THE TRIPOD SOLUTION

All of us have had the experience of recording tilted or split horizons, unexpected mergers, too dark or too bright exposures and soft, out-of-focus images. More often than not, the solution to these common problems is to use a tripod, one of the most vitally important pieces of photo gear. A tripod by its very design forces us to slow down, take the time to set up our shots, and check and double-check that our horizons are straight, that our subject(s) are placed where we want them, and that we have no unsightly mergers or contrast issues and no unwanted softness or blurring. Tripods also open the door to hundreds, if not thousands, of motion-filled compositions and just as many dusk or dawn or star-filled landscapes and cityscapes. And of course, exacting sharpness is almost assured, assuming you use a cable release or the camera’s self-timer when shooting long exposures.