How to Use the Self-Timer — Prevent Shutter Shake and Get in the Photo

The self-timer takes the photo a few seconds after you press the shutter. It’s useful not just for “getting yourself into the shot,” but also for “preventing the shake of the moment you press.”

Two ways it’s useful

One is getting into the shot yourself. Fix the phone on a stable stand or tripod and use the 10-second timer to give yourself time to get into position (→ Group photos). The other is preventing shutter shake. With night views, dark places and overhead product shots, the vibration of pressing the shutter with your finger tends to cause blur. Set a 3-second timer, and since it fires after you’ve lifted your finger, it won’t shake (→ Photographing night views and illuminations).

How to use it

Tap the timer icon (a clock-like mark) on the camera screen and choose the seconds (3 or 10; some models also have 2). Frame the shot and set the brightness first, press the shutter, and keep the phone still until the shot is taken. A stand or tripod to fix it on adds stability.

What it pairs well with

Fixing the phone plus the timer pairs nicely with Night mode. Even when the shutter stays open a long time in the dark, it suppresses the shake from pressing. For selfies too, setting a timer and stepping back a little lets you shoot a natural composition without an outstretched arm (→ How to shoot selfies).

Start with just this

10 seconds to get in, 3 seconds to prevent shake. Fix the phone and don’t move it until the shot is taken. That solves both “shutter shake” and “I can’t get in the photo” at once.