OK, so it holds the camera…who cares right?

Well a long time ago when cameras weighed thirty zillion pounds and a single shot required absolute stillness and about two minutes, a tripod was absolutely essential. In fact, many cameras had tripods built into them.  Today, with instant photography and image stabilizing technology a tripod seems more like a show accessory than an essential part of the camera. Admitted it is not essential especially for casual photographers but there are still several things that a camera can not do without the help of a tripod.

1. Photos under 1/60th: It’s a well-known fact amongst photographers that the human hand cannot stabilize the camera and ward off blurry images below 1/60th of a second. Regarding shutter speed, film speed, and aperture, the smaller the aperture or the slower the shutter speed the more risk of blurry images. This goes for low-light situations as well. For these situations a tripod can be a practical and easy way to take the shots you want without having to compromise on the quality or clarity of the image.

2. Consistency: While many digital cameras now have preview screens to recall previously taken images, few have features that allow you to ensure that the frame of one shot is identical to that of a previous shot. This is not usually important, as many of us don’t mind a little variety in our photos. However if you’re trying to take portraits or group shots with similar frames, such as class photos or yearbook pictures then consistency matters and a tripod will be very handy.

3. Controlling one or more planes: When we think about using a tripod we are often considering the benefits it gives to a stationary shot where there is no movement in the camera whatsoever. While this is the primary function of a tripod there are other ways to use it. A good tripod allows for several types of adjustments. One adjustment is the height of the camera (either by extending the legs or raising the body of the tripod), adjusting the angle of the camera (landscape and portrait and everything in between), adjusting the pitch of the camera (level to 90 degrees or beyond), and adjusting the direction of the camera (usually by swiveling the camera on the attached plate). Changing any of these while keeping the others the same can enable you to shoot a sequence of shots that connect to form a panoramic shot. Similarly, shooting something fast moving like a car with a slow shutter speed and a tripod can allow you to capture a crisp image of something fast as if it were frozen in time.

4. Timed photos: The most obvious advantage of a tripod is that it allows you to set up a camera (the exact positioning) and leave it to shoot the picture without you, whether you are taking a family photo and use a timer or are shooting something over time and don’t want to wait around.

5. Proportionality: Another way to use a tripod is to ensure proportionality between photos. For most of us this doesn’t really matter as we understand that a car that is smaller in one photograph is simply further away than in another, but for the purpose of photo books this can be helpful when documenting still or similar objects or if you are planning on editing photos together.

Photo credit: Camera on a tripod by do7slash

KoodibooK is about preserving and sharing your memories in a unique way while giving you the best possible experience with photobook creation.  The KoodibooK software allows you to access your photos at amazing speed from wherever they are stored and use them to create photobooks that can be previewed in 3-D, published online for free and printed professionally.