When you’re holding a camera, no matter how steady you think you are, there will be camera movement. Using a telephoto zoom or taking extreme close-up pictures actually magnifies camera movement. Camera movement causes blurry pictures.

If you are taking pictures when there is plenty of light such as a bright sunny day, your camera can use a faster shutter speed which minimizes the effects of camera movement. Using the camera’s flash also reduces the chance of blurry pictures. Some cameras and lenses have built in mechanical stabilization systems to help reduce the effects of camera movement. The best way to keep your camera steady is to use a tripod. Most professional photographers use a tripod whenever possible so that they can get consistently sharp images.

A camera tripod usually consists of three collapsible telescoping legs braced around a center post. The center post can be raised or lowered for height adjustment. At the top of the center post is the tripod head. There’s a tripod mount located on the bottom of most digital cameras that enables the camera to be attached to the tripod head.

Tripods come in different sizes, weights and styles. There’s everything from a table top tripod to a tripod specially designed to handle professional cameras with large, extreme, telephoto lenses. The more sturdy the tripod, the more steady it will keep the camera. A good rule of thumb is to buy the best tripod you can afford. This isn’t as important for small Point & Shoot cameras but is critical when shooting with a professional Digital Single Lens Reflex (DSLR) camera. The weight of the camera, any vibration and even the wind can affect how effective a tripod can be in eliminating blurry pictures.

Look at the sample photos and see for yourself the differences between the image that was taken handheld and the image that was taken with the camera mounted on a tripod.