7 Smart Ways To Vlog Without a Tripod! (That Actually Work)

Today I´m going to talk about how to vlog without a tripod and still create great footage in the process.

Now, if you´ve tried to stabilize your camera in a specific spot or you´ve felt frustrated for not having the exact set up you needed for a shot then this post is for you.

I will dive in on some of the most effective ways to get your vlogging going without the use of a tripod.

Let´s start!

1. Get Creative With Locations

This should be your first step, whether you record in your bedroom, the nearest park or on your backyard getting creative with your location is the BEST way to replace the use of a tripod.

You can easily find places where to put your camera to vlog, in fact, almost any flat horizontal surface will suffice.

I´ve used a pile of books to stabilize my camera at eye level and I´ve recorded dozens of videos that way. 📚

For example, rearranging the furniture in your bedroom or even making the most out of your fan ceiling, yep… your fan ceiling, you heard me right.

I´ve done it myself, I´ve actually hanged my camera from the fan with a weird strings system I made and it work great!

So, don´t be afraid to put some thought into it, there are plenty of different ways you can get creative with a location, parks have swings, monkey bars, and other great “tools” you can use, I´ve filmed AWESOME B-rolls in busy street intersections by putting my camera over a mailbox.

2. Handheld Shooting Mastery

Another great way you can easily get better at shooting without using a tripod is by mastering the use of your own body.

Here are a few tips I´ve used in the past to give my footage a stable look and not depend on any sort of accesory whatsoever.

Two hands are better than one! Yes, I know, it might sound simple and obvious but most people tend to forget how easy it can be to improve your footage just by using both hands and not just one.
Tuck your elbows in – You don´t want to have your arms fully extended as you´ll lose control of your camera and therefore your shooting, so tuck your elbows near your chest/stomach.
Keep feet shoulder width apart – Here´s another one for you, just to give you a bit more stabilization, it is necessary that YOU are stable so that you don´t affect how shaky your final footage is.
3 points of contact – I learned this one from the master Peter McKinnon. It basically means that you have three different points of contact to make your camera more stable, one hand on the body, another hand on the lens, and the third point of contact can be your chest, your face (if you want to be able to see from the viewfinder what you´re shooting), or your strap.

3. Great Tipod Alternatives

There are a few very good alternatives to a tripod that you can use and easily take advantage from.

One of those, that I´ve found can be super useful and incredibly effective is the Monsterpod.

Although it might seem kind of weird it is a really great accessory to have, easy to carry, and pretty sticky so it can be used in almost any kind of surface.

However, I woulnd´t say is very comfortable to carry it in your pocket is nonetheless a good option you might want to consider if you don´t want (or have) to take your tripod out.

Now, another great (affordable) alternative to tripods are sand/bean bags.

In case you´ve never heard of them, these bags are used to stabilize a camera any sort of fancy equipment or setting but still have a pretty safe way to get the shot you need.

Now, here´s a really sophisticated option although not necessarily what YOU need:

The cool thing about it is that there are ways you can make it yourself if you want to, and I´m going to talk about DIY ideas in a minute, so keep reading.

In fact.

I´ve embeded an AWESOME YouTube video where you can see how to use a nice (sort of) pillow to make your shots look the way you want.

4. How To Use Your Strap

Although there are manual settings that can help you make your footage more steady, you can also make your camera steadier by using a strap.

Here´s how:

You just have to make sure to safely put the strap behind your neck and extend your arms holding your camera as much as possible (without hurting your neck of course) and film!

Another great way to use it is by using the strap in a diagonal direction across your back, it gives you a similar control to the one I´ve said before but it also gives you a stronger hold.

Now, those two are (to me) the best ways to probably use your strap, and I would recommend you to use both.

There are panning shots, slow-motion shots, or any sort of shot where you have to move slowly and with 100% control over your footage so THIS is an effective way to accomplish that.

5. DIY Tripod Ideas

If you don´t mind putting some work to make your own tripod then you need to head over to Pinterest right now.

I mean, there are ton of great ideas you can use and make yourself to create an awesome tool box of gears ready to be used.

You will find really creative tripod alternatives that you can use.

For example, if you use your phone to vlog then here are some great ideas:

And you can find much more for cameras,whether you have a specific dslr or a point and shoot camera, it doesn´t matter, someone has already done the thinking for you!

Also, there are many YouTube channels that can teach great hacks and DIY options for you to get started.

Here´s a cool example of just that:

Cool video!

There are plenty others that teach useful stuff if you do searches like “diy tripod for camera” or “diy tripod alternatives”.

6. Invest In The Right Lens

Another great way to effectively improve your filmmaking without using a tripod but still having a great steady video is purchasing the right kind of lens.

You probably know by now that the shake of your camera is the thief of sharpness, so any sort of accessory that can make your hand-holding camera footage look better is welcomed!

Now, if you want to invest in the right lens that will ensure that you get the best result possible then you should consider purchasing an image stabilizer lens.

There are cameras that have image stabilization built into it, but many systems choose to put it in the lens.

So, you might want to check this alternative out!

In addition to this, if you are already using the tips and tricks I´ve talked about but you still need to make your footage look even steadier you can always do it on your editing software.

7. Be Resourceful

As much as being creative you NEED to be resourcefull in order to be successful.

You have to learn to do what you need to do with what you have. Period. As simple as that.

It might seem like a mental hack more than anything else, and it actually is!

I´ve used books, magazines, bookshelves, the fan from the ceiling, and even rearranged some of my furniture just to get the shot that I wanted.

The main anchor for you to get started should always be to create something cool and make sure you get your message across, no matter what.

You don´t need to be prepared for every situation you might encounter or have the perfect settings to get started with vlogging, you just have to GET STARTED and figure things out while you do it.

The Digital Hustler

How To Vlog Without a Tripod