Think Sharp!

One of the things that separates professional photographers from amateurs is that they know how to get tack sharp (as sharp as can be) images. The professionals know that you can do everything else right, but if your photograph is out of focus, it’s simply not top quality. What else do the pro’s know? They know the value of a good tripod.

The first tripod I ever bought was the cheapest one I could find at Wal-Mart (I was a poor student in those days, and didn’t know the difference). I think it cost me about $20. It was so lightweight that if I had my camera balanced on top, and a strong breeze blew, it would topple over. The legs were impossible for me to raise and lower by myself- my hands simply weren’t strong enough to turn the levers. I would get blisters trying. It took a good 2+ minutes to even attach the camera, because it didn’t come with a removable plate. The tripod made my life miserable, and I can’t imagine why I put up with it as long as I did.

Then something amazing happened. My husband bought me a Really. Nice. Tripod. It was a Manfrotto by Bogen, and once I tried it, I knew I could never go back.

It was solid. It absolutely would not accidentally tip over. (No more worries about ‘death by tripod’ for my beloved camera). I could raise and lower the legs easily and they would lock into place. It came with a quick-release plate, so putting my camera on and taking it off took only 1 second. It had a pistol grip ball head. That means I just squeeze a lever and I can move my camera in any direction- tip it left, right, forward, backwards- and when I have it where it needs to be I simply let go of the lever and it locks into place. It was tripod heaven.

It still is tripod heaven, in fact, because 9 years later I am still using the same one. And I still love it just as much. The extra sharpness I get in my photographs makes a big difference. It’s great to have a photo shoot of a squirmy toddler, and know that even if he doesn’t sit still for a second of it, I can use my tripod and camera settings to get ‘tack sharp’ pictures of him anyway. And that is a beautiful thing.