Shooting from the hip in photography literally means holding that camera down at waist height to capture a photo. It takes a lot of practice if you hope to yield good results. Its a technique some photojournalists use to get more candid photos or to shoot in situations where you don’t want your subject to know you’re taking a photo. (NOTE: I must emphasize that it is a technique that requires a lot of practice to be able to pull off).

There are a few things to consider when shooting from the hip:

1) Use a wide angle lens: (If you use a zoom or long lens, you are less likely to properly compose your shot. You may think your aiming at something and find that you were several feet off. Keeping a wide angle means you have more room to capture your scene and can always crop later).

2) Use a fast shutter speed and mid-range aperture. You want to keep your aperture about 2 to 3 stops back from wide-open. zoom lenses are sharpest in this range.

3) Pre-Focus your lens if possible. Try and gauge the focal distance between you and your subject by doing a pre-focus before you start shooting.

4) Turn on your high burst function. Take a lot of shots and move your camera slightly each frame. This way you can be sure to get different framings and hopefully at least one will be with proper composition.

5) Don’t look down at your viewfinder (if your camera has one) while your shooting. The entire purpose of shooting from the hip is to be discreet to capture a more candid shot. If you’re looking at the viewfinder, you’re basically shooting in a less than optimal situation for nothing.

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Keep both elbows close to your body (tucked in) and press the camera against your face. Grip the camera firmly with your right hand, and be careful not to move the camera as you apply pressure to the shutter button. Your left hand controls the zoom and focus functions of the lens while, at the same time, giving the lens support. (NOTE: Your left hand isplaced below the lens.. many new photographers mistakenly place their focus hand on top of the camera and this means you can’t use it as a support mechanism to keep the shot steady). This is one reason pros do not use the LCD viewfinder screen to compose their shots. It is preferred to put your eye to the eyepiece viewfinder as a means of keeping the camera still.

You can also stand against a solid object (wall, pole, tree, car, etc) to keep your body steady while shooting. Lastly, inhale and then exhale before shooting. Once you exhale and your body is still… take the shot. We move a lot while breathing.

1) Hold the camera with your right hand and bring it close to your face.
2) Tuck in your elbows to your body
3) Place your left hand underneath the lens
4) Stand against a solid object (if possible)
5) Inhale then exhale before you shoot

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