Me too John ✋. I watched other photographers with tripods, while I ran around all over the place. I drew the same conclusion after shooting with a landscape photographer. His images and methods humbled me, and now I am making more "deliberate" choices and commitments to my images
I used a tripod back when I had a Portrait studio a lot of the times. It is convenient to be able to move around and do all the things I needed to do before and after the shot.
I enjoyed the entire half of the video about how your past experience informs how you find it best to work today. Growing up shooting color reversal film really hammered into me the idea of getting everything right in camera. (That’s not to say that I did, or that I don’t do some edits in Lightroom today, but I’m definitely better off for the technical knowledges gained). This style of video is fun and packs a lot in a short time.
Thank you so much Bob. When I would shoot transparency for magazines back when I was 20-23 years old, I was probably under-preforming the competition and thought I was flawless! =)
Thanks for the awesome video, John! How did you apply the 8:10 crop guide to your camera? Do you know if it's possible to do it on the sony a7iii? I've been trying to Google how to do it but haven't found any useful info.
I almost always use a tripod. With the current high-megapixel camera's I don't want to risk camera-shake to ruin my pictures. The Studio Titan stand is really nice! I will look into that. Thanks for your video; keep up the good work!
@@JohnGress IBIS is definitely a lifesaver. Unbelievable that I can take sharp, handheld shots with my 102 mp Fuji at really slow shutter speeds. But with commercial shoots I don't want to take any risks. A tripod is a must for razor-sharp images or images that need compositing (or focus staking). I never leave home without it (when I have a camera with me).
Big help. So, you said you've been at this around 25 y. But you only came to this conclusion at the quarter century. This is a relief, because I had this expectation of having to figure out all methods in three years of practice and I haven't. I'm getting that stand. Looks like just what I need. BTW, I do have a Manfrotto geared head with knobs and pistol grips, and haven't used my Benro (same one) since!
Thanks! I will look into that one. I don't think you ever stop learning or evolving. This is the one I am using now, which of course is more robust and I like having the Computer and the camera moving together. Studio Titan Camera Stand STA-01-360 MK2 bhpho.to/3cf4RfL
I find my self balancing the use of a tripod. When working with kids and younger I find it much easier just free hand with sling. When working with adults and models a tripod is perfect when you can just mark the spot for them and they can work in that location.
watching this video, it sounds like you've discovered that tripods aren't for lazy people, they're there to bring a level of consistency and repeatability to your images that saves you time later, and that is a win, because at the end of the day, time is money. It's far better to "edit in camera" by spending a few minutes up front getting it right in camera because that saves you hours (or more) much later when it comes time to actually deliver those images. This is why I shoot with a tripod. In addition to consistency, it also keeps the camera still and allows you to shoot with far slower shutter speeds than you normally would handheld. Also, if you have the resolution, it helps to shoot at the same distance as you normally would, but shoot a little wider than you normally would so if there is an additional image that you might have otherwise lost, at least for those select few images, you can go in and tweak the crop and it's not necessarily a lost moment. It's fine to get in there and compose to fill the frame if you're hand holding, but on modern sensors that have resolution to burn, instead of shooting with an 85 or 100, frame the shot up like you would if you had an 85 or 100, but when it comes time to actually shoot, don't move the camera and switch the lens to a 50, or do what I've most recently been doing is going into Canon's 1.6x crop mode, framing everything up the way I want there, then when it's time to shoot, go back to full frame mode so you have a bunch of buffer area to accommodate a different crop for those few images that would benefit from it.
Very interesting, and food for thoughts, I can definitely sympathise with the nightmares of tethering and cables, I have devised my own solution for it, however it isn’t as simple and practical as yours seams to be, if I had my own studio instead of renting on a regular basis I would definitely deep my hands in my pockets and give it a go, might actually just just buy the set up to carry into studios.
I guess, in the future, you will go for a real studio towerstand. It´s looking big, so you might think, it is only working slow, but with the counterweight in the inside from the big tube (which you also can change to fit the weight from the horizontal arm), your whole camera setup will be nearly "weightless" to move up and down on a real studio towerstand. On your current Studio Titan stand, you have to lift the whole weight on the pistol-grips with your own muscles...there is no support from a counterweight like on a real towerstand. That is called quality of life improvement. Its just up to you, which brand you will choose (manfrotto, cambo, foba, etc.)
