Why I Never Use a Tripod

Sunday 6 October 2024, 16:16 by Elvira Smit | 3,704 views | 4 comments

This article was translated from Dutch with the help of AI. Read the original.

For the type of projects I work on, a tripod seems like the obvious choice: all the lines in my urban landscapes are perfectly straight. And yet I refuse to put my camera on a tripod. I have found alternatives that work perfectly well for me. Here are some tips for anyone who likes to stay mobile too.

At home, I have no fewer than three tripods. They lead a miserable life: at most, I take one with me because... well, you never know. Wishful thinking, because a tripod never leaves my car.

How I started out using a tripod

In 2013, I had to photograph with a tripod as part of a photography course. I was given the assignment of working with a flash and lighting three rooms in a different colour. This had to be visible in a single photo, without using Photoshop.

I think that is where my trauma began.

For hours, I ran from room to room with that flash, driving myself to despair. Below you can see the result, which was far too dark, and which I was forced to settle for:

My alternative to a tripod

I hate working with a tripod because it feels as though I am on a lead, like a dog. I cannot move freely with my camera: every time I adjust my viewpoint, I have to fiddle around with the tripod.

By now, I unconsciously use all sorts of alternatives that help me take a sharp photo with straight lines:

I use the built-in spirit level on my camera
I use the grid on my display as vertical guides when photographing buildings
I hold my breath as soon as I press the button, which helps prevent camera shake
I take several photos from roughly the same viewpoint so I can choose the straightest version at home

When I get home, I have several versions of images like this:

They look like the same photos, but if you look closely, you can see that some are quite crooked. In the end, one remains, and in this case it was this one:

Of course, this could be much smarter, easier and more efficient. But it does not make me happy. I think the trick is to find a way of working that suits you. Regardless of whether it is objectively the 'best' way of working.

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About the author

Ik heb een eigen fotografieblog, Kronkeling. Daar schrijf ik om de week twee artikelen. Over hoe je je blik kunt scherpen, je creativiteit kunt aanwakkeren, en over fotografen die mij inspireren. Geen technische zaken, wél over hoe je leert kijken. En dat blijkt nog een hele klus. Een mooi startpunt zijn de Kronkeltips, die vind je hier.

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4 comments

Donald Willemsen wrote on Sunday 6 October 2024 at 16:37 | reply
That you can ALSO take the photo you want to take with the help of a tripod is proof of craftsmanship.
Moreover, working with a tripod is included in photography training for a reason.
Translated from Dutch.

Hans van Sterkenburg wrote on Sunday 6 October 2024 at 19:31 | reply
Hi Elvira.
You don't use a tripod. There is an alternative: a guyline from your tent. Where the guyline normally attaches to the tent, I tie it to a piece of plywood measuring 10-3 cmm. Drill a hole in it and attach the cord. Where the tent peg is, I have a screw eye. I screw this into the camera. The cord is rolled up around the piece of plywood, handy for transport. When using it, I unwind the cord and put my foot on the piece of plywood. I determine the length with the slider that you also use when camping to tension the tent. With my hand under the camera and my foot on the piece of plywood, I pull the cord tight. It works perfectly 8 times out of 10.

Regards,
Hans
Translated from Dutch.

Elvira Smit wrote on Sunday 6 October 2024 at 20:50 | reply
@Donald: Well, I don't know if my way of working falls under the heading "craftsmanship." For me, the most important thing is to find a way of working that suits me. Of course, it is nice to experiment with all kinds of things during a photography course. I still apply some of the things I learned there, other things (such as that tripod...) not anymore

@Hans: Well, now that is an original tip! How nice of you to share that here. Thanks!
Translated from Dutch.

Karel Derickx wrote on Tuesday 8 October 2024 at 13:05 | reply
At photography school I said that I could take sharp photos at 1/125 sec. The teacher said to me, just take a photo at 1/125 sec handheld and that same photo at 1/125 from a tripod.
When enlarging them, the shot taken with a tripod turned out to be clearly sharper
Translated from Dutch.

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