Camera tripods have evolved through the years in their steadying role for the camera to snap amazing photographs to life. From taking award-winning images of nature or portrait to high speed action images in the Olympics, to the tragic inhumanity and brutality of war, camera tripods are the most essential piece of gear to capture sharp images of a moment for posterity.

Camera tripods are equipment of choice by serious hobbyists and professional photographers. And, this is not just my opinion.

Top-caliber copywriter, and professional photographer, Darren Rowse, shares his expertise in his blog, digital photography school where he emphasized the role of camera tripods as a photographer’s basic accessory.

Image Stabilizer

Digital cameras have added a tech solution to reducing picture blurring with image stabilizer lenses and vibration reducer. Some photographers hailed the technology and claim they have done away with camera tripods. Image stabilizer lenses may seem to compensate for unsteady handheld shots, but they have limitations and effective only under certain lighting conditions.

It has been shown in comparison tests that pictures taken at fast shutter speeds of 1/1000 seconds using tripods are sharper than handheld shots. Similarly, in slower shutter speeds in any lighting condition, tripod support lets you snap crisper images, even in low ISO setting.

However, exposure is not only about lens capabilities and film  speed. Depth of speed should also be considered because your images will  have more depth if it has longer exposure.

Tripods bring not only image stability with every snapshot but enhance your creative expression. Tripods give you time to compose the picture frame by frame with the quality and aesthetic appeal of a professional.

Enhance photography with maximum stability

Camera tripods nowadays enhance photography with maximum stability, allowing photographers to shoot images in multiple frames in various exposure settings thereby producing pictures with depth of field and tonal expressions. Tripods can be adjusted for intended picture composition - for panning, tilting, low-angle shoot and height adjustments.

David Peterson shares his mind on the true image stabilizer.

“The best image stabilizer is your tripod. It is the safest bet when it comes to getting a blur free image at slower shutter speeds. Although there is a big difference between a shot taken with image stabilization and one without it, there is an even bigger difference when you use a tripod. The second image would have been completely blur free. If you want a sure bet, get yourself a good tripod.”

In perilous action in war, no one expects a photographer to drag his tripod around. In the confusion of combat, it would require great skills in photography as well as dodging bullets. However, all is not lost for Jeremy Lock, the seven-time Military Photographer of the Year awardees.

“One of the others that is a must in my backpack is a small 6-inch tripod I use for stabilizing my camera for low-light situations. If I am producing video, I will also carry a tripod. I just returned from a personal shoot in India using my D800 and am blown away with the quality.”

Professional equipment

To get a professional result, you need an equipment that won’t flinch when the wolves sound their magnificent song, something that won’t mind staying out all night holding your camera pointed at the stars, and won’t complain in a freezing mountain stream long enough to expose the water in motion. Camera tripods can also open up possibilities like the early morning or late-afternoon photography.