Originally Posted by
Alan
Wally, are you saying that your hands are shaking because of a medical condition, or you're just having trouble steadying the camera/lens because the equipment is a bit heavy and unwieldy?
It can be tough to steady a long zoom lens when the thing is sticking way out into space, and you're trying to hold it still while taking a shot of some distant object/creature.
But, for your family shots, try some of these suggestions: (1) bracing yourself against an immovable object, such as the back of a dining room chair, or against the corner of a wall. Position yourself so you can take the proper shot of the family, of course. (2) pull your equipment very close to your torso, with the back of your lens-holding-arm, to your chest. You can combine this with leaning against the wall, if need be.
An SLR set up is a sizable chunk of glass and metal, so when you're not shooting, yet need to keep the camera nearby, cradle it in your arm, and hold it from dropping with your other hand. That way, you're not doing a lot of lifting or extending of your arms, so that you can maintain your strength sufficiently til you're ready to snap some more photos. Or, an alternative, set the camera down and give yourself a breather. Gripping the camera can often tire your hands very quickly (e.g. , as motorcyclists will tell you as their hands go numb from gripping the throttle).
The key is to minimize your exertion of all these things and steady yourself in clever and numerous ways.
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