On several occasions, people do ask me how I shoot my video without using any camera stabilizer. My answer to this question is always very simple and encouraging. Rome wasn’t built in a day. Perfection is the reward for practicing things you don’t know. The fact that you own a camera doesn’t make you a professional photo or videographer. I am sure you know that, Right?.
Tips For Shooting Steady Video Without Camera Stabilizer.
The first thing you should always note is your distance to your subject. When you are too far from whatever you are recording, your chance of getting a steady and clean shot is 40%, because when you stand very far from your object, zooming in will trigger lots of movement from your body. There is little chance of getting a steady shot that way.
Moving closer to your subject will give more advantage. When you are closer to whatever you are shooting, there is a large room for you to zoom out rather than zooming in. Not only will you be able to shoot steadily, your image too will come out clean and bold on the screen. To be honest, If you can’t shoot a steady video without the aid of a camera stabilizer, don’t call yourself a professional photo or videographer.
Another thing you should take note of is how you position your body when shooting without any stabilizer. There is a method I use when I shoot with a handheld video camera. When you put this same method into practice, you will no longer have to worry about shooting a steady video.
Find a very good spot to stand, always look for a very flat and smooth surface to stand. Place a wide distance between your two legs. Try to rest all your body on both legs. Do this by pushing your stomach forward a little. Doing this will give your stance a solid foundation. Funny right? It might sound funny but trust me, I have been using this method to shoot steady video without any camera stabilizer for years.
Another way to shoot a steady video is by using your shoulder to support the video. Your shoulder can serve as a stabilizer for as long as you can endure. Using all these tips I mentioned will give you a steady shot. The advantage of shooting without a camera stabilizer is that you can easily change your position. When you shoot without a camera stabilizer, you can easily move around to take a creative shot.
There are many different ways to shoot steadily without the use of any camera stabilizer. When you use your camera without a stabilizer, you should try to be steady as much as possible, Avoid zooming in and out. When you want to change your shot without pausing, zoom out completely and pan gently to your object before you zoom in again.
How you pause or change shot also matters when shooting without a handheld camera stabilizer. Learn how to pan accurately without pausing the camera. Pan is one of the basic camera movement.
Good luck.
