T
his is the column you least want to
read—and the one you need the
most! But bear with me for just a
few minutes while I give you some tips for
serious improvement of your photography.An Ode to Three Legs
In my lectures and field workshops, I con-
sistently promote the use of tripods, not
only for specific techniques but also as a
general rule. You say you have image sta-
bilization that corrects for four ƒ-stops. You
are known for steady hands and revel in
your ability to be quick and mobile because
you don’t use a tripod. That was me in the
early years of my career...until I co-led
some workshops with professional nature
photographer John Shaw.
For those who don’t know John, he’s
the author of six books and eight e-books
on nature photography, is a Nikon “Leg-
end Behind the Lens” (2002) and has
received both the Outstanding Photog-
rapher Award (1997) and the Lifetime
Achievement Award (2019) from the
North American Nature Photography
Association. His words of photographic
wisdom are worth hearing.
Back in the day, I was amused by the
stout tripod that John almost always used
while we were photographing side-by-side
in Yellowstone and Alaska. But when I
compared my image take with his, there
was an overwhelming difference: His
images showed consistent sharpness where
mine often fell short. He told me that the
difference was the tripod, and when I fol-
lowed his lead, the results made a believer
out of me. I have been a faithful user and
promoter of tripod use ever since, and so
should you.
There are several types and many man-
ufacturers of tripods. I actually have four,
and they each have a place dependingon the photography that I’m doing. Just
to complicate the issue (or to make it
even better), a variety of tripod heads are
available to facilitate camera stability and
adjustment. You can start at a reasonable
price point for basic gear, and as you get
more involved with outdoor photography,
consider upgrading and adding new tools
for specific techniques and equipment.Why Use A Tripod?
Nearly every photographic technique
will benefit from tripod use, and some
are nearly impossible without it. Long
exposures, such as for night-sky, sun-
rise or sunset, or when slowing the
action of flowing water, are virtually
impossible without a tripod. Vibration
or camera movement is magnified when
long lenses and tele-extenders are in
use, and a tripod mitigates these effects.
Multiple-capture techniques that expand
depth of field and tonal quality, such
as focus stacking and HDR, typically
require a tripod for consistent framing.
A tripod maintains the horizontal or ver-
tical line of panoramas. Time-lapse and
video capture (which is now also a tool
for still photography via frame grabs)
truly demand a stable platform, with-
out which viewers are likely to become
nauseous. Yes, it really is that serious.Choosing A Tripod System
Every tripod needs to meet certain stan-
dards to be useful. The most important
is rigidity. Even a lightweight tripod can
support a medium telephoto lens if the legs
are rigid. To test this, place your hand on
the top of the extended tripod legs and try
to stir the platform; if there’s movement or
bending, the legs aren’t rigid.
Tripods can be made from lightweight
metal or carbon fiber. Metal is a bit heavierand costs less but will sap heat from your
hands in cold weather. Carbon fiber is a bit
lighter, resistant to cor rosion, better in the
cold and costs more, but it can fracture if
you close a car door on it. There are four
basic sizes: lightweight traveling or back-
packer models, medium-weight all-pur-
pose versions that come in numerous
configurations, medium-weight heavy-
duty tripods for long-lens advocates and
super-heavy tripods for rare specialties
(or masoch ists).
Tripod heads come in several configura-
tions, including the old standby three-han-
dle version, the ballhead, the gimbal and
the video fluid head. Each of these is avail-
able in many variations, as they’re contin-
ually being reinvented. My preference for
many decades has been a quality ballhead
because its single knob for activation and
locking offers quick, smooth and reliable
positioning of the camera. Gimbal heads
are great for following moving subjects
with long lenses, and video fluid heads are
a must for stable video capture.
So, as with all your photographic gear,
tripods and heads should be chosen based
on intended use and cost. Let’s talk about
specific options.Legs
Going Light: Contrary to what you might
have heard, you don’t need a tripod that
can’t be moved without a forklift. If you
are a frequent traveler or backpacker, lookTripods: The Photo
Tool You Love To Hate
How to choose the right camera support for your style of photography
By George D. Lepp and Kathryn Vincent Lepptech tips
On the Rocks. Lepp photographed
waves crashing on the rugged Pacific
shoreline near Oregon’s Depoe Bay.
The flow of water was conveyed by
a long exposure of 1/8 sec., made
possible by a sturdy tripod setup.
Canon EOS R, Canon EF 100-400mm
f/4.5-5.6L II. Exposure: 1/8 sec., ƒ/22,
ISO 100.30 Outdoor Photographer outdoorphotographer.com