for tack sharp images. Worth the effort carrying one.
Couldn't agree more!
Adding long spikeswill also help if outdoors.
😉
That's a very ingenious tip, thanks for sharing!
Glad it was helpful!
Joe Thank you and Thank you for passing your wisdom. I am learning and always love the Tips the masters give. True inspiration. You Rock sir!
I appreciate that!
Excellent subject and thanks for the technical background. As an engineer I really appreciated the depth you went to explain the topic👍
The older you get the more risk of camera shake you can get. I was formally trained at the Daytona Beach photo college. That's how we were taught, I even used my Hassy 500cm on a tripod. You will also take time in composing your image. I had an old aluminum tripod in school but purchased a RRS carbon fiber one with a BH-55 head and love it. You are 100% correct about this.
Hi Joel. Thanks for this upload. I've been shooting on tripods for years now including portraits. Like you, I bought the R5 and previously using the EOS R. I noticed that the images were softer on the R5 than the EOS R and I was scratching my head. It turns out that the IBIS is the culprit. Great for hand held but slightly moves the sensor when on a stable tripod. I know the tripod is a good one (Manfrotto 085B) with a 410 geared head. Just thought I'd put my 2 cents in. Once again thank you for the upload
How interesting! Thanks for that!
Does it jelp to turn the IBIS off? I thought I seen or read somewhere Canon camera/lens combos know when they are mounted on a tripod & disable the IBIS? Maybe it is a setting in the menus?
@@thomastuorto9929 I’m not sure if canon cameras turn the IBIS off when on a tripod. Mine still shows the hand with the + symbol on. Once I turned the IBIS off, I noticed a sharper image. I will admit, as a retoucher, I do pixel peak.
Thank you KeysPete1, I learned something new today.
Hey J. thanx for this one..u r absolutely right about that... Cheers
My pleasure!
@@joelgrimes ;)
That was a nice little tips, thank you.
Glad it was helpful!
The now old fashion 85mm, f/1.8 is often used by its owners only occasionally wide open at f/1.8. My suggestion for this lens is to try it at f/5.6 to f/8 as well. You’ll find this old-dog lens even by todays standards still is impressively sharp. Don’t take a pass on this cheap old prime lens. It is a great buy.
Every lens has a sweet spot that's for sure! Something that is hard to remember when looking at buying "better" glass rather than working with what you've got
Thanks for the video. I am with you on tripods. Have done my share of experimentation between hand hold and tripods. If I am trying to capture a moment and place that is really important- the tripod is my essential tool. Nice to hear that other photographers value tripods as much as I do.
Good stuff!
Great video! Some awesome learning techniques. So glad you use a tripod in your studio, so do I and I am always being told it is over kill and a waste of time. Still using my Bogen 3021 tripod, so that one goes back a ways.
amazing!
@@joelgrimes I think we have a mutual friend, I will send you private message someday with his name. He photographed the space shuttle right out if Brooks.
Brilliant. Thank you.
You're very welcome!
Joel, What is your opinion about having image stabilization on, when woring from a Tripod, and why?
PS, time for a new Still-Life-Class
I love the nerdy stuff, and I think it's worth testing your set up for what is going to give you the best results. If there's no interference with the IS on then even better!
@@joelgrimes Ok, I'm going to test that on and off, Thank you!
Thanks so much i will try that my i ages have been soft so i will try this for sure
Best of luck!
Great information, Joel!
Thanks for watching John!
Thanks for this one! Such a simple advice, that I actually should know, but nope. Hahaha. Only time I use tripod is if I am to shoot a photo with myself together with someone, or when I go photographing machines in the middle of the (dark) night. And then my photos are crisp and clear, of course! But very often I'm not satisfied with other photos taken, and it never actually accured to me that i shook the camera even though I try to be as steady as possible every time. Thanks!
Good stuff!
