I think we're all aware of the fact that a camera remote is helpful for things like long exposures, landscape photography, and making time lapse videos.
Heck, a camera remote is even helpful for portraits and self-portraits!
But don't think that a camera remote doesn't have other uses - because it does.
In fact, there are some shooting situations that you might not have considered as being prime camera remote territory...
Let's have a look at a few of these situations.
Multiple Exposures
I'm old enough to remember the days before digital photography, and I distinctly remember seeing some photos my dad took that were accidentally double exposed.
The effect was really cool, to say the least (even if it was an accident).
But today, people create multiple exposures on purpose for a distinctly artistic bent on traditional subjects.
The key to creating an effective multiple exposure in digital photography is to carefully move the subjects around in the shot without disturbing the camera or its focus.
Having a camera remote allows you to do just that.
You can take several shots of the scene, rearrange your subjects and take several more shots, or even keep the shutter open by locking it in that position.
In other words, a camera remote opens up all kinds of worlds of creativity, especially if you buy a camera remote that's oozing with functionalities.
For example, a typical camera remote might only allow you to fire the shutter.
However, a top-of-the-line camera remote allows you to do so much more, like control camera settings from your smartphone, review image thumbnails and histograms on your smartphone, and operate the camera from up to 100 feet away.
Now that's how you can get creative with multiple exposures!
Shooting Telephoto
Using a telephoto lens is great because it allows you to magnify a distant subject, making it seem much larger in the frame.
And while that's all well and good, that magnification also presents some problems, namely camera shake.
Given their size and weight, telephoto lenses are inherently more difficult to handle, or at least handle without causing vibrations.
That's why you see a majority of photographers using telephoto lenses with a tripod or monopod.
But your trusty camera remote will serve to help you eliminate camera shake as well!
That's because without having to touch the camera to fire the shutter, you minimize yet another source of vibration - your finger pressing the shutter button.
If you have a feature-packed camera remote like Pulse by Alpine Labs, not only will camera shake not be an issue, but you'll also be able to take all kinds of still photos, long exposures, and time lapse videos - even with a telephoto lens!
Working in HDR
Just about every mobile phone these days has an HDR setting, which has somewhat diminished the importance of how to tackle HDR in the most effective manner.
By that, I mean that getting true HDR images requires more than just holding your phone at arm's length and selecting HDR from a menu.
When you tackle HDR with a DSLR or mirrorless camera, it isn't that simple, but the results can be vastly better than what your phone produces.
That's because you take multiple images of the same subject, each at different exposure levels.
Then, in post-processing, you combine those images together such that you have a final image that's well-exposed throughout.
That means HDR photography is great for situations in which the dynamic range is quite wide, that is, there are very deep shadows and very bright highlights that the camera will struggle to expose correctly in a single image. Learn more about HDR photography in the video above from Techquickie.
It also means that you have to keep your camera absolutely still for each exposure. Otherwise, you risk having a final image that has ghosting and blur.
That's where a camera remote comes in handy...
Again, you can fire the shutter without touching your camera, thereby eliminating the possibility that you accidentally move it and cause blurriness.
When it comes to making HDR photos, Pulse is your best friend...
That's because Pulse has a built-in HDR function with up to seven stops of EV, giving you wide latitude for creating lighter and darker images on the fly.
Photographing the Wild
When I'm out photographing landscapes, if my camera is on a tripod, my Pulse is running the show.
With just a few taps of my phone, I can switch from still photos to long exposures to HDR and even take real-time video, too.
But there's something else in nature you can photograph more easily if you have a camera remote - wildlife.
Wildlife tends to be scared of humans, so if you're going to get the best shots of animals in their natural environment, it's best to set up your camera with a remote and operate it from elsewhere.
Radio remotes are popular for this type of venture so you can put some distance between you and the camera.
I'd take Pulse in this situation, though, given that it can operate from up to 100 feet away via Bluetooth.
Better still, as I noted earlier, Pulse gives you the power to change exposures settings, check out image thumbnails, and review the histogram, so you can fine-tune your settings in real-time to get the best photos.
That means you can hang out in comfort in your car or tent as your camera and Pulse work their magic to get some solid wildlife photos!
Wrapping It Up
It amazes me how many photographers I encounter that still don't use a camera remote...
They are just too helpful and too functional not to have one, especially if we're talking about something like Pulse.
At the end of the day, Pulse has been one of the best purchases I've made, simply because it's allowed me a much greater degree of creative freedom.
I can shoot more varied subject matter, get sharper photos regardless of the subject, and do so without having a complicated mess to set up.
Pulse slides into your camera's hot-shoe mount and plugs into your camera, as seen above. That's all the setup required!
If you want to take your photography to the next level, consider getting a remote like Pulse. I love it, and I'm willing to bet the farm you will too!