Workshop Preparation – Camera Support Systems

Jeff,
What ballhead is in that photo? (or is that for tomorrow's post?)
Thanks.
Andy

If you've read my previous post, then you understand that high quality tripods are sold "bare", without anyhting to attach them to your camera. This is where the ballhead and clamp come in. Good quality ballheads are designed to support heavy loads, move smoothly but lock solidly. Ballheads are easier to use and much more stable than the old fashioned "pan & tilt" tripod heads. Aiming and leveling can be accomplished as one motion, and solid lockup is accomplished with a tightening of only one control. The best designed ballheads also offer variable tension that makes them easy to control. Tripods with ballheads are much easier to pack and carry than pan & tilt heads since they have no long handles to get in the way.

But the ballhead is only half the story. The other half is the clamp system which is used to attach your camera to the ballhead. Mounting your camera using the standard " 20 screw is far too slow and insecure. Instead, many manufacturers adopted the "Arca-Swiss" standard which uses an open-ended dovetail channel with compressing side jaws that grip the mounting plate or bracket attached to the camera. This unique setup provides a quick and easy clamping system that is very solid and secure.

When used in conjunction with an L-Plate designed for your specific camera the quick-release clamp system allows the landscape photographer to quickly switch between shooting horizontally and vertically as shown in the images below.

Really Right Stuff
In my opinion the best design and highest quality ballheads, clamps and camera plates are made by Really Right Stuff, a great little company in California owned and operated by Joe Johnson. The folks at RRS are incredible to work with and their attention to detail in the design and manufacturing of camera support systems is second to none. That's why you'll see nine out of ten professionals using RRS gear including guys like Joe McNally, Moose Peterson and Scott Kelby.

The advice I give to any serious amateur is to buy the best tripod and ballhead you can possibly afford and buy them only once. Really Right Stuff (gotta love that name) gear is expensive folks but worth every single penny. The workmanship is something I've only seen in medical devices before and the various parts fit together perfectly, time after time.

I've put an RRS L-Plate on every camera I currently shoot with from my 5D mark II to my G10 and can lock them into my BH-40 LR / Gitzo Traveller in just seconds to capture that perfect light at the end of the day. I honestly can't imagine using any other brand than Really Right Stuff.

Posted in Photography Tagged: Camera Support Systems, Landscape Photography, Photography, Really Right Stuff

Landscape Photography – Green and Gold

Pedernales Falls State Park near Johnson City, Texas is one of the most picturesque spots in the Hill Country. The elevation of the Pedernales river drops about 50 feet over a distance of less than 1/2 mile, and the cascading falls are formed by the flow of water over the uplifted limestone layers. The falls are extremely dynamic and never look exactly the same two days in a row, especially during the rainy season. This is one location every Texas landscape photographer should visit again and again.

Wildlife in the park is typical of the Hill Country and includes deer, coyotes, rabbits, armadillos, opossums, and raccoons. According to the folks at Texas Parks & Wildlife, "over 150 species of birds have been seen in the park" including ravens, vultures, herons, quail, doves, owls, roadrunners, wild turkeys as well as sparrows and western scrub jays.

I'll be perfectly honest here folks, every time I venture out to explore the falls, a flock of turkey vultures are usually circling overhead just waiting for me to drop. The only other wildlife I've seen were a pair of Texas A&M coeds on the prowl. Pretty scary at that!

Green & Gold at Pedernales Falls, Texas
Copyright 2009 Jeff Lynch Photography
Shot taken with a Canon EOS 50D set on aperture priority (Av) using an EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens tripod-mounted. The exposure was taken at 28mm, f/13 for 1/6th of a second using a Singh-Ray LB Warming Polarizer at ISO 100 on Lexar Professional digital film. Post capture processing was done in Adobe Lightroom 2. Click on the image above for a larger version.

Posted in Photography Tagged: Canon, Canon 50D, Landscape Photography, Photography, Texas Landscapes

Glen Orchy & Glen Etive by Julian Calverley

iPhone photography from a recent winter trip to Glen Orchy and Glen Etive, in N.W. Scotalnd by Julian Calverley.

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Daily Gadget Inspiration #50

The Biohazard Laundry Backpack is an essential and rather fitting item for dorms and lazy teenagers whose laundry doesn't get done unless it becomes a dire emergency. It's big enough to carry a wide load, so to speak, and the drawstring will keep the unholy stench of a ton of unwashed clothes trapped inside until you pull it open near the washing machine.

This handmade bamboo iPad stand is an eco-friendly and beautiful iPad accessory. It's made from sustainably grown bamboo, and the skilled artists who make each one by hand are part of a fair trade program that ensures every worker gets fair wages and is able to work independently.

This Tufted Round Ottoman from West Elm makes for an elegant addition to vanities or for your bedroom or living room as extra seating. People think about Ottomans as these dinky little things where you can put your feet up.

The Always Perfect Chef's Fork and Digital Meat Thermometer from Brookstone is the perfect kitchen aid tool for chefs who need their food cooked to perfection. It's pretty simple to use, since you just need to select the food type and how well done it needs to be.

The Smiley Face MacBook Decal is the perfect way to bring a smile to your face every time you pick up the MacBook. It's hard to match the sleek and stylish appeal of the MacBook, but you can make it more personal and a whole lot cuter by adding a smiley face on the cover.

The Azna Zebrawood iPhone Case is an ultrathin case and environmentally-friendly product made by Kovered. It's made from sustainably sourced zebrawood, and the ultrathin design ensures you have a lightweight and form-fitting case for the iPhone.

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