Simple DIY Tripods

You can avoid purchasing an expensive tripod by first trying out your own, homemade camera stabilizers.

You don't have to put a lot of money into an expensive tripod to take pictures like a professional at low shutter speeds. There are ways to stabilize your camera using objects you probably already have around the house, and in some instances you won't need any supplies at all. Making your own tripod can not only be a great way to save money, but it can also bring out your creative juices, forcing you to work with what you have to take stunning photographs.

Things You'll Need

• Plastic or cloth bag
• 1 1/2 cups rice or beans
• 2 bolts, 1/2-inch
• Quick-release tripod mount (optional)
• Length of string
• Plastic soda bottle top
• 2 washers
• 1/4-inch hex nut
• Sandpaper (optional)
• Drill

Instructions

Using Yourself and Other Humans

1. Exhale before pressing the shutter button and hold your breath for a few seconds to avoid shaking the camera as you take a picture.

2. Push your elbows either towards each other in front of your body or inwards towards your sides to keep your arms from moving as much when you snap a photo.

3. Bend down on one knee as if you were proposing and prop the elbow you are using to steady your camera on your upraised knee. Here, your knee, stabilized by your other leg, is acting as the tripod.

4. Lie on the ground and rest your camera on the ground in front of you. Not only will this stabilize your camera, but it will also produce a unique angle for your shot.

5. Put your camera on a friend's shoulder and snap the picture as he stands as still as possible. This ledge works similarly to a tripod, providing a stable resting place for the camera.

Bean-Bag Tripod

1. Fill a small plastic or cloth baggie with about 1 1/2 cups of dry rice or beans.

2. Let the air out of the baggie and seal it shut using tape, wire or a knot.

3. Put the bean bag on a hard surface and rest your camera on top of it. This will allow you to move your camera up and down to take pictures at different inclinations and will keep your camera from getting scratched or damaged when you place it on hard surfaces.

String Monopod

1. Tie a loop at one end of a length of string. The string should be about as long as you are tall, and the loop should be large enough to slip around your foot.

2. Attach a 1/4-inch bolt or a quick-release tripod mount to the other end of the string.

3. Screw the bolt or tripod mount onto your camera, and slip the looped end around your foot. When the string is pulled taut it will help stabilize your camera. This type of monopod is ideal when you need a slow shutter speed and the ability to move about freely.

Bottle-Cap Tripod

1. Drill a hole through the top of a bottle cap, using a 1/4-inch drill. You can smooth the hole over with sandpaper, but this is optional.

2. Slip one washer onto the 1/4-inch bolt and screw this through the bottle cap, going from the underside of the cap to the topside. The threads of your bolt should now be sticking out of the top of the cap, and there should be a washer between the bottom of the cap and the other end of the bolt.

3. Slip the other washer onto the bolt so that it sits on the topside of the bottle cap.

4. Screw the 1/4-inch hex nut onto the threads that stick out the top of your bottle cap, thus securing the washer. Your cap should now have a washer secured by a bolt on the underside and a washer secured by a hex nut on the topside.

5. Twist the cap back on the bottle to create the tripod. You can now screw your camera onto the threads that stick out of the bottle cap. To further stabilize the tripod, you can pour rice into the plastic bottle to make it heavier.

Tips & Warnings

• Do not pour liquids into your bottle-cap tripod to make it heavier. These may seep out and damage your camera.

References

• Digital Photography School: How to Avoid Camera Shake
• MetaCafe: How to Build a Useful Inexpensive Tripod For Your Camera
• PC World: Make the World's Cheapest Tripod
• DIY Photography: The Super-Small Bottle-Cap Tripod

Resources

• DIY Photography