| "body"> | | | | shake and gets you sharper pictures. This |
| At some point, in an ongoing quest to improve | | | | becomes increasingly apparent if you ever use a |
| your photography skills, every photographer | | | | longer lens (anything over over 200mm-300mm), |
| comes to the realization that they may have to | | | | or are shooting landscapes (which you are likely |
| divert some of their camera budget towards | | | | doing around sunrise or sunset when the quality |
| something to actually support the camera, like a | | | | of light is better, but the quantity of light is not). |
| tripod or monopod. So you go to your favorite | | | | Sturdy support is also critical for application like |
| local store or photography retail website, and | | | | macro photography, and a tripod opens up |
| start pricing. At first a few hundred dollars doesn't | | | | possibilities for creative effects like long |
| seem that bad, but then that could also buy that | | | | exposures, as well as freeing up your hands to |
| new lens you've been drooling over. | | | | allow you compose a shot in a studio or portrait |
| Then you keep researching, and see what some | | | | environment (adjusting the position of the subject, |
| of the more infamous photographer personalities | | | | or moving lighting around, attempting to direct |
| use, and quickly get to the "Ouch - that's the cost | | | | your model(s), frantically waving your arms at the |
| of the pro f2.8 zoom lens I was saving for" point. | | | | "assistant" who's not paying attention and so |
| Then you start looking at quick-release plates, | | | | forth). |
| L-brackets, panoramic setups, and if you are like | | | | Bottom line, for the majority of photographers, |
| me, go ahead and buy the lens instead. | | | | getting a decent tripod or monopod will do |
| But you keep coming back to tripods, especially if | | | | significantly more to improve their photography |
| using bigger lenses, and wonder if you are missing | | | | than spending the same money on a new lens or |
| anything? The short answer is a lot, and | | | | body: Not only will your images be sharper, but |
| depending on what you photograph, a decent | | | | new opportunities will open up to you to get |
| tripod may make a lot more difference than that | | | | shots you never could before. Perhaps just as |
| new lens. Buying the right gear the first time can | | | | important, using a tripod slows you down, and |
| save you hundreds, possibly thousands of dollars | | | | makes you think about each shot more, which |
| in the long run, and avoid much frustration. | | | | generally leads to higher quality results. |
| A decent tripod setup helps eliminate camera | | | | |