There are times when you need to get down really low to capture a dramatic image. In this free video, world renowned outdoor photographer Ian Plant shows you various techniques of using tripods at ground level. A ground level adaptor removes the center column and allows the tripod legs to be spread within a few inches above ground level. Another style of tripod has a removable center column which screws out and lets you spread the legs to their full outright position for ground level shooting. To get even lower, you can use a bean bag to support your camera. You can also set your camera on the ground and support the lens with small rock or an object from your camera bag such as a filter case.
3 Responses to “Ground Level Setup for Your Tripod”
-
2:20
Seasonal Photography: Tips for Capturing Year-Round Photos – Course Preview
If you aspire to pursue seasonal photography and want to come up with beautiful images throughout the year, with OPG you can! This Seasonal Photography Course will give you the skills, insights, and tricks needed to capture beauty all year long and share it with others.
Watch Now >> -
8:26
HDR Photography Tutorial: Processing Window Light
How do you go about HDR processing the prison cell dominated by dark shadows? In this tutorial, post-production instructor, Tony Sweet, will take you through the steps. “I shot very long exposures,” he explains, “and this helped capture the details.” In Photomatix tone mapping, he starts with the default setting and makes the adjustments including…
Watch Now >> -
1:44
Capturing the Chaplin’s Office
In this high dynamic range photography tutorial, the challenge is to include all the intricate details: religious murals, chipped wall paint, hard sunlight patterns, and deep shadows. In this video course, professional photographer and instructor, Tony Sweet, will show you how to combine all the lighting elements. Tony uses manual bracketing at f22. On either…
Watch Now >> -
1:57
Considerations in Spring Photography
When it comes to seasonal photography, spring is a time of newness. Start out early for the best photos of the day so you can capture crisp, bright greens and stunning bursts of color in the flowers that bloom amid the new greenery.
Watch Now >>
One way I’ve gotten down to ground level is to lay the tripod on its side, and adjust the head as needed. Sometimes the legs have to be weighted or head lifted onto something.
I mounted my old Slik ball head to a piece of board, about 30 inches long and probably 4 inches front to back. I mounted the head a bit closer to the rear of the board to help out the balance, and I just lie on the ground and prop myself up a bit to shoot. Works fine for ground level shots of small critters and birds.
One of my friends used a cigarette packet one evening – it worked for him 🙂 https://www.instagram.com/p/Br6fa7gFHqx/