Monday, January 19, 2009

Place A Camera On A Tripod

Tripods offer stability for photographers. Ideal for shooting in low light conditions, tripods keep the camera still and prevent blurry pictures that result from camera shake. They also let the photographer take photos with long exposures, where it would be absolutely impossible to keep the camera still as long as necessary for the technique to be effective.


Instructions


1. Face your tripod toward your subject. If your tripod has adjustable legs and a level, adjust these now. It is more difficult to adjust these if you are trying to balance the weight of your camera on top. You also run the risk of toppling the tripod over if you level it after the camera is placed on top.


2. Locate the connector on top of the tripod. This will look like a screw that protrudes from the top of the tripod. Some tripods have stationary connectors that are permanently attached to the tripod, and many have what is called a "hot shoe." A hot shoe is a connector that you can remove from your tripod while still attached to the camera if you need to grab your camera for a sudden shot or if you will be alternating from shooting with and without the tripod.


3. Locate the place on the bottom of your camera for tripod or hot shoe attachment. This will look like a hole with threading. The threads correspond to the screw-like threading on the tripod connector. These two fit together. Attach it by bringing the hot shoe to the camera or the camera to the tripod, and joining the connector with the hole. The two screw together. Make sure your connection is secure and your tripod is level before letting go of the camera.


4. Remove the camera by either releasing the hot shoe or unscrewing the camera from the tripod. You can leave the hot shoe attached to the camera for long periods of time for easy transitions between manual and tripod-assisted shooting.

Tags: your tripod, your camera, adjust these, attached camera, camera still