Photos: Thursday Night @ CBD
Currently suffering from Monday Morning Syndrome. So, instead of utilising copious amounts of unavailable brain-juice trying to write something, I’m just going to plagiarise my album description.
I was waiting for a dinner at King St wharf and so I walked around the CBD to get a bit of late night shopping atmosphere.
Since I don’t work in the city, I found all the hustle and bustle quite different to boring North Ryde. Everybody seemed to be absorbed in their own little world as they ploughed their way from point A to B. I doubt many would have even noticed me camping at busy intersections trying to get some shots of the hectic shopping night life.
The word “automaton” comes to mind…
Anyway, I wish I had a tripod that night… but I didn’t. Oh well.
Come to think of it, not having a tripod forced me to improvise on how to minimise camera shake. I’ve found that shooting from the hip to be very effective for this.
Simply hold the camera tightly against your body, with arms vertically straight (i.e., lock your elbows). Control your breathing so that you’re aware of your breathing patterns. Then, when you’re about to take the shot, exhale and hold your breath.
I’ve found that I can take up to 3-4 second shots quite acceptably using this technique. Of course, the down side is that you can’t actually compose properly since you can’t look through the viewfinder (unless you have a compact digicam with swivel LCD screens).
Practice makes perfect.