Why Tripod? I’ll Tell You Why...

Why tripod? That’s the question posed to me this month by a reader after seeing my upteenth endorsement of my three-legged friend. So I decided to dedicate this space this month to the answer.

Why tripod? Why bother carrying the darn thing that weighs so much when I have a camera with high speed film or can just use high shutter speeds?
Why bother with an accessory that just slows me down and won’t fit in my bag?

Why? Because a tripod is the difference between a pro and an amateur. A snapshooter takes photos at eye level, with a handheld camera and is lucky if they hold it still enough to capture a sharp image, let alone a perfectly composed one.

Does a tripod slow you down? Absolutely. And any serious photographer looking to improve will welcome the extra time to fine tune the shot, to get it just right.
When I go out on a shoot (and on good days, to the supermarket or post office) people come up to me and mention they saw this or that shot and how much they liked it. And they probably assume that every photograph I make is that good. Here’s a secret: They not! But they are only seeing my best work.
Here’s how I work. Compare it to your own work style.

I work very hard to make a great shot. It takes a lot of work. And of course I’m always on a tripod.

I start by lighting the subject, the most important aspect of any photograph. If I’m creating a nature photograph, I work with the light of sunrise and sunset and maybe a reflector to add light or a flag to cut light.

Then I start to compose the image. I may shoot a few frames at this point to record my starting point. But Then I work to see if I can make the image better. What if I move in just a little? Or off to one side? Or what if I try a different lens? How will this improve the shot?

What if I got down lower? Even at ground level. Or shot straight down from above? What does that look like?

What if I adjust the image by just a fraction of an inch? Do you really think I can be that precise without the support of a tripod?

Well, I can’t. Look at the photo to the right. I chose to put the background out of focus (so the flower would pop out of the background) and to compose the frame as you see it, with a strong diagonal and flowers in both upper corners.
Do you like it? It’s the product of finding the subject, working it to make it better and better and finally composing it just so. And my tripod helped me achieve it.

Do you need one? To be serious, yes. Do you need an expensive one? To be serious, yes. Buy a Bogen (new or used) and you’ll be doing well. There are some under $!00 and used, I bought a fine one for $25. Gotta get lucky to find them.

Happy (Steady) Shooting!