Backpack journalists use tripods on a limited basis, as this allows us greater mobility and less intrusiveness. So learn how to turn your body into a tripod. Turn your left hip toward your subject. With your left hand as a base holding the camera, tuck your left elbow into your left rib cage just above your hip. Grasp the camera with your right hand and hold your right elbow tight to your torso. Your body becomes a tripod. Now, take a look at yourself in a mirror. It might seem a bit uncomfortable at first but you can hold a camera in place like this all day long. Otherwise, if you stand there holding the camera in front of your face with your elbows flapping in the wind you’ll last about three minutes before your shoulder muscles start screaming. See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBjJYiQXFlQ&feature;=related.
