Lessons Learned: Three-Legged Friend

Frankly, I hate tripods. My photography technique is more photojournalistic than fine art, I guess, and the extra bulk of a tripod seems cumbersome and unwieldy compared with the freedom of hand-holding. Setting up a tripod and then waiting for the light to allow me one opportunity to get a picture goes against both my patience (or lack thereof) and my journalistic need to "work the location" to discover ALL its photo possiblities.

But there are times when the tripod is exactly the right tool for the job. And here's a perfect example:

I specifically wanted to create the smooth, misty look in this flowing water rather than the rough splashy look. That requires a very slow shutter speed, one-second or longer, plus I wanted to go all the way to f/22 to bring everything into focus. So there was no choice but to mount the camera on a tripod.

It pays to have a convenient means of carrying a tripod at all times, attached to a backpack or shoulder bag, so you'll have it whenever the need arises.