At the heart of every successful cinemagraph is strong, engaging and most importantly, stable video footage. Without it, cinemagraphs lose their ability to mesmerize and captivate because the line between the photo and video elements is extremely clear and – well, let’s just say that things become a little more chaotic, and a little less of a living photo. That’s why we pledge our allegiance to the tripod, which ensures that we get the stable video footage that we need to make cinemagraphs that hold your attention.

There is a long-lived myth that you can achieve the same stability that a tripod brings to your video footage with an extremely steady hand. While we get that not everyone subscribes to our worship for these three-legged wonders, we wanted to put this rumor to rest with a quick tip video to show you the difference between shooting your cinemagraph with a tripod versus your own hand.

A cinemagraph filmed by hand results in shaky video footage that, when masked in Cinemagraph Pro, messily breaks the divide between the photographic and video elements.

We want your cinemagraphs to be as perfect as possible, which is why we will always recommend that you use a tripod during your cinemagraph shoots. But if not, a stable surface will ensure that your storytelling comes to life beautifully in your cinemagraph.

Take a look at thousands of tripod-shot cinemagraphs in our Flixel galleries. And if you’re shopping for a tripod, check out the great selection from Joby. Use coupon code FLIXEL20 and they’ll give you 20% off!