Tripods tricks

The tripod is the trusted tool of landscape photographers and Dan Mold shows you how you can get the most out of yours, with these quick tips

- Dan Mold

THE MISSION

Get better shots with your tripod and understand how to use it to its full potential

Time needed 15 minutes

Skill level Beginner

Kit needed A dedicated photographic tripod

It’d be easy to assume that a tripod is just a tripod, right? Well, you may be in for a surprise! As the years go on, pro-level photography tripods get ever more advanced, adding even more useful features.

Cheap budget tripods that cost around £30 are generally made for video, you can tell this from the way the legs are usually bound for extra stability. They also typically come with a pan/tilt head for smoother tracking when recording, but they’re really not the best choice for photography.

Dedicated photography tripods usually start at around £80 and are well worth investing in. Look for one that has unbound legs with adjustable leg angles and also that comes with a ball or 3-way head, depending on your preference. You can then go up the range looking for other features you may desire, such as a reversible centre column, a lightweight carbon fibre build, or a higher maximum load they claim to be able to bear.

Tripods are fantastic tools for landscapes, as they allow you to lock the camera off to remove camera-shake from hand-holding. They also allow you to shoot with a slower shutter speed, so you can turn moving parts of your scene like clouds, into a blur.

Now you know what a pro photo tripod is, here’s how to get the best out of them!