The legitimacy of tripods.

[Keith]

I never though I would use a tripod as much as I do and flinched slightly at the price when I bought my Manfrotto a couple of years ago. Shelling out this much money on something that could spend much of it's time in storage seemed frivilous.

Using a tripod in a public arena seems to change the public's perception of you IMO ... no longer are you just another person with a camera who may or may not be invading someone's privacy you're someone with a purpose and the reactions from the public seem to be completely different to shooting hand held.

I was recently photographing a billboard on the front of a building for the same institution I shoot gallery openings for occasionally. It's in a very busy part of the city and has to be photographed from eight different vantage points ... one set of pics in the late afternoon and another set once it's dark and the billboard's lit. For the night shots I use the D700 on the Manfrotto and have to set it up in the center island of the busy main road, footpaths, various busy sidestreets etc. People are everywhere this time of day but they give me an immense amount of space I noticed and go out of their way not to impede my progress ... but they are interested!

I find it fascinating that a tripod seems to ad this sense of legitimacy to what you are doing when photographing in a public arena.

 

[ChrisN]

Add a hard-hat, a dayglo vest, a clip-board and a walkie-talkie, and they'll assume you are a surveyor.

 

[Richard G]

The accoutrements of trade are a fascinating passport. When I visit other institutions I am amazed how far I can get without being challenged at all. If I am also carrying a sheaf of 20 loose A4 pages, and have a pen in my hand and my sleeves rolled up I reckon I could get in anywhere.

 

[BTMarcais]

Add a hard-hat, a dayglo vest, a clip-board and a walkie-talkie, and they'll assume you are a surveyor.

This definitely has happened to me (even without the hard-hat )...
especially if I'm setting up the Ries (big wooden tripod) for the 5x7...

-Brian

 

[davidbivins]

The accoutrements of trade are a fascinating passport. When I visit other institutions I am amazed how far I can get without being challenged at all. If I am also carrying a sheaf of 20 loose A4 pages, and have a pen in my hand and my sleeves rolled up I reckon I could get in anywhere.

It goes the other way, too. I've been places like museums where my Leica or Minolta RF was forbidden ("no cameras, sir"), and no one cared about the people clicking away with their little digital point-and-shoots and camera phones. Blows my mind. It's the same thing with security guards--if you have a camera that fits the stereotype of a camera, it's a threat. If it's a little brushed chrome thingy, what harm could it cause?

 

[Alpacaman]

Also, if you are carrying a DSLR you are a lot more likely to get stopped by tourists trying to figure out how to turn the flash on their point and shoot on.

 

[PKR]

I n

I find it fascinating that a tripod seems to ad this sense of legitimacy to what you are doing when photographing in a public arena.

If you're using professional looking equipment, you may want to be able to prove your not doing professional work.

It can also cost you money in many cities:

http://www.nycphotorights.com/2010/05/fight-the-new-york-city-photography-permit-propesed-charge/

http://www.modelingwiki.com/index.php?title=Photography_permit

http://photos.janklier.com/2009/01/location-permits-seattle.html

http://damnuglyphotography.wordpress.com/2010/05/26/stop-the-300-permit-fee/

http://www.largeformatphotography.info/photo-permits/

 

[Particular]

Same here...

Same here...

This definitely has happened to me (even without the hard-hat )...
especially if I'm setting up the Ries (big wooden tripod) for the 5x7...

-Brian

Same thing has happened to me with a 4x5 on a wooden Berlebach. Some local Nimby started shouting at me because he saw me as the angel of death heralding some new development. With a tripod the chance of being approached by security personnel from the building next door increases a lot too.
On the other hand I have found that a tripod can make you seem to almost blend with the street furniture. It is surprisingly easy to take candid shots from a tripod, because people start ignoring your presence. You can stand there twiddling your thumb, fondling a lens, waiting for the right moment and then bam!

 

[Frank Petronio]

If you want to have fun, set up a view camera and tripod outside a crack house in mid-day. You probably won't get shot but you'll see a dozen pairs of eyes peering at you from the corners of the windows.

 

[nikon_sam]

Just the act of setting up a tripod will get you looks from the public masses...
It can give you the working space you need from the normal people or it can get the wanna-be (security) cop to put down his sandwich, pull up his drooping pants and make a bee-line to where you are so he can enforce the "No Photography Rule" that doesn't exist...
At last count I think I have seven of them...

 

[Keith]

If you want to have fun, set up a view camera and tripod outside a crack house in mid-day. You probably won't get shot but you'll see a dozen pairs of eyes peering at you from the corners of the windows.

That sounds almost as much fun as photographing semi naked drunk women in motel rooms Frank!

 

[Ezzie]

I use my tripod mostly out of town, I feel uncormfortable with the attention I get in crowded places. I much prefer a monopod, which I know use quite a lot since I've started shooting film again, with not so small cameras. Does limir your ootions somewhat, multi-second/minutes urban exposures are out.

 

[peter_n]

I invested in a new travel tripod/ballhead rig recently and took it on vacation to Bermuda a few weeks ago. I had many nice conversations with passers-by, especially in Hamilton. People even recognized me from the previous day! One conversation was really long with a guy who was very interested in what I saw and why I was shooting it, and even wanted to see some of my pictures. Another person wanted to know all about the Arca-Swiss type QR system I use. So I agree with Keith, using a tripod is definitely different. I really like using mine because it slows you down and my keeper percentage seems to be higher with a tripod too.

 

[oftheherd]

Something of a sign of the times and changes in photography. I can remember when tripods were much more of a photographer's expected tool. 35mm cameras were becoming all the rage in the 50s, but there were still slow lenses and film, as well as bad light. There were also a lot of LF and MF still being used by serious but non-professionals. Most serious people had or wanted a tripod.

 

[John Lawrence]

The accoutrements of trade are a fascinating passport. When I visit other institutions I am amazed how far I can get without being challenged at all. If I am also carrying a sheaf of 20 loose A4 pages, and have a pen in my hand and my sleeves rolled up I reckon I could get in anywhere.

I remember being told something similar to this by the elderly instructor of my induction course when I started at a large office many years ago. At the end of his 'official' welcome spiel he asked if any of us had any questions. I asked what was the best advice he could give to a junior just starting out after all his years employment. His reply:

"Always take a sheaf of papers, file or large box when you 'roam the corridors' or are going to visit your mates for a chat. That way every one will think you're on important business."

He was right too!

John

 

[haempe]

In the nineties I was often on the street with the Sinar F2 and wooden tripod, making architecture-shots for construction companies. Believes me, never seen so many middle-fingers, because the guys in the cars thinking, I measure their speed.

 

[segedi]

Haempe - that is really funny! Not the most pleasant experience, but I bet you slowed down traffic!

Am I the only one with a GorillaPod? Very packable, light and gets the job done.