10 Reasons to Use a Camera Tripod!

h1 class="articleTitle Heading1" style="text-align: left; background-color: transparent; color: #000000; overflow: hidden; text-decoration: none;"A good tripod is heavy, expensive, impeding and absolutely necessary. Good photographers realize the importance of a tripod in many situations even though they can be a pain to lug from location to location. Here are 10 very good reasons to either buy a tripod or pull yours out of the closet./h1 h2 class="header Heading3"To Be in the Picture/h2 ul li class="step" div class="stepMeat" divWhen taking self-portraits or group shots, a tripod can't be beat. If you need to be in the picture and can't hold the span id="itxthook0w0" class="itxtrst itxtrstspan itxthookspan" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; color: darkgreen; font-color: inherit;"camera/span , then tables, bookcases, fireplace mantels and the like can be used in a pinch, but for true worry-free control over camera placement, a tripod is a must. /div /div /li /ul h2 class="header Heading3"To Reduce Motion Blur/h2 ul li class="step" div class="stepMeat" divLow shutter speeds make it so any movement from the camera will ruin the sharpness of the shot. If a shot requires a low shutter speed, a tripod will allow you to do so without sacrificing sharpness or worrying about camera shake. To make the most of this, use the camera's timer or a remote to take the shot. /div /div /li /ul h2 class="header Heading3"To Increase Motion Blur/h2 ul li class="step" div class="stepMeat" divWhat if you want motion blur? Going for a smooth water fall or streaking lights at night requires a sharp background but a slow shutter speed. A sturdy tripod will eliminate camera shake and allow only your subject to be blurred. /div /div /li /ul h2 class="header Heading3"To Make the Most of Low Light/h2 ul li class="step" div class="stepMeat" divA moody portrait. A poorly lit [url=http://www.ehow.com/weddings-and-parties/][color=#0086df]wedding[/color][/url]. A stormy sky. All of these low-light photo opportunities could be missed without a tripod. Again, unless you are using a flash, the proper exposure will need a low shutter speed, and a tripod is the best way to maintain a crisp photograph. /div /div /li /ul h2 class="header Heading3"To Get Sharp Focus/h2 ul li class="step" div class="stepMeat" divEven at high shutter speeds, camera shake can impact the sharpness of the shot. Any situation that doesn't require constant movement by the photographer can span id="itxthook1w0" class="itxtrst itxtrstspan itxthookspan" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; color: darkgreen; font-color: inherit;"benefit/span from tripod use, as it makes for the sharpest image possible. /div /div /li /ul h2 class="header Heading3"To Make the Most of Landscapes/h2 ul li class="step" div class="stepMeat" divLandscapes are often completely still but benefit from tripod use because it allows you to get the sharpest possible focus for your camera and lens. Since landscape photography usually requires small apertures to keep more of the shot in focus, the ability to lower the shutter speed without increasing the ISO is invaluable. /div /div /li /ul h2 class="header Heading3"To Compose the Shot Carefully/h2 ul li class="step" div class="stepMeat" divLugging around a tripod, setting it up and composing the shot can be a lot of work-- enough work that each shot will often be well thought out and adjusted to perfection. This is something that is harder to accomplish with a span id="itxthook2w0" class="itxtrst itxtrstspan itxthookspan" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; color: darkgreen; font-color: inherit;"handheld/span camera, as the freedom makes composing a shot almost secondary to other concerns. A tripod will force you to slow down and pay attention to composition in a way nothing else will. /div /div /li /ul h2 class="header Heading3"To Steady a Large Camera or Lens/h2 ul li class="step" div class="stepMeat" divA large SLR camera is heavy. It's even heavier with a large telephoto lens attached. A tripod can keep a heavy camera steady but also decreases muscle fatigue associated with constantly lifting a heavy camera up to your eye. /div /div /li /ul h2 class="header Heading3"To Experiment With Exposure/h2 ul li class="step" div class="stepMeat" divThere is no such thing as a perfect exposure, just the perfect exposure for the effect you want to produce. A tripod can help you compose the shot and then take multiple identical pictures with different exposures while you find the depth of field and brightness that tell the story best. /div /div /li /ul h2 class="header Heading3"To Make the Most of Macrophotography/h2 ul li class="step" div class="stepMeat" divMacrophotography requires very large apertures, which means a very small depth of field. The depth of field is often so small that any movement of the camera or subject could make your focal point lose focus. A tripod will remove camera shake from the equation and allow you to focus on composition and other settings. /div /div /li /ul div style="text-align: left; background-color: transparent; color: #000000; overflow: hidden; text-decoration: none;" /div