I really appreciate the suggestion of the laser. Projected onto say a white foam board surface or white wall would be a good test although not of optical lab precision and evaluation. Will be trying that out. As for tripods I don't think a classic Gitzo can be beat, it does not need to be carbon fiber at all unless weight bothers a person. Frankly, I think wood is the best tripod there is. Nothing absorbs vibration better than wooden legs. Ries and Berlbach are both superb tripods but many older surveyor tripods are very good bases to work off of and can be customized to work with modern photo gear. I use a very old Ries A100 with Hasselblad and large format that I rebuilt and it's fabulous, heavy like a classic Gitzo but an outstanding tripod. Not fancy like a modern CF but not absurdly priced either and far better for vibration reduction. As for an aluminum tripod a wonderful tripod along with Gitzo classics is the original Leitz Tiltall which I outfitted with an Arca B1 head and use it most of the time and I've never noticed any sharpness loss from using it but I use a release when on a tripod, not the timer. I think as long as a person uses a decent, very sturdy, well built tripod regardless of the material it is made of the resulting imagery will be sharp if good technique is applied and the lens and camera are in fine condition and of good quality as well.
Great points!
I bought a tripod yrs ago, When I put my camera on it the head begins to slip downwards, I'm wondering if the head is too small for the camera? Also any tripod I've had I find the clips on the legs are a pain to use especially in the cold or with night photography. I just wish things were less complicated in photography. I thought IBIS was the answer but having doubts now. I also find the weakness in camera bags are the plastic clips they use to connect the bag to the handle!
Is there any benefit to a mono pod at any point? (Won’t be comparable to a good tripod but can it help)
Great tips, thank you 👌🏾🇦🇺
My pleasure!
Thank you!
Great Tip using the mirror to detect vibration, makes perfect sense.
Do you have to use a "First Surface" mirror or is an ordinary mirror ok?
Any mirror as long as there’s a hot enough light source to reflect
Great down to earth advice, as always Joel. Stunning landscapes too. 👏👍
Thanks 👍
Hey Joel- Never take sandbags- to the desert! I just fill 'em up while there. (ps: for max sharpness- I use the Ken Doesn't Rockwell Monopod; it features me, image stabilization, a shutter speed down to 1/8th= another fab series of palm fronds and neon hotel signage. Sure, the colors and subject matter are awful, but I'm an artist!)
haha good stuff Tommy! I love taking empty sand bags to fill with rocks. Makes the hiking MUCH easier!
helping me more and more
that's the goal!
wow thats an interesting test
Hi Joel. I've heard you should always turn your image stabilization off when using a tri-pod. Do you also recommend this for todays modern mirrorless full-frame cameras?.
This was always the way but they've massively improved the technology. The only true answer is to test both I'm afraid and compare the images
Great Video!
Thanks for the visit
What mass of ballast start to be significant ? And also I do not find in the menus where the mirror up delay is ? (6D2)
Thank you brother!! This was helpful!!
You're very welcome! Thanks for watching!
@@joelgrimes No problem at all absolutely!
I wonder if on the new Capture 22 software if you can photo stack?
Thanks yet again for sharing your knowledge and experiences Joel. I have learnt so much just from watching your vids 🇦🇺🍺🤙
Very welcome
Great stuff as always, Joel! It’s amazing how it all comes down to these fundamentals. Keep up the great work and I’m looking forward to watching your series on landscape photography.
Awesome! Thank you!
My uncle, back in the 1970s, bought what he thought was a good tripod, but it turned out to be wobbly and difficult to adjust. In a fit of temper he hurled it into a canyon. A good tripod is wonderful, but a bad one is worse than free-handing it.
I couldn't agree more
Excellent!
Glad you liked it!
A question: would you publish an art photobook in digital format? If yes, would it be a pdf?
If you can get the images to look the way you want as a pdf, and represent yourself properly as an artist, then it's a great start!
@@joelgrimes thanks for the feedback. In my case it's a real book with photos in it. Seems like I don't have a choice, because epub would not be suitable, since there are 130 hi-res pics in it...and I don't know any alternatives
Thanks
Neat trick!