@@JohnGress That´s something, i wouldn´t be able to get easily, because my location is in europe. Since nearly 20 years, i own a small manfrotto 809 mini salon 190 towerstand. But sometimes, i wish i would have a bigger one, lol! It isn´t a replacement from my other tripods...it is an addition. Just the right tool for a certain task. If i need a geared centercolumn for precision-work with my big manfrotto 405 geared head, i will grab my big 057 series MT057C4-G manfrotto tripod. If i need an extension arm or a fast center column, i will grab the mini salon 190.
I lucked out several years ago buying a huge, beautiful, sleek black Inka studio stand from a closing studio for only $250, which was less than 10% of its original price. It's like the Mercedes Maybach of studio stands. It's heavy as heck (read: solid as Gibraltar), but glides across the floor with me like Ginger Rogers with Fred Astaire; I can skateboard on it. It slides from floor level to ceiling level effortlessly and has space for equipment and a platform for a laptop.
With the camera stand and the tripod I can get about 18" / 50cm off of the ground. But sometimes I will just pu the camera in contact with the ground, using the strap as a pad.
I'm a big fan of the ole tripod! But I was surprised at your reasoning being for the batch processing in post and framing. I'd certainly never considered that. But that said I do still use film, unusually for this day and age, and I shoot square 6x6, so this is not something that would apply for me. Your demonstration of the other stand with the release handles and levellers was also something I'd not thought of. Super useful :-)
I ALWAYS use a tripod for my most-beautiful studio portraits, as those would, of course, be self-portraits. HAHAHA! Most of my studio portraits are formal, fine-art style, so a tripod is a good idea. I use a Manfrotto geared head, but the quality is just not there. Last time i checked, they had two geared heads available, and I have the 'cheaper' one. It's not stable, if you touch it. But I always shoot with a remote (usually on a tethered laptop), so it's not much of an issue. Your work is always beautiful, so I always pay attention to what you have to say. Just one question: Do you ever shoot checks, or is it only dudes?
LOL too funny! Thank you so much. I think the Benro is too stiff on the pan axis for humans, but someone else said that they were using a SunwayFoto GH-PRO II and it looks like you can fully unlock the pan. I shoot both genders, but typically my test shoots are with men because I am not comfortable art directing women's styling or HMU.
I guess, you have the manfrotto geared head made out of polymer...thats the cheapest one, but i wouldn`t recommend it for pro size cameras. The 410 junior would be comparable with the benro geared head in this video. But i also have the bigger manfrotto 405 geared head, which is way more comfortable to use, because you can grip the knobs with your whole hand, and not only with your fingertips. Once you own the 405 geared head, there is no way back to a cheaper one, lol!
@@MileyonDisney Yup, as i thought...its the polymer geared head. With enough power, you can bend the "solid" looking parts. I have one too, because i thought, it could replace my 410 junior head...but: nope! The other ones are made out of aluminium. There is no shaking. They are solid as a rock.
Based on the title I thought you were going to argue against using a tripod. However, your video was about going from one tripod to a different tripod. if you’re not using a tripod, you can get some extreme angles. For example, you could lay down on the ground and shoot a very low angle shot.
I used to be all about hand holding and moving all around. When working on an environmental portrait on location or doing something that requires maximum flexibility, I would still hand hold to change angles quickly.
Me too John ✋. I watched other photographers with tripods, while I ran around all over the place. I drew the same conclusion after shooting with a landscape photographer. His images and methods humbled me, and now I am making more "deliberate" choices and commitments to my images
Oh how the young have fallen ;)
I used a tripod back when I had a Portrait studio a lot of the times. It is convenient to be able to move around and do all the things I needed to do before and after the shot.
This was such a great episode! Appreciations!!
Thank you so much!
Thanks John, have a shoot in a couple of hours will give this a try.
Cool, LMK how it goes!
Great insight to the camera stand and tethering cord. Maybe I’ll see you when I’m at Chicago, ClickCon next month.
Thanks! I hope to see you soon!
John I’m a huge fan from Michigan. This is outstanding, I love the setup. Great work!
Thank you so much Robert! I am waving at you from across the lake!
Tripod rules! I was wrong to.. thanks for all your info.. I really thank you!
Thank you so much! I m all in on team camera stand now too!
