nikon dslr triopod

Tripods and photography go hand in hand. Nowadays everyone is hyped about in-camera stabilization, lens stabilization, software stabilization, all in the name of not having to use and carry a tripod. And that is all true, especially with the new full-frame mirrorless cameras coming strong, but maybe some shots require a little more time.

Photography is a form of art, and when you are trying to express your idea, your feeling of that specific moment, you might need to get everything in focus, or you might need to show the movement of the clouds to express strong winds and bad weather, or you might want to transform all water surfaces to a smooth mirror. To get any one of these things in the frame, or even all of them together, you will have to get acquainted with long exposure photography, and this is almost impossible to do without the use of a tripod.

long exposure photography lessons

Long Exposure Photography


Getting to this location, we were riding on a narrow trail when I saw a large puddle on my left. I stopped and walked around it to get to the other side, and that is when it struck me ... what a frame! I figured that a proper long exposure would help me tell a better story, or at least help me get an epic shot. Got back to the bike and got all my gear. Tridop, ND filters, graduated filters, and no trigger. It is frustrating that in 2021 you pay almost 4-5K for a professional DSLR, and you still have to use a trigger to get longer than 30s exposure. So, if you (like me) forget your trigger, all you have left to work with is a small aperture and a max of 30s of time.

But even so, what a shot!

To get back into the subject of tripods, you can find workarounds like stacking hundreds of stills in photoshop, but if long-exp is your game, then ND filters + a tripod is the only way to get proper results. And you might like, or not, my edit and colors, but this is a very interesting image, that tells a story and gets attention. Obviously, I am not using a full professional tripod, since motorcyclists and hikers need to carry every piece of equipment, but a good travel tripod will get the job done, and if you are storing it on the bike, it doesn't even have to be a carbon fiber tripod.

So the moral of this story is that maybe you should consider carrying a travel tripod, at all times, no matter what, even for that one shot in three days of riding. Great frame and weather opportunity could manifest suddenly, in any location, and you better be ready.

Mythical Routes IMG 2167

Never leave home without your camera, iPad, sunglasses, and a tripod!