Working with real big lenses is fun, but often troublesome. Handholding with image stabilisation can help, but only until your arms get tired, which is where the trusty tripod steps in to give you a solid foundation on which to rest your lens.
But even when working with tripods, the view can sometimes be a little unsteady. In this video, wildlife and nature photographer Steve Perry offers us a few tips to help improve stability when using big long lenses on tripods.
Offering techniques for both Wimberley style heads, and ball heads, Steve talks about some of the problems faced when shooting on tripods, and the techniques he uses to overcome them.
When shooting wildlife from a tripod, some of the suggestions Steve offers might seem a little counterintuitive, and while he freely admits that there’s no right or wrong way to do anything, these techniques work for him, and you can’t argue with his results.
So, have a watch, and the next time you’re going out to shoot with long lenses on a tripod, give it a go and see what happens.
Did anybody else think it quite amusing when he described a 300mm prime as a “small” lens?
What tips and techniques do you use for stabilising your lenses on the tripod when mirror-lockup or remote triggers aren’t an option? Let us know in the comments.
[via ISO1200]
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