I enjoyed the entire half of the video about how your past experience informs how you find it best to work today. Growing up shooting color reversal film really hammered into me the idea of getting everything right in camera. (That’s not to say that I did, or that I don’t do some edits in Lightroom today, but I’m definitely better off for the technical knowledges gained). This style of video is fun and packs a lot in a short time.
Thank you so much Bob. When I would shoot transparency for magazines back when I was 20-23 years old, I was probably under-preforming the competition and thought I was flawless! =)
Thanks for the video John. I have also found myself using a tripod more while shooting for consistency.
When did we become those old stodgy guys?
Thanks for the awesome video, John! How did you apply the 8:10 crop guide to your camera? Do you know if it's possible to do it on the sony a7iii? I've been trying to Google how to do it but haven't found any useful info.
Thank you! I think the Canon camera setting is add cropping information.
I'd love to take one of your classes. I'll try to come next year.
I would love to have you attend!
I almost always use a tripod. With the current high-megapixel camera's I don't want to risk camera-shake to ruin my pictures. The Studio Titan stand is really nice! I will look into that. Thanks for your video; keep up the good work!
That's a good point that I didn't think about. Probably because either the IBIS or flash duration has been saving my ass. ;)
@@JohnGress IBIS is definitely a lifesaver. Unbelievable that I can take sharp, handheld shots with my 102 mp Fuji at really slow shutter speeds. But with commercial shoots I don't want to take any risks. A tripod is a must for razor-sharp images or images that need compositing (or focus staking). I never leave home without it (when I have a camera with me).
Big help. So, you said you've been at this around 25 y. But you only came to this conclusion at the quarter century. This is a relief, because I had this expectation of having to figure out all methods in three years of practice and I haven't. I'm getting that stand. Looks like just what I need.
BTW, I do have a Manfrotto geared head with knobs and pistol grips, and haven't used my Benro (same one) since!
Thanks! I will look into that one. I don't think you ever stop learning or evolving. This is the one I am using now, which of course is more robust and I like having the Computer and the camera moving together. Studio Titan Camera Stand STA-01-360 MK2 bhpho.to/3cf4RfL
I have a similar story to yours, I never thought I would be doing studio work either, but things happen for a reason...
Right! and here we are!
I find my self balancing the use of a tripod. When working with kids and younger I find it much easier just free hand with sling. When working with adults and models a tripod is perfect when you can just mark the spot for them and they can work in that location.
That is a very good point and something I hadn't thought of.
watching this video, it sounds like you've discovered that tripods aren't for lazy people, they're there to bring a level of consistency and repeatability to your images that saves you time later, and that is a win, because at the end of the day, time is money. It's far better to "edit in camera" by spending a few minutes up front getting it right in camera because that saves you hours (or more) much later when it comes time to actually deliver those images. This is why I shoot with a tripod. In addition to consistency, it also keeps the camera still and allows you to shoot with far slower shutter speeds than you normally would handheld.
Also, if you have the resolution, it helps to shoot at the same distance as you normally would, but shoot a little wider than you normally would so if there is an additional image that you might have otherwise lost, at least for those select few images, you can go in and tweak the crop and it's not necessarily a lost moment. It's fine to get in there and compose to fill the frame if you're hand holding, but on modern sensors that have resolution to burn, instead of shooting with an 85 or 100, frame the shot up like you would if you had an 85 or 100, but when it comes time to actually shoot, don't move the camera and switch the lens to a 50, or do what I've most recently been doing is going into Canon's 1.6x crop mode, framing everything up the way I want there, then when it's time to shoot, go back to full frame mode so you have a bunch of buffer area to accommodate a different crop for those few images that would benefit from it.
Well said. A few minutes upfront will save you hours in the end!
Very interesting, and food for thoughts, I can definitely sympathise with the nightmares of tethering and cables, I have devised my own solution for it, however it isn’t as simple and practical as yours seams to be, if I had my own studio instead of renting on a regular basis I would definitely deep my hands in my pockets and give it a go, might actually just just buy the set up to carry into studios.
Thanks. I hear you about cost. The one I am using is supposed to be portable but it seems rather large and impractical for for that.
I guess, in the future, you will go for a real studio towerstand. It´s looking big, so you might think, it is only working slow, but with the counterweight in the inside from the big tube (which you also can change to fit the weight from the horizontal arm), your whole camera setup will be nearly "weightless" to move up and down on a real studio towerstand. On your current Studio Titan stand, you have to lift the whole weight on the pistol-grips with your own muscles...there is no support from a counterweight like on a real towerstand. That is called quality of life improvement. Its just up to you, which brand you will choose (manfrotto, cambo, foba, etc.)
