There are situations in friends or family gatherings where the
photographer needs to have himself in the pictures of the group that he takes.
His simplest way to do it is to mount the camera on a tripod and set the self
timer to release the shutter. He then rushes to position himself in the group and
wait for the shutter to click or the flash to discharge. By using the tripod he
is able to frame well the position of the group in the LCD monitor, and by
using the self timer he is also able to press the trigger release button even
when his hands are off the camera thereby reducing the likelihood of having a
camera shake that causes a blur in the picture.
The right combination of shutter speed, aperture and ISO in
relation to the ambient light is the basic elements of proper exposure of a
picture. In addition, choosing the appropriate white balance setting, focusing
the subject on, and holding the camera steady while pressing the shutter
release button result in the production of vivid and tack sharp pictures. A
fast shutter speed reduces the chance of having blurry pictures. But there are many
situations when one needs a long exposure to get the desired effects on the
pictures that he is taking.
Low light or night photography
subjects such as moon, fireworks, light trails need long-duration shutter speed,
low ISO and mid range aperture such as f8 to f11, the sweet spots of many
interchangeable lenses, to have sharp pictures with less noise. In that type of
photos it is extremely difficult or even impossible to hand hold the camera without
shaking the hands. That is a situation when a tripod comes in handy. It is even
more of help if the photographer uses the self timer or a remote control via
the infra red wireless signal transmission of the camera where he can release
the shutter without depressing the shutter release button. Tripod is also a
useful tool in enhancing the quality of image of subject in daylight in such
photography genres as portrait, nature and macro among others.
It is fortunate that some modern digital cameras come with
built-in shake reduction feature. DSLRs which do not have it use
interchangeable lenses that have image stabilization capability in them. However, the built in shake reduction feature
in the camera body or lens is not a fail-safe guarantee of blur free image in
all situation. The best remedy for a camera shake is the use of a tripod.
However, there are many situations where tripod is not practical to bring along
with or not convenient to use.
Tripods come in variety of maximum height, weight, load
capacity, leg sections, type of head and the metals used in legs and other
parts. Those with carbon fiber constructions are more expensive than the aluminum
ones. The ball type of head is usually a feature of the more expensive tripods.
In choosing a tripod, one should consider its weight capacity in relation to
the camera and the available lenses that he uses. It should be able to support
the weight of his camera and other accessories mounted on it. He should also
consider its maximum height and weight. A short tripod that is not
proportionate to the photographer’s height or a very heavy one may hamper or
limit his movement during his photo activities.
Regardless whether a point and shoot, bridge, mirrorless or
DSLR camera is used, a tripod is an indispensable tool to photographers whether
he is an amateur or professional. A
tripod will definitely widen his experience and improve his skill as a
photographer. The good thing is that tripod, unlike interchangeable lenses, is
one of the cheaper camera accessories.
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