[Dabhand16]

Excellent article, Steve. This is the sort of thing most of us take for granted, and wasn't it great that Leanne actually asked the question in the first place? I'm sure that it will be useful to a lot of people taking up photography.

I know that it is not possible to cover everyyhing in such a short piece, but two things occur to me having read it.

The use of the good old 'bean bag' (or old sock stuffed with beans) to give a good mounting on a wall, post, fence, rock etc, and also gives the camera some protection. Using the self timer also reduces the chance of moving the camera when the shutter is released, as you don't have to be touching the camera after initiating the self timer.

If you can't find something at the right height to put the camera on, you can often find something you can brace yourself against, (tree, wall, car) and by holding the camera as steady as you can (without using too firm a grip), breathe in and hold your breath when you release the shutter.

When I look at the EXIF of some of my photos, I've seen shutter speeds of between one sixth and one eighteenth of a second with hand held shots that are acceptably sharp, Particularly with my compact that has a wider angle lens. I guess it is a skill that can be gained just like any other, with practice.