The basic techniques of shooting with monopod

We’ve all heard of monopods, not just photographers. This is a special device that allows you to free your hands when using the camera. The principle of operation of the monopod is in many ways similar to the tasks that a tripod performs, but the design, features and capabilities are somewhat different. This is the optimal solution for beginners and amateurs, travelers and photographers specializing in shooting sports events. The monopod allows you to improve the clarity of the photo by stabilizing the camera at the time of shooting. However,monopodhas an insufficiently stable design, which means that you should not count on easy obtaining an impeccable result.

Photography techniques

There are three main uses of the monopod.

1. The most common is the technique in whichtripodput so that it is at a level that is five centimeters higher than necessary for photography in a vertical plane. You should put your legs a little wider than your shoulders, leave the monopod from yourself at a distance of about a meter. Thus, it is possible to create an equilateral triangle, with the center of gravity concentrated in the upper part of the monopod. You will get a “live” tripod.

2. The following technique has several modifications. In the first embodiment, the legs must be placed on a width slightly exceeding the width of the shoulders. The monopod is placed in the area of the left heel, at a distance from it within 15 centimeters. Then you should tightly press the monopod with your left leg to the inner side of the thigh. This will help stabilize the camera. In other variations of this technique can be placed monopod mirror. This is true mainly in cases where a left-handed person takes pictures with a monopod.

3. The third technique received a very eloquent name “shooter”. It is very important to take a stable position to the maximum. To do this, it is enough to put the left leg slightly forward, and the right sock should be slightly turned outward. The support for the monopod in this case will be the right foot, its inner part. For additional convenience, it is important to slightly tilt the accessory forward, pressing it as tightly as possible to the inner surface of the left thigh.

Scope of application

If you are an amateur, a small mobile monopod will become an indispensable thing wherever you are: traveling, at concerts and mass events, parties. . As for professional photography in various conditions, this accessory is most often used for shooting various sports in tandem with an overall professional telephoto lens or when creating wildlife images when birds and animals are observed in their natural environment.

On the one hand, the monopod is mobile and compact, on the other - it helps to significantly reduce the load on the photographer's hands from the heavy camera. A monopod tripod has only one “leg”, which means that it cannot provide maximum stability at high exposure, compared with a tripod. If you compare the result with shooting directly from hand, it turns out to be very high-quality and producing a good impression. The result depends on the technique used. Always choose it wisely and wisely. And good photo shoots for you!