DIY Network

Landscape Photography: Using a Tripod From "The Whole Picture" episode DTWP-104

Even when using a "point and shoot" digital instamatic, a tripod will provide a steady platform for composing and shooting your pictures.

Is it possible to capture the natural beauty of a majestic landscape with your digital camera? Taking great landscape photos can be deceptively challenging. In this lesson, professional photographer Erin Manning shows why using a tripod, augmented by a simple carpenter's level, can help make for much better landscape photographs.

Materials:

Digital camera with the panorama function
Camera owner's manual
Tripod
Carpenter's level

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Figure A

What's In the Picture?

In this exercise, Erin has her student practice shooting landscape shots using a tripod for placement and stabilizing the camera.

When using a professional camera such as a 35mm film camera or digital SLR with interchangeable lenses, the photographer has a range of options for varying what's included in the image frame depending on what type of lens is being used--e.g., standard, wide angle or telephoto. Typically, a wide-angle lens is preferred for wide landscape shots. But when using a simple point-and-shoot digital camera, rather than changing lenses to alter the composition, you'll simply move around to different locations. For example, if you want to get more in the picture, simply move back (figure A).

When framing your shot, keep in mind the foreground and background of your picture as well as any central object or feature.

Using a Tripod and Level

Since good landscape photos require a steady shooting platform, a tripod is an invaluable asset to all photographers. Some tripods are equipped with built in levels, but most are not. It's always a good idea to keep a small carpenter's level (figure B) in your photography bag. Once your camera is mounted, you can use the level to quickly make sure the camera itself is level (figure C).

Figure B

Figure C

	It's important when taking a series of photos that each image is level.
	Use a tripod and a carpenter's level to ensure your photos are level.

• Be aware that, although the legs of the tripod may be level, the camera may not be. If your camera's not level, your pictures may look as if they're going up or down hill. The level will help you make certain that the camera itself is level.

• Your tripod will keep your camera steady and parallel to the ground, but that doesn't mean your pictures have to be fixed on one spot. Experiment with the tripod's up and down motion or rotate the head to get different points of view.

• If you're trying to build a series of images like in a panorama, a level tripod will help insure that they are all in line.

RESOURCES :

PC Photo magazine
Website: www.pcphotomag.com
Online version of the magazine devoted to digital photography and related technologies.

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