Using a tripod obstructs framing. I was out shooting with a novice photographer last week who insisted on keeping a tripod attached to the bottom of their camera. During the course of the day, there were several times that the tripod obstructed the workflow.
The first time had to do with a heroin needle that was on the ground. The photographer stood directly above the needle, and took a capture from a fully erect position, looking straight down. I wanted to demonstrate a much better framing by getting down on the ground, so as to include the alley that the needle was in. A shot taken directly above has little interest compared with a shot taken from the side that includes the environment in the background.
The best way to have framed the shot was horizontally, so as to include as much of the background as possible. Due to the legs of the tripod, I was forced to frame the shot as a vertical, thus losing much of the background atmosphere.
Later that same day we came across a man who was nodding out from heroin in a McDonald’s restaurant. The man’s hand was crushing his hamburger as his head drooped off the table. The photographer I was with stood some 10 feet away, and snapped several shots from that distance. The style of this photographer, was to generally stand at a great distance, and crop the photos later.
This is a very sloppy style of photography that I just don’t recommend, as it creates a disconnect between the photographer and the subject. To demonstrate my style of shooting, I placed my camera about 8 inches from the hamburger. If I would have had a tripod attached to my camera, I would never have been able to get that close to the subject.
As Robert Capa once said, “If Your Photos Aren’t Good Enough, You’re Not Close Enough.” To stand that far away from the subject, shows a lack of confidence in the work one is doing, and a lack of command of one’s camera. The closer you can get, the more powerful the image, generally speaking.
So, take those tripods off and save them for landscapes. Get in close and personal to your work!