Have Tripod & Monopod, Will Travel

Longwood Umbrellas Copyright 2005 Jeff Wignall

Anyone who has ever taken a photo class with me, either in person on online knows that I have a major pet peeve, bordering on an obsession: If you want to improve your photography, you must use a tripod for every photograph you take. No single thing I have done has improved my photography--and my attitude about photography--as much as devoting myself to using a tripod whenever I shoot.

The funny thing is, from a teacher's perspective, getting students to use a tripod is like getting kids to eat green vegetables: the minute you mention the idea you get a lot of disgusted looks and an instant atmosphere of rebellion. Yes, tripods are heavy, they are a pain to carry and pack, they slow you down (which is a great thing, by the way) and they can be expensive. But there are many more compelling reasons for using a tripod than excuses for not using one. (Wow, this is starting to sound like one of my classroom lectures!)

There are two related reasons why I think that a tripod is a necessity. First, by having your camera on a steady tripod you have the full range of aperture settings available to you. That means that if you need lots of depth of field (DOF) and therefore a very small aperture, you can use whatever aperture is necessary and feel safe using the matching shutter speed that is required--regardless of how long it might be. It's common for me to use shutter speeds of a half second or longer--in fact, it's almost the norm. You simply can't do that handheld.

So without a tripod what is the result? You compromise with depth of field, settling for a larger aperture and less DOF. In the early years I made this compromise a lot and my images suffered.

The other big reason for using a tripod, of course, is that you can select very slow shutter speeds when you want to shoot things in dim light or when you want to include motion (letting a waterfall blur, for example). Again, if you don't have a steady tripod available, you can't take advantage of shutter speeds slower than say, 1/60 second. You're handcuffing yourself to a shutter speed range that may not do what you need creatively.

There are times, of course, when you either can't or are not allowed to use a tripod. For this reason I always travel with a monopod (it's a nice hefty Bogen monopod that fits in my suitcase). While shooting last summer at Longwood Gardens (see photo), for example, I wasn't allowed to bring a tripod into the gardens (a lot of public gardens ban tripods during public hours and I'm not sure if it's because they think you'll trip the other guests or just because they think you're going to smash one of their plants!). Longwood (which is a great 1,000-acre garden just south of Philadelphia, by way) does allow monopods, however--and it's a good thing!

About an hour into my visit the skies darkened and then the heavens simply opened up. I was using a somewhat slow (f/5.6) 300mm lens and the fastest shutter speed I could use was 1/30 a second unless I boosted the ISO which I didn't want to do (I was shooting digitally, by the way)--too slow, I thought for handholding such a long lens. I really wanted to shoot this row of people with umbrellas watching a fountain show (how ironic--watching fountains in the pouring rain!), so the monopod was absolutely required. All I did was tuck myself under an overhang and up against a wall and I shot several dozen images at shutter speeds as slow as a half second and all of them are very sharp. (Incidentally, I use ballheads on both tripods and monopds because I vastly prefer them to pan-tilt heads.)

If you're going to make the effort to take a serious photograph, don't handcuff yourself to a very limited range of shutter speed and aperture combinations: use a tripod or monopod and you will see almost instant improvement in all of your photos.

And if you happen to end up in my course The Joy of Digital Photography you will hear lots more about tripods and monopods, I promise!

Comments

[Marita Toftgard]

AMEN...

I could not agree more..
before I became photographer, I used a monopod sometimes..

Now, I cannot imagine my life without monopods and tripods,
or beanbags..;-)

Thanks for a great article!

[Judy Lawhon]

Hi Jeff.....Tripods, again? Yes, they are a necessary "evil." I love this photo....great comp. Still am learning lots from the notes, ect, that I had when taking your class. By the way, when are you gonna teach another....subject, that is? This is a good article...keep "harping" on tripods!!
Judy Lawhon

[Jeff Wignall]

Hi Marita,

I'm so glad someone wrote in support (bad pun!) of tripods! Thank you :) And yes, beanbags, too. I also use a really cool car window tripod call a Groofwinpod made by Leonard Lee Rue's company: www.rue.com. The Groofwinpod (I call it the "goofy" pod) is great for holding long lenses (I've used it with a 600mm Nikkor lens) when you're shooting from inside a car (on a wildlife drive, for example). Thanks again, I'm going to go look at your site now :) jeff

[Aiden Mahoney]

Hi Jeff,
I agree that you probably capture better images with a tripod or monopod but some times you have to be spontaneous as you wouldn't have time to set up a tripod or the subject you wanted to capture would be long gone.
Enjoyed you article.
Thanks.

[Ernest Pile]

I happened to be surfing the BP site trying to decide if I wanted a gallery of my own when I happened upon your article.

