Rock steady

At wedding receptions, photographers have the luxury of lighting situations with flash.

Flash during ceremonies, however, can be very disruptive, and is usually not allowed by churches. Wedding photographers, charged with the important duty of creating images in nearly every lighting condition, must adapt to near-dark lighting conditions during wedding ceremonies.

The image above was shot hand-held with a 200mm lens at 1/8 second, and the bride's eyelashes are sharp. Here are some tips to deal with low shutter speeds during ceremonies:

1) Use a monopod or tripod. The floor is steadier than you are!

2) Steady your body. If you are shooting handheld, work to steady your torso and arms. Bend your knees slightly, pull your elbows in toward your sides, and draw your hands toward your chin.

3) Squeeze the shutter release. Use steady motion when releasing the shutter, and avoid jerking the camera when making the exposure.

4) Shoot repetitive frames. The slower your shutter speed, the lower the percentage of sharp photographs. Counter this by shooting more pictures.

5) Control your breathing. Hold your breath during the exposure. Don't forget to exhale after you shoot the photo!

6) Invest in fast glass. The faster your lens, the higher your shutter speed. Buy a discontinued Canon 200/1.8 on eBay!

7) Invest in IS/VR lenses. Newer professional series lenses come with an option for "Image Stabilization" (Canon) or "Vibration Reduction" (Nikon) technology. By using Image Stabilization, we have been able to shoot at shutter speeds down to 1/8 of a second with sharp results.

8) Shoot wide. Telephoto lenses magnify your body's shake. If you can get closer without being disruptive, shoot with a wider-angle lens to minimize the effect of unsteadiness. A good rule of thumb is to not let the shutter speed drop below the lens' focal length (50mm lens = 1/60 sec; 20mm lens = 1/15 sec).