breathing techniques

I find myself holding my breathe alot when im looking throught the viewfinder. Thats a stupid habit I need to break very badly.

Whats your breathing technique cos I need to adapt to one very quickly to break my habit.

If I'm trying to stay very still I will hold my breath as well just long enough for the exposure. I don't think it at all odd unless you're doing it for other reasons.

Your best bet is to join a shooting club for a short course, this will teach you the breathing techniques you need.

Once you start to hold your breath your brain starts to panic, two slow deep methodical breaths with no longer than a 2 second pause on the third will see you right, just push the button within that window.

heymeng wrote in post #7812990
I find myself holding my breathe alot when im looking throught the viewfinder. Thats a stupid habit I need to break very badly.

Whats your breathing technique cos I need to adapt to one very quickly to break my habit.

It's not a stupid habit. It will help you get more steady shots, expecially in marginal conditions.

All good shooters hold their breath before pulling the trigger just for this reason.

superstes wrote in post #7814256
Your best bet is to join a shooting club for a short course, this will teach you the breathing techniques you need.

Once you start to hold your breath your brain starts to panic, two slow deep methodical breaths with no longer than a 2 second pause on the third will see you right, just push the button within that window.

Thats a thought might try it.

I just wasnt sure if I was doing something wrong or not. I dont know how I started to hold my breathe but it seems like i hold it for a long time. sometimes I catch myself after 5 or 6 secs and say "Breathe Dummy!"

OOOPS I just noticed I accidently posted this in the wrong section. I apologize. I shouldve posted in Talk about Photography

I tend to find that breathing In and then out Ad infinitum works best for me

Seriously though, if I am struggling to keep my hands steady I take slow calm breaths and take the shot in the middle of the exhale.

This is what I was taught by my dad when I was learning to shoot and then suprisingly again in the military.

It's called your "natural pause" by some. Think about when you're in a conversation. When you speaking you're slowly exhaling. The trick is to breath in and then when you breathe out about half way you pause. That keeps you pretty steady. You can try breathing out very slowly, but that usually makes you unkowingly lean down little by little.

give it a shot! - pun intended

mrmarklin wrote in post #7817011
It's not a stupid habit. It will help you get more steady shots, expecially in marginal conditions.

All good shooters hold their breath before pulling the trigger just for this reason.

Actually shooters dont hold there breath... snipers are trained to exhale all the way out. That is when the body is at rest and most relaxed. You have a few seconds at the bottom of your breath to take your shot... or picture

Try it. Exhale steadily at a nice even flow... at the bottom of your breath you'll notice you feel relaxed.

I use this method for shooting guns and pictures work like a charm. I was taught this from an ex swat sniper.

darkknight1999 wrote in post #7822352
I use this method for shooting guns and pictures work like a charm. I was taught this from an ex swat sniper.

Cool, be great to see some shots, especially from a sniper trained tog, I need all the help I can get.

Steve

Im still getting used to my new 450... I've only had I'm by no means an expert. but I'll post some up from the other Canon... It was cool to learn stuff from him. He has more stories than you could listen to... some funny, some not so much.

But shooting pictures or a gun is almost the same motion. You exhale all the way out and squeeze the trigger or the button.

yes .. i was taught to snap during exhale

Another 'breath out and then shoot' photographer here. I only worry about it when my shutter speeds start to drop in low light and I don't know whether it makes much difference, but it certainly gets me into the right mindset and posture - feet planted firmly at shoulder width, legs straight, elbows tucked in and braced against my body.