International flights have strict baggage limitations. Anything over and above and you have to pay extra. It is thus imperative for a traveler to pack carefully to stay within the limits set by airlines. But why are we even talking about something unrelated to photography? Because, baggage regulations severely limit what photography equipment you can carry. In this video, Mark Wallace gives you four pretty convincing reasons to make room for your tripod:
1. Low Light
Wallace chose his tripod over a flash for his trip to Quito in order to improve his ability to shoot images in low light. The image below is a good illustration of why he made the choice:
Low light photo of Quito
Had he used a flash, there would have been no way to properly illuminate the subject, which is the city. But the presence of the tripod allowed him to use a long shutter speed at a low ISO and create a blur-free, noise free capture.
2. Creative Use of Slow Shutter Speeds
A tripod really gives you that edge allowing you to capture amazing images using slow shutter speeds. Wallace expressed his love for capturing moving water using slow shutter speeds, neutral density filters, etc. Without a tripod, captures like the one below would be impossible.
A tripod allows you to drag the shutter speed.
3. Shooting Video
Most DSLRs shoot full HD videos. That’s one of the primary reasons travelers prefer shooting with these cameras. However, when you shoot hand-held, big cameras tend to wobble. The resulting footage is anything but great. When you throw in a tripod into the mix, however, things improve by leaps and bounds. The jerky movements are gone and the footage is pleasant to watch.
4. HDR Photography
HDR photography is no longer a niche; everybody seems to be doing it these days. A tripod is essential for shooting HDR as you need your camera to be absolutely stable when getting those two, three, or more shots at different exposure values.
HDR Photography
A tripod is essential for a number of other genres of photography. For example, this image of the stars shot by Wallace would have been impossible without a tripod.
Capturing stars using a tripod
Interestingly Wallace mentions,
“More notably, none of those (images) would have been possible with a flash. So, for me, my options for travel photography are much greater with a tripod than they are with a flash. That’s why I chose that one.”
Can’t argue with that!
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