Night and Low-light Photography Photo Workshop

think. This might not show up in a 10-, 20-, or
even 30-second exposure, but when you start to
leave the shutter open for 5, 10, or 15 minutes,
even a little movement is noticeable.

That doesn’t mean you need to buy a tripod rated
to hold 40 pounds. Keep in mind that the more
your tripod is rated to hold, the more it will proba-
bly weigh, and a heavy tripod is usually left behind
when you are picking gear to carry. You just need
to make sure that the combined weight of the gear
can be supported by both the tripod and the tri-
pod head. There is no easy way to test this other
than to try it out. Go to your local camera shop
and ask what they recommend, check the reviews
online, and if you are really planning on buying an
expensive tripod, try it out first.

Companies like LensProToGo rent

both tripods and tripod heads, which

is a really good way to test the equipment before you

buy it. For about $100, you can rent a good tripod and

head for over a week, giving you plenty of time to try

before you buy.

tip

There are a few things that you can do to make
the tripod you are using even more stable and to
reduce the chances of vibration ruining your
images:

■   Make sure the legs are locked into place. No

matter what type of leg-locking mechanism
you are using, make sure that it is snug and
not going to loosen up during the exposure.

■   Use the tripod on a firm surface. Make sure

that the tripod is placed on firm ground that
isn’t going to move during the exposure. I was
once out taking long exposures at the beach,
and the incoming tide caused the tripod legs
to shift. As you can see in Figure 10-9, the
image was ruined. That small movement
caused everything to shake just a little.

    ■   Add some extra weight. Some tripods allow

you to hang a weight from the bottom of the

center column. This is a great idea, as it keeps

the tripod more stable. After setting every-

thing up, I frequently attach my camera bag as

the weight; just make sure that everything you

need is removed because you will not be able

to touch the bag after the exposure has

started.

    ■   Stay low. Avoid extending the center col-

umn, as it is the weakest part of the tripod in

terms of stability. I also only raise the tripod

as much as I absolutely need to in order to get

the desired composition. The lower and wider

the legs, the more stable the tripod.

    ■   Avoid the wind. Try to set up the tripod and

camera where it will be shielded from any

wind, as all it takes is a little gust to set up a

little vibration and ruin your shot. If wind

can’t be avoided, try to position yourself as a

human shield for the camera. Every bit helps.

    ■   Avoid touching the camera. I know this one

seems to be obvious, but I find myself doing it

all the time. It is important not to sabotage

yourself by touching the camera and causing

any vibration.

There are two other things that you can do to

make sure you get the sharpest images; use a cable

release or remote and use the mirror lockup fea-

ture if your camera has one. They have to do with

what happens when you press the shutter release

button. There are a series of actions that happen

when you take a photograph:

1. You press the shutter release button.


2. The mirror moves up and out of the way,
   allowing the light entering the lens to reach
   the shutter.


3. The aperture changes from wide open to
   whatever setting you are using.