Commit to your shots!

One of the most difficult things about watching home videos is the shakiness and swishing back and forth between shots. This tends to happen because the cameraperson wants to record all of the action going on at once.

It is important to know that while our eyes can record the action of an entire room, a video camera cannot. Therefore, it is crucial to choose a shot and stay with it for at least three seconds before switching to something else. Make your pans very controlled and slow. Hold the camera as steady as you can, or place it on a tripod for greater stability.

Practice: Practice smoothly zooming in and out on your subject.

Do not get too hasty, and always make sure to make controlled, deliberate movements with as little camera jitter as possible.

Remember eyes follow movement – When setting up your shot, keep in mind that our eyes are naturally drawn to movement on the screen.

Watch your lighting:

- Do not shoot a backlit subject

- Choose shots that are well lit

- Watch for shadows on subject