Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/01/09
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Shooting a rifle is different. Your body only needs to be still for the split second the rifle is fired. You can fire between heartbeats. During an inhale there is negative pressure in the thoracic cavity expanding the veins which drain blood into the heart and hence increasing blood flow. When you 'bear down' the opposite happens. I think this is largely meaningless in terms of body shake for a camera shot (perhaps unless you are steadying a tripod on your chest wall). The biggest issue is that when you are breathing in or out, your shoulders and hence arms are moving. Another biggie is hand shake which is of a different degree for different people. Merely proping your arms against something (e.g. elbows on a table) very significantly decreases this. Relaxing your body and steadying your 'mind' also reduces shake. A shot of Lagavulin orally administered a few minutes before the camera shot can help. With practice you learn to imagine the aroma and a similar effect occurs. Jonathan Borden > -----Original Message----- > From: owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us > [mailto:owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us]On Behalf Of Bernard > Subject: Re: [Leica] tripod > > > Jonathan Borden wrote: > > > For me, 95% of the time I shoot handheld and hold my breath, steady my > > hands and 'click' in low light situations. > > I read several times that holding your breath is not the best way. The > best moment is either at the moment when you've either filled your lungs > with air, or when you've emptied them (I forgot which). Holding your > breath makes your heart beat too much; the idea is not to disrupt your > normal breathing pattern. This is something gun-nuts know a lot about. > > Bernard >