hosh Loc: Hollywood FL

This is my first question. I am a fairly serious hobby photographer. Fairly serious meaning I love it and do it fairly frequently. Hobby meaning I'm pretty much the only one who ever looks at my pictures except sometimes my family. Primarily I like to shoot nature and wildlife and candid shots of people. I prefer close-ups and playing with depth of field. I recently used a tripod for the first time to try slow shutter speed on a waterfall. I liked the effect but I hated using a tripod. It felt so stiff and I felt I lost my ability to easily frame the shots and move around the way I normally like to. I'm assuming this would improve if I practiced with it a lot but I was wondering if there are others that just do not like tripods and stick with handheld or is it really a skill I should practice and learn if I want to improve my skills? If, so. what features should I look for in a good tripod?

Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts.

AzPicLady Loc: Behind the camera!

I'm with you. I feel like I'm tethered when I try to use a tripod. I KNOW the resulting picture will probably be better, but. . . . I'm so accustomed to simply moving - up, down, over, etc. - to get the image, and I hate that slowness of having to move and reset the tripod. I find that I simply don't take the picture frequently because of having to "fight" with the tripod.

I recently purchased a monopod with feet. Although it's not the most secure thing in the world, it does help. And I don't have that awkwardness as I do with a tripod. You might try one and see if it helps. Using a base of any sort does help eliminate camera shake and allows for better images.

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

I totally agree with you ! .....but, if you will be shooting with shutter speeds slower than 1/60 - there are really no other reliable options other than a tripod - and a pretty good one at that.

There are ways/techniques/hardware to improve your handholding - one of which is described in my UHH topic - "facial stabilization" - http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-269999-1.html
- which can successfully reduce your shutter speed beyond 1/60 depending on the lens focal length.

Frank W Loc: Adirondacks in NY

It's a mental thing, my shots improved so much I won't take any serious pictures without one, although sometimes I get caught without it. It forces you to slow down and really look at what you want to capture, instead of just running around snapping everything you see, I now come home with half as many pictures to sort and delete and many many more keepers. I've learned to like my tripod.

moonhawk Loc: Land of Enchantment

A tripod will be an absolute must if you want to do slow shutter speed photography, such as the waterfall you mentioned, especially so if you want that silky look to the water.

Also if you want to do night sky (milky way) shots.

And, if you do get a tripod, there is no substitute for a good one--though you may get away with less if you only shoot very wide angles, the general rule is, buy a very good one once, or two or three cheap ones before you learn. Sadly, by good one, I mean upwards of a grand for tripod and head combined.

Back in the film days, when ISOs were MUCH lower than today--I shot Fujichrome Velvia almost exclusively, at ISO/ASA 50. I never shot without a tripod, because you just couldn't handhold a camera for most of the shots I wanted to take, with a small enough aperture to get good depth of field, especially in evening light.

Today, with the super high ISOs digital cameras are capable of, and with vibration reduction systems becoming increasingly effective, that has changed, and I shoot a lot handheld, especially when shooting wildlife, or from a bouncing sea kayak, or when I'm hiking or biking with friends, and it becomes inconvenient, or rude, to take the time to set up a tripod. I just use VR, and a high enough ISO to get the needed shutter speed.

And I agree, that that gives you greater flexibility in framing a shot. I've been shooting a lot of ultra wide lately, and in that situation a tripod is not very necessary and you need to spend a lot of time carefully composing and experimenting with angles to make the most of those types of lenses. A tripod would be a great hassle in that case.

But, again, there are situations when a tripod is an absolute must, or when you have the time or the patience to set it all up.

Sorry if I've been too long-winded, and I hope I've been some help.

Sheila Loc: Arizona or New York

For some results, a tripod is absolutely necessary but your camera is not permanently attached to your tripod. Before you attach your camera to a tripod, check your scene and options. Look through your viewfinder or at your LCD display to decide, then set up your tripod and begin to shoot. Experience with the tripod will make setup easier. As others have noted, if you want silky water or if you decide you want to do night shots a tripod is an absolute must.

rgrenaderphoto Loc: Hollywood, CA

Get a really decent ball head, like the Really Right Stuff BH40. You loosen all the knobs and can swivel around to your heart's content till you find your spot then tighten everything down.

Mr PC Loc: Austin, TX

You may be able to hand hold at a slower shutter speed than you think if you follow some of the basics in this tutorial. I only use a tripod for panoramas, really serious HDR or other situation like moon shots, where you need to set up and think about what you are doing anyway. Good luck.

http://farbspiel-photo.com/learn/hold-camera-correctly

rook2c4 Loc: Philadelphia, PA USA

Except for indoors, I rarely use a tripod, as it often only hinders my mobility and thereby my creativity. For example, I often like shooting from up in a tree, low on the ground, on a stairway, on a steep slope, off the beaten path. Carrying a tripod often slows me down, gets in the way, and I'm then less inclined to explore alternative, interesting possibilities of perspective. Of course no tripod means not being able to do long exposures, but I don't really care all that much for long exposure photography anyway. Mobility is far more important to me.

RichardTaylor Loc: Sydney, Australia

I use them when the shooting situation calls for it.Beside expanding you photographic possibilities they also force you slow down and think about what you are shooting a bit more.
Mine mostly gets used on dawn shoots etc.
I don't have a problem using one.

Curve_in Loc: Virginia

It seems that the skill you want to work on is visualizing your shot. Once you do that, a tripod is there just to help you get the shot. I use mine for blue hour, soft water and water drops. the rest of the time I handhold.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

Smoothly flowing water requires a shutter speed of 1 sec or longer. Using a tripod is a must.

Unless you have Photoshop with smart objects, (CS4 and later I think), and use a series of hand-holdable exposures, which you open as layers in PS, then align and convert them to smart object and use the "mean" stackmode. Then you will get the flowing water look.

Haydon

The best compromise is to use your camera and find the position that works well with framing and then attach the tripod to make the shot that approximates the position of the desired framing.

Cdouthitt Loc: Traverse City, MI

Even with its superior 5 axis stabilization, I still use a tripod with my em1. A tripod while limiting at times, can also help you get the shot you normally can't, especially when using a 10 stop nd filter.

DavidPine Loc: Fredericksburg, TX

I was much like you regarding tripods until I had a chance encounter with Ed Heaton, an accomplished landscape photographer from Pennsylvania. He told me, over coffee, that I was making a serious mistake not using a tripod.He advised me to get the best tripod I could afford and he suggested a Gtizo. He also said that I should get the best ball head, implying a RRS. He went on to say that he uses a tripod 95% of the time. I was hand holding 99% of the time. I got the best tripods I could afford and a good ball head. Because I am an architectural photographer, I also acquired a RRS gimbal head and a Manfrotto
geared head - a 410jr. Today, I shoot 95% from a tripod and I am a much happier photographer.