You wouldn’t think that shooting smooth video would be hard—that is, until you actually try it and your hands can’t seem to stop shaking. What to do? If you’re having a hard time filming stable shots, it might be time to try out these effective strategies for how to get smooth shots while filming.

Position Your Camera Close To Your Body

If you’re filming with a handheld camera, it can be especially difficult to get a smooth shot. Fortunately, and with the right technique, it’s not impossible. While filming, hold your camera as close to your body as you comfortably can, rather than with fully extended arms. That seemingly simple change will help you to stabilize the camera and will keep your arms from getting tired during filming.

Add a Neck Strap

Still need a little extra support? Consider adding a neck strap to your camera. Once the strap is over your neck, adjust it to create tension on the camera. Adding that tension will help you to create another point of stabilization for your camera, and it will be stabilized from above, as well as from the sides.

Shoot in Slow Motion

Another way to lessen instability in your shots is to shoot in slow motion. In slow motion, any unexpected shaking of the camera will seem intentional or at the very least, will be less jarring. Unfortunately, this solution won’t work every time, since it doesn’t usually make sense to film every shot in slow motion. But if you were planning to shoot in slow motion anyways, this can be a good way to stabilize your shots.

Use a Gimbal

The most reliable way to get smooth shots in your filming is to use a camera stabilizer like a gimbal. A 3-axis camera gimbal, one of the most popular types, has three axes on which it stabilizes the camera and will counteract any unwanted camera movements. If your shot requires camera motion (and even if it doesn’t), using a gimbal will help your shots appear smooth, even if your camera movement is unstable.

To improve the quality of your filming, try these effective strategies for how to get smooth shots. Smooth shots will make your filming look much more professional, and when you don’t need to constantly worry about whether your shots are stable, you’ll be able to focus on improving other more important elements of your filming.