Before I started taking BP courses, I NEVER used a tripod/monopod. The resultant pictures were ok. However, after I started taking courses here and kept hearing about the benefits of using tripods. I AM NOW A BELIEVER! The quality of my photos has increased tremendously!

I have, however, discovered a problem in traveling with a tripod oversees. Not being able to fit a tripod in my luggage, several airlines denied me boarding with it. At those times when I was able to carry my tripod with me (to Europe), it was extremely cumbersome when taking tour buses or walking through village streets and trying not to appear like an obnoxious, equipment-laden American. Enter the monopod, which works well in crowded streets or when time is of the essence.

Thanks for the article.

Ernest

[Jeff Wignall]

Hi Ernest,

Yes, traveling with a tripod can sometimes be a real burden and, in fact, just carrying any equipment is a pain. I fantasize about that vacation where I decide not to bring anything but a point-and-shoot--but so far it hasn't happened :) I use a Bogen 3021 tripod and I can fit it into a medium-sized American Tourister suitcase if I take the center column out and lay it beside the tripod in the suitcase. Also, I have a nice padded case for my tripod that I send through as a separate piece of luggage if I need to--and so I don't see it from the moment I hand it to the luggage people. I've been doing this for 10 years (with the same case) and so far the tripod has arrived in mint condition (knock on wood).

The minute I start shooting with the tripod, no matter where in the world I am, I am thrilled that I went through the effort though. I'm hoping to go to Japan shooting this year and I'm not looking forward to carrying the tripod(s) but I know I'll be happy to have them.

jeff

[Jeff Wignall]

Hi Aiden,

Are you sure you're not one of my students? That's the exact response I get from all of them :) Yes, you're correct, there are a FEW times when you have to just shoot quickly--if you're a journalist, for example. But can you think of anything faster paced than professional football? I shot football for years and I NEVER saw a photographer on the sidelines work without a big heavy tripod or at least a monopod. Let the tripod hold the camera, let the ballhead swivel the camera and let your mind follow the action. It's amazing how much having a tripod can free up your imagination (not to mention your back).

But yes, you're still right, there are a few rare times when having a tripod can get in the way: but I'd rather lose the 1% of photos I might lose by using a tripod than the 99% I would surely lose by not using one :)

Happy shooting!

Jeff

[Jackie]

Hi Jeff... ah, the magic of Google! It just so happens I'm visiting Longwood Gardens tomorrow. I was browsing their website and discovered they don't allow tripods after 12:00. Yikes!!! I googled "tripod alternative" and this page came up. How ironic that your sample photo was from Longwood! Wish me luck (and steady hands)...

[Jeff Wignall]

Hey Jackie, I just found your comment--how did the day go at Longwood? What a funny coincidence!

jeff

[Chris Budny]

More Longwood irony---I'm headed there this weekend, for the "400,000 Christmas Lights" display. I was really bummed to read they only allow tripods from 9-12 each day... but monopods all day... Clearly, I need to buy a mono, tomorrow! (I *love* using a tripod for almost every shot, not just for night and macro, and I religiously take it everywhere... I just have a lightweight, but nicely-solid, and very inexpensive ($50) Sunpak with pan/tilt and "pop-out" attachment plate.)
I'm in your camp--tripods all the way! Too many times (in just 3 months of shooting) I'd persuade myself, "ok, I'll leave the tripod in the trunk for this quick 30 minute visit to XYZ..." only to discover shots I wanted to take that NEEDED a tripod for those slow shutters! ;) Thanks for the article!

[Jeff Wignall]

Hi Chris,

Oh, lucky you getting to go to the Christmas light show at Longwood! I wish I had the time--maybe I'll have to create it. One of my BetterPhoto students told me that he just bought a Bogen monopod with detachable legs--that's something I'm going to look into. I think you could probably sneak the legs into Longwood & slip them once inside :)

I've thought of asking Longwood if I could teach an all-day photo workshop there and get tripods allowed in for that. Maybe in the spring. I agree with you totally though, tripods are the saving grace of many photo situations. Why be limited to a few shutter speeds when a tripod can make available the whole range of exposure times? Carrying a tripod is a small price to pay for all of the advantages they offer.

Have fun at Longwood, let me know if you post any images!

jeff

[Balaji Mannu]

Hi Jeff,

I am in a big dilema of which one to buy, a Monopod or Tripod. What's the benefit of having a tripod over the otehr. I used to use a tripod but stopped usingit due to the travel constraints. now i bought a bigger lens and looking for a good tripod or monopod.

Can you pls advice me what i should buy monopod or tripod.

Thanks,
Balaji