We all know that to take a picture we have to press the shutter button on our camera and… voila! we have our photo. But did you know that there are other ways to shoot your photo without touching that familiar little button? Do you want to know the ways of remote or remote shooting? Do you want to know what they can be used for? Keep reading and I will tell you how you can do it and when they will be useful to you.
When is remote shooting useful?
Before knowing the ways you have to shoot remotely, you may be interested in knowing when they can be useful to you or how to take advantage of them:
- HDR photography: In this type of photography, different shots have to be taken and although it is done with a tripod, if you press the button on your camera, a movement can occur that, no matter how slight, can cause an imbalance in the different shots.
- time lapse: For the same reason as above, it helps you avoid any vibration when you fire the camera button.
- Self-portraits: And I am not referring to the typical “selfies” so current that you can take with your mobile or your camera by stretching your arm like Inspector Gadget, I mean the self-portraits in which no one could know if you or someone else shot. Sure, you have the timer option, but if you have to shoot several times, you have to go to the camera each time, and in the end it’s a pain in the ass (if you haven’t tried it, I’m telling you from my own experience 😉 ).
- Group photos in which you also appear: On more than one occasion I have mentioned that photography enthusiasts usually run out of photos to remember. We have photos of the whole family, friends, strangers… Well, it’s over, when you take a photo of your family, friends or similar, make sure you go out because in a while you will appreciate it. The remote trigger will help you avoid the runs I was talking about in the previous point. And here even more, because the more people you have to appear in the photograph, the more shots you will have to take to ensure a good photo.
- Nature photography and macro photography: in these cases we are a disturbing element of the ecosystem and the animals or insects you want to photograph may flee from your presence. Shooting from a distance gives you the advantage of being able to take your photos calmly and without disturbing the environment.
- Night or long exposure photography: when you want to take a long exposure, you should also avoid any vibration that may occur when pressing the button on your camera.
Now that you know its usefulness, surely you have been bitten by the bug of knowing what options you have to shoot from a distance. Let’s see them.
shoot from computer
Believe it or not, you can also shoot from your computer. What is this option for specifically? Well, to be able to view your images in a larger size and resolution. This way you can more easily check the focus and sharpness.
It also serves to work as a team, not only the person who shoots visualizes the images, but also the rest of the team members. For this reason it is also a good option when teaching a photography class.
Another advantage is getting a backup directly, since the images are recorded both on the camera card and on your computer’s hard drive.
How can you shoot from your computer?
Here are some different ways:
- Adobe Photoshop Lightroom: It is an editing program that you will almost certainly know, even by ear, but that also allows this shooting option.
- Nikon Camera Control Pro: is software that allows you to remotely control settings of most Nikon digital SLRs.
- Canon EOS Utility and Remote Shooting mode: This is a function for remote shooting and video with Canon cameras.
- DCamCapture – This is a tool to shoot Nikon cameras from your computer. In the link (in English) it indicates with which cameras it is compatible and the functions that you can carry out.
drawbacks
As usual, not all are advantages, there are also some drawbacks, such as autonomy. When working with the laptop, we depend on its autonomy, as well as the transmission speed of the cable and the USB port. Another drawback is that you can’t move too much, unless you have a kilometric cable or Wi-Fi connection. And watch out for accidents! be careful not to trip over the cables. In short, it is a very static way of working.
Remote Switch
The first thing to take into account in this case are two aspects:
- That your camera accepts a remote release.
- That you choose a remote release compatible with your camera.
It is used to shoot just like you would with your camera but from a distance. If you press the button a little, it focuses, if you press it all the way down, it shoots. You can also shoot immediately or with a delay of two seconds (this function is useful for example in portraits, it gives you just enough time to hide the device and not spoil your photo as in this example).
It is useful for getting sharper images by preventing vibrations caused by pressing the camera button. (Trick: if you don’t have a remote release, in this case you can use your camera’s timer). Also for self-portraits and group portraits.
There are two types, each with its advantages and disadvantages:
- Wired trigger: the shooting distance is very limited, normally the cables are usually one meter and also, if you take a self-portrait you run the risk of portraying the very unflattering black cable.
- Wireless trigger: you can shoot at a much greater distance, however you have to focus directly on the infrared point of the camera, which is not the case with the cable, which you can shoot even from behind the camera. Another inconvenience is that some cordless don’t give the possibility to focus when pressing the button halfway.
At the time of buying The brand doesn’t matter as much as it’s compatible. There are the same camera brands or other brands compatible with your camera (c0m0 the one in the image above). Its price is very affordable, here are some examples:
Trigger from smartphone app
There are several applications for smartphones and tablets that allow you to shoot and view your images from your mobile device. It can be through a USB cable, infrared sensor or Wi-Fi. Among its basic functions we find autofocus, simple remote control, long exposure, Time-Lapses and HDR. Here are a couple of examples:
- eos remote: app for Apple iOS or Android smartphones (for Canon).
- dslr Remote: Free Android app.
And so far the remote shots. It would make me happy to know that this article has been useful to you and even more so if you put it into practice. Because the best thing about this hobby is being able to practice it and enjoy it. It’s no use reading the articles if you don’t put them into practice, don’t you think? Can you imagine reading a manual on how to play soccer and not practicing it? Or how to play the guitar? No, right? Well this is the same! 😉
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