If anything, it will likely be Studio Titan.
@@JohnGress That´s something, i wouldn´t be able to get easily, because my location is in europe. Since nearly 20 years, i own a small manfrotto 809 mini salon 190 towerstand. But sometimes, i wish i would have a bigger one, lol!
It isn´t a replacement from my other tripods...it is an addition. Just the right tool for a certain task.
If i need a geared centercolumn for precision-work with my big manfrotto 405 geared head, i will grab my big 057 series MT057C4-G manfrotto tripod.
If i need an extension arm or a fast center column, i will grab the mini salon 190.
I hadn't thought of that. They come from Korea, then go to Canada and then come to us.
I lucked out several years ago buying a huge, beautiful, sleek black Inka studio stand from a closing studio for only $250, which was less than 10% of its original price. It's like the Mercedes Maybach of studio stands. It's heavy as heck (read: solid as Gibraltar), but glides across the floor with me like Ginger Rogers with Fred Astaire; I can skateboard on it. It slides from floor level to ceiling level effortlessly and has space for equipment and a platform for a laptop.
🔥🔥🔥
Thanks!
What about shots taken lower down?
With the camera stand and the tripod I can get about 18" / 50cm off of the ground. But sometimes I will just pu the camera in contact with the ground, using the strap as a pad.
I'm a big fan of the ole tripod! But I was surprised at your reasoning being for the batch processing in post and framing. I'd certainly never considered that. But that said I do still use film, unusually for this day and age, and I shoot square 6x6, so this is not something that would apply for me. Your demonstration of the other stand with the release handles and levellers was also something I'd not thought of. Super useful :-)
Good to know Ted! I’d love to shoot 6x6 again now that I know more than I did 20 years ago just to see what the DR is like.
I ALWAYS use a tripod for my most-beautiful studio portraits, as those would, of course, be self-portraits. HAHAHA! Most of my studio portraits are formal, fine-art style, so a tripod is a good idea. I use a Manfrotto geared head, but the quality is just not there. Last time i checked, they had two geared heads available, and I have the 'cheaper' one. It's not stable, if you touch it. But I always shoot with a remote (usually on a tethered laptop), so it's not much of an issue. Your work is always beautiful, so I always pay attention to what you have to say. Just one question: Do you ever shoot checks, or is it only dudes?
LOL too funny! Thank you so much. I think the Benro is too stiff on the pan axis for humans, but someone else said that they were using a SunwayFoto GH-PRO II and it looks like you can fully unlock the pan. I shoot both genders, but typically my test shoots are with men because I am not comfortable art directing women's styling or HMU.
I guess, you have the manfrotto geared head made out of polymer...thats the cheapest one, but i wouldn`t recommend it for pro size cameras. The 410 junior would be comparable with the benro geared head in this video. But i also have the bigger manfrotto 405 geared head, which is way more comfortable to use, because you can grip the knobs with your whole hand, and not only with your fingertips. Once you own the 405 geared head, there is no way back to a cheaper one, lol!
@@bp-blackshark Mine is the XPRO Geared Three-way pan/tilt tripod head - about $250.
@@MileyonDisney Yup, as i thought...its the polymer geared head. With enough power, you can bend the "solid" looking parts. I have one too, because i thought, it could replace my 410 junior head...but: nope! The other ones are made out of aluminium. There is no shaking. They are solid as a rock.
@@bp-blackshark Thanks. I'll look into it.
Based on the title I thought you were going to argue against using a tripod. However, your video was about going from one tripod to a different tripod. if you’re not using a tripod, you can get some extreme angles. For example, you could lay down on the ground and shoot a very low angle shot.
I used to be all about hand holding and moving all around. When working on an environmental portrait on location or doing something that requires maximum flexibility, I would still hand hold to change angles quickly.
That shirt is way nicer than the one that over rated pilot dude wears in his hotel room while he babbles nonsense 😂
The blue side is not up on your attitude indicatior!
brazil
"Brazil"! :)
Brasil! 🇧🇷🇧🇷😁
@@JohnGress Oh, I wasn't bitching about the spelling btw, I just thought it was cool you had a t-shirt with Brazil on it! :)
Ph I knew that's what you meant. I just wanted to show you I knew the correct spelling! =)