Take things steady

Get to grips with setting up your tripod for rock-solid shoots

The mission

Learn tips and tricks to set up a tripod

Time

30 minutes

Skill level

Beginner Intermediate Advanced

Kit needed

Tripod

Some people only ever shoot handheld, but in certain conditions, or with particular subjects and camera settings, photos without a tripod simply won’t make the grade. In low light, for example, shutter speeds will simply be too slow to hold the camera steady enough for a sharp shot, And while you might be tempted to open up the aperture or increase the ISO to enable a faster shutter speed to compensate, this will compromise depth of field or image quality.

In addition to helping avoid the dreaded camera shake, a tripod is a great compositional aid, enabling you to really consider what is – and isn’t – in the frame. It can aid super-long-exposures for creative effect too – such as we used to tame the raging sea into a silky blur in our image.

Tripods have a surprisingly large number of features, so we’ll explain how to use these to help your shooting. We’ll also share some insider tips for getting that tripod set up in no time at all. After all, if you’re out in cold or wet conditions (as we were here), every second counts as you try to stay warm while racing to get the perfect shot.