6 essential tips for using a Tripod

Tripods are a useful piece of photography equipment that many photographers use, but many of us are maybe reluctant to use one. Here are 5 essentials for using tripods.

Know when to use

Tripods are a great piece of equipment to have if you're seriously getting into photography, you may not use it all the time but there are many a reason to use a tripod. Tripods are great to use to capture low light scenes, long exposures, group shots are a few of the reasons to use a tripod.

Level it

When using your tripod, make sure you level it before taking your snap. Many tripods nowadays come with a level built in to help you with this. This is a simple tip but will save you from having wonky snaps and some time in post processing.

Keep low to the ground

When getting up your tripod, keep it as low to the ground as possible. The taller you make it the more wobbly and unstable it can become, this is especially important in windy weather or you may end up with your camera face down on the ground...

Two tripod legs at the front on slopes

If you're on a downslope, put the two tripod legs at the front this will help to provide more stability to your setup.

Find composition first

An easy mistake to make is to setup your camera on the tripod and then find the shot, but this can be restrictive. First find the composition and the shot you want and then setup your camera and tripod at the correct height and position to get that snap.

Experiment

Using a tripod doesn't have to be boring, why not experiment and try a new photography style such as long exposures which basically requires the use of a tripod. This will help you get used to using a tripod and a new photography style.