Thanks for watching!
Won't increasing shutter speed compensate for camera shake?
absolutely, but, sometimes the feel you are trying to capture will get lost if you speed the shutter up
@Joel Grimes Photography Right, like long exposures.
Thanks a bunch...no brainer stuff when ya here someone else say it out loud
good to hear!
thank you!!!
You're welcome!
Also called a Front Surface Mirror
Hello Joel bro I have very old camera
Kodak c140 how I took photo very nicely say bro
Great 👍
Is creator foundry good? It’s not a scam ?
Great video Joel! Quick question, I've heard when shooting on a tripod, Image Stabilization (on both lens and and in body) should be turned off. Does it really matter if it's on? Thanks in advance!
The technology is much better than it once was, but, I would for sure do some tests to be sure. I usually have it switched off
On brand lenses this will torn of automaticly in most cases. So when using Canon, Nikon, Sony lenses you'r good. With brands like Tamron, Sigma etc you'd better turn of the IS
I'm writing this comment BEFORE watching the video. I would absolutely love to get sharp images every single time I click the shutter, as the video title promises. But I shoot primarily with an 800mm lens that doesn't have any form of image stabilization, and I often shoot in very low light conditions, at dawn and dusk when wildlife is most active.
If this video really can show me how to get sharp images every single time, then that would be awesome! But I must admit that I am very skeptical, and fear that the video will only show how to get sharp images when using shorter lenses, or in reasonable amounts of light, or when shooting subjects that aren't running around or flying.
But I'll give Joel chance to prove my skepticism wrong ..... and I hope he does!
once you have your set up tested, there's no reason you can't even with 800mm lens!
@@joelgrimes thanks, Joel. I'm a very experienced long lens shooter, had many photos on magazine covers, etc., but I must admit that when shooting at extremely long focal lengths, I don't get tack sharp images with every frame. Especially with moving wildlife when I am panning with the erratically moving mammal or bird. Tracking autofocus seems to really struggle to get every single image in a long high speed burst to be absolutely perfectly tack sharp. Was especially interested in this video of yours because of what the title promises. I know some of the world's most successful, most published wildlife photographers, and don't know any of them who get even a 50% sharpness rate when tracking erratically moving subjects at very long focal lengths. And yes, we already all use $1,000 tripods and $600+ gimbal heads and fully micro-adjusted body/lens combinations. When I read the title of this video I thought maybe you figured something out that none of us have figured out yet .... LOL
Does anyone who owns a canon and canon lens dslr know if when shooting sports should one turn off the lens IS WHEN shooting sports. I have heard differing answers but is off seems better to me shooting a 70-200 2.8 wide open at ss’s of 1250 of a sec and mostly 1600 of a sec or faster. Thx
Thank you
You're welcome
Convincing!
The recommended resolution for photos displayed on a billboard is around 45 dpi. So, there's that.
ok, how do I shoot an event like a wedding on a tripod. Except for the formals it would be absolutely insane to use a tripod
👍👍👍 super sir
Thank you!
Hi Joel! 👋 are u the new Peter McKinnon?
haha, absolutely not! Just a passionate photographer trying to help others with their passion
genius !
thank you!
For your image stabilized lens are you turning off stabilization?
I tend to leave it on unless it's disrupting the image on testing
Some of the older IS lenses you needed to do that, but with most current IS lenses it detects when it is on a tripod and turns it off automatically. Check with your lens manufacturer.
It depends on shutting speed especially for wildlife, like flying birds. Use electric shutter will be much better than that of mechanical on, which can greatly reduce any vibration of the shutter
That's for sure!
Going right now to test my camera shake with my laser… thanks Joel
Have fun!
Results in…. Absolutely true, tested my Canon R6 with RF 100-500mm with laser taped to lens ….tripod wins by a landslide, even with image stabilization on both camera body and lens. I’ll need to learn how to incorporate my tripod when birding as the birds move quickly, but for landscape and macro a must have ! 😁