How to Use a Tripod

You may think of a tripod as a piece of photography equipment only a professional photographer might need to use. However, a tripod should be standard equipment for any photography enthusiast. A tripod is not just a device for propping up your camera. It is an essential camera accessory for taking a number of different pictures.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Know what a tripod is. A tripod is any device with three legs which holds your camera perfectly still. A good tripod has adjustable legs and gives you the ability to swivel the camera up, down and sideways as well as lock it in place.
2. Take long exposures with a tripod. A long exposure is when your camera's lens is open longer and takes in more light. This is needed to capture motion lines in a picture or to take pictures of fireworks.
3. Put a camera on a tripod in any low-light situation. A camera adjusts to low light situations by lengthening the exposure time. A tripod is essential for any exposure longer than 1/30 of a second. Without a tripod, the picture comes out blurry.
4. Use a tripod when you need to use the maximum zoom of your camera. When your camera's zoom lens is fully extended, the picture is highly susceptible to any camera shake. To get crisp pictures, a tripod is necessary.
5. Hold the camera in place with a tripod to get the perfect shot. When you need to frame a picture precisely, put the camera on a tripod and lock it in place. This is also a good way to experiment with different settings on your camera. You can see how the settings affect the same picture.
6. Place the camera on a tripod for panoramic pictures. Many cameras have a panoramic setting which allows you to merge multiple photos into one panoramic image. Lock the camera vertically and swivel it horizontally to take the series of pictures.
7. Get in the picture yourself with a tripod and your digital camera timing feature. Most cameras have a setting allowing for a 10-second delay, giving you enough time to push the shutter and jump in the picture.