Use a Tripod - Often!
This happens all too often - the novice photographer shoots everything hand-held, producing shaky images that are most annoying, or else leave the viewer feeling nauseous. Also, shaky images don't cut well with shots that are steady.
Although there can be good reasons to get hand-held shots, they are not always practical when using long lenses. When you zoom in to the narrow end of the telephoto, any slight motion can dramatically cause the image to shift. Just look through a narrow tube and try to hold it steady. Even your breathing can cause the image to shake. Zooming out to the widest possible angle can help reduce the shakiness.
But
the value of getting steady shots becomes quite clear when you are
hoping to get it aired. Take for instance, the novice shooting images of
bad weather. Would the local news station use it if the images look
like they were taken during an earthquake?
