Timothy Faust Photography » tripods

Tripod Trepidations

admin — Fri, 28 May 2010 18:19:00 +0000

Anyone who knows me from my writing or has attended one of my photography workshops, knows that I am a bit of a fanatic when it comes to using a tripod. In fact, I would rather have a good tripod than a good camera. A tripod is one of the few toys you can purchase that will instantly make your photography better. Assuming of course that you actually remember to bring it with you.

Which, of course, brings me to my story of a mountain biking trip to Fruita I recently went on with my wife, Carin, last month. We were only planning on doing a little mountain biking and heading back to Breckenridge, but an afternoon storm caused us to cut our plans short. Rather than just give up and leave, we took a drive in to Colorado National Monument hoping to get some photos of the sun setting just as the storm was clearing. I always have my camera bag in my car, but couldn’t find my tripod. I tore the car apart before remembering that I left it in the studio. So here I was, the king of tripod advocacy, without my tripod. To make matters worse, the weather and light came together for some incredible views.

I realized the only way to get a decent photo was going to be to place the camera directly on the ground, but if I do that, I need to make sure there was an interesting subject in the foreground. After a little searching I came across a depression in the sandstone that had filled with water from the afternoon rain. Using my hat, and some nearby stones, I was able to prop the camera up in front of the puddle to compose the shot. I also used the mirror lock up and self timer in order to minimize vibration. The image below was the result.

Sunset in Colorado National Monument

On Photography: Happy 4th!

admin — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 19:16:42 +0000

Happy Independence Day! One of my favorite 4^th of July activities has always been watching and photographing fireworks. This week I wanted to share a few quick tips with you so that you can get out there this evening and get some great fireworks shots.

First, always use a tripod. A tripod is necessary to get the “trails” scene in the accompanying image. It will also keep the foreground nice and steady.
Use the lowest ISO setting as possible. If you are using film, use the lowest ISO film you can find (100 or even 50.) This may seem counter intuitive at first, since generally high ISO film is used for low light situations. However since you will be making fairly long exposures, high ISO settings will yield too much digital noise or film grain.
To get the best images possible, use your camera’s manual settings. The f-stop (aperture) controls the brightness of the fireworks, and the shutter speed controls the ambient light and the length of the firework trails. An exposure of five to ten seconds should yield good results. The accompanying image was shot at f/5.0 at ISO 100 for a shutter duration of 5 seconds.
When metering, meter of the sky, and underexpose by 1-2 stops. This will ensure a dark sky. If your camera doesn’t have a manual setting, you can use the shutter priority mode (TV,) or see if your camera has a special fireworks program mode. Check your images periodically in your LCD because it generally gets darker as the firework show goes on.
Lastly, make sure to capture some foreground or scenery in your image. A marina, mountain range, or crowd will go along way towards creating a sense of scale.

This week is the last week to sign up for the Mountain Wildflowers and Waterfalls workshop by visiting www.timothyfaust.com or calling 970-453-4538.

For a more photography how-to tips, visit www.timothyfaust.com. Timothy Faust is an award winning photojournalist living in Breckenridge Colorado. If you have a photography question you would like to see answered in this column, please send it to questions@timothyfaust.com.

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On Photography – Tripods: A Photographer’s Best Friend

admin — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 18:17:24 +0000

There aren’t too many quick fixes when it comes to photography. I see a lot of photographers, both professionals and amateurs, buying the latest gadget to make their images better. Unfortunately, I’m a bit of a gearhead myself and am not above the influence of photography magazines showcasing the latest camera, lens, or accessory. However, none of the latest must-have pieces of equipment have really made my images any better, except for one; my tripod. Using a tripod is one of the surest ways to better your landscape images. They work in two ways. First the obvious benefit is that it provides a stable platform for your camera and eliminates camera shake resulting in sharper images. Using a cable release or the camera’s self timer can make your images even sharper. The other not so obvious benefit is that the tripod forces you to slow down, take your time, and really evaluate your composition. Tripods can also allow for more creativity. With a tripod, you can use a longer shutter speed. Conversely, you can use a smaller aperture and therefore get more depth-of-field (parts of your scene in sharp focus.) Longer shutter speeds also allow for motion blur like the blur seen in the waterfall in the accompanying image. When selecting a tripod keep in mind there is a huge range in quality. More expensive tripods are lighter, stronger, and stiffer than the ones you will find in a discount store. Tripods can cost as little as $20, but expect to pay $300 or more for a tripod to support an SLR camera. Try it out in the store with your camera and check for stability, weight, and ease of use with your camera. Lastly, remember a tripod only works if it’s under your camera and not in your car’s trunk. If you want to learn more about photographing waterfalls, there are still openings for the Mountain Waterfalls and Wildflowers workshop on July 11-13.

Timothy Faust is an award winning photojournalist living in Breckenridge. If you have a photography question you would like to see answered in this column, please send it to questions@timothyfaust.com. View his work at www.timothyfaust.com.

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