"Douglas" wrote in message
...

"Kate Morgan" wrote in message
. ..

I write to urge you to buy a unipod and use it often. You'll be
pleasantly surprised at the clearer definition.
Also a big help is a good hood in front of the camera lens, it cuts
out
the
extraneous unwanted light which destroys clarity.
There is no charge for this brilliant instruction. but if you must
insist, please send the usual 10% donations to
c/o, The Matron,
Yarlside Happy Farm......

Sorry! - I can here Matron's footsteps coming down the corridor
with my
red tablets.!.
Must go!.
Doug.
*********
OOOer that all sounds a bit technical for just little old me and my
garden, I am a bit of a point and shoot kinda girl but I am getting
better and I will remember your advice :-)
red tablets huh, just you wait till they put you onto the yellow ones,
off to fight the good fight with the weeds

cheers

kate
***********
Righty ho! kate, - just get a unipod then. It's a tripod without the
tri. i.e it hasn't got the three legs at the bottom. It's just two
metal tubes and you can adjust its height because one slides inside the
other to get the right height. On top is a small platform to carry the
camera. At the moment of shutter opening, the camera is steady, you
see, and then most of your masterpieces will please you.

If you really want to go to that extreme, use the timer function as well -
even a monopod will produce camera shake if you punch the shutter button
because it will move from side to side. IME. The timer function opens the
shutter without you having to press it, of course, so less movement on the
camera body. Another useful item is a small beanbag (you can make your own
out of dried lentils in a square of material - I did !) - set the camera on
that on a wall or fence or a rock or the ground, whatever, prod the beanbag
til it's sitting level, and use your timer function. This does rather assume
that your camera allows you to see through the viewfinder at awkward
angles - or you are supple.

I only use a tripod or monopod for landscapes (or very close studio macro
work where the depth of field is paper thin), and the monopod isn't really
worth having unless conditions are quite bright, due to the possibilty of
side to side movement, IME. In bright conditions your basic modern point and
shoot camera should be able to judge the shutter speed and aperture well
enough not to get much camera shake without support anyway as more light
means shorter shutter speed (usually, if you let the camera choose for
you) - so less time for the dreaded camera shake to occur. If you've got
digital of course then take as many shots as you like - some of them are
bound to be good. It's the technique I use, anyway !

(If you wish to decide for yourself if this technique actually works for me
or I am in fact talking total rubbish, go here http://littleurl.com/?01k5 )



Rachael