Tips photography Tripod

An Introduction to Tripod

Do I need a tripod? What do I keep in mind before buying one?

This is one of the most common questions I get while I am interacting with the customers during the EOS academy workshops. I personally feel that using a tripod can give a whole lot of better control on your digital photography.

Have you heard about something called as A "Rule" for hand held shooting? When I choose to do hand held photography there are two things which plays a major role for my picture to not come blurry.

First is the shutter speed I am shooting at and second the focal length of the lens I am using.

So to avoid the blurry picture due to camera shake one advises to use a shutter speed with a denominator that is larger than the focal length of the lens.


Example:

• if you have a lens that is 50mm in length don't shoot any slower than 1/60th of a second
• if you have a lens with a 100mm focal length shoot at 1/125th of a second or faster

If this is the rule then why use a tripod at all?

The ans to this question is they help eliminate camera shake and enable you to use slower shutters speeds which in turn means you get exposed to all kinds of interesting and creative possibilities in your photography.

While tripod can be a pain to carry around with you, they are an essential tool to have if you want to take your photography to the next level

The next big question is How to Buy a Tripod?

You go to your local store and you will be bombarded with so many options.

Just to have some handy tips while choosing your tripod. You might want to consider the following points:

• Weight

          A tripod's weight should be considered from two perspectives. Firstly remember that you                     would carry it and secondly what you'll be putting on it.

• Stability

         Weight doesn't always equal to stability. Will it be sturdy on a windy day of if someone bumps            in to it?

• Height

          The requirement may change depending upon what you will be shooting. Personally I would               take up a tripod that has a maximum height that I can look into without having to bend.

• Tripod Heads

          One of the major elements while buying a tripod is how it would get attached to your camera.             There are various options available in the market and its worth trying for one self.

          Personally I would want something which is removable so that I can quickly move to hand                   holding the camera.

It looks simple, however when u do it you might feel it's not that simple

Setting up a tripod may seem like a slow and tedious process. It's important to do it carefully to ensure you get the sharpest image possible.

Ensuring that your tripod is in a stable position will also help prevent it from toppling over and damaging your camera...

There are few things you can keep in mind while setting up the tripod:

• Find your composition first

          Since it takes a good amount of time to setup a tripod, it's a good idea to find your composition           first.

• Point one of the tripod legs towards your subject

          Pointing one of the tripod legs towards your subject will give you room to stand between the               other two legs

• Keep the center post vertical and perpendicular to the ground

          To ensure the weight of your camera is evenly distributed to all three legs, make sure the center           post is vertical and perpendicular to the ground

• Hang a camera bag or other heavy object from the center post for extra stability

          If you find yourself in some super windy conditions, it might help to add some more weight to             your tripod by hanging something (like a camera bag) from the center

What if you don't have a tripod? What are your alternatives?

• Hold Your Camera Well

          A good steady grip goes a long way to fighting camera shakes

• Lean on Something

          Find a wall, tree, fence or some other solid object to lean upon

• Put Your Camera Down

          Find a clean and stable spot to put your camera down

• Self Timer

          If you choose to rest your camera on something then you can further reduce camera shake by               setting the self timer

• Get Down Low

          The higher you go the more you feel the sway while if you're on the ground floor you won't                 feel it

• Camera Settings

          Set your camera up in a way that helps alleviate camera shake. If it has image stabilization                   switch it on

All of the above can help keep your camera still when shooting but none are really a substitute for a real tripod.

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