TEACHING > LESSONS LEARNED

Lessons Learned

Two pieces of equipment that I find to be invaluable are the “L” bracket and the King Cobra tripod head. The “L” bracket is an L-shaped quick release plate that puts a point of attachment to your ball head on two sides of your camera allowing your camera to be mounted in the typical horizontal position and also in a vertical position with ease. The King Cobra is an arced metal arm that attaches directly to your tripod to which your long telephoto lenses are mounted to the side by their tripod collars. Both are made by Mike Kirk of Kirk Enterprises. (800.626.5074)

The “L” bracket is essential... I can't imagine photographing now without it. Not only is it incredibly convenient, it also eliminates the practice of flopping your camera over to the side of your tripod head to shoot verticals. Keeping the mass of your camera squarely over the tripod's center of support is a much better technique than cantilevering it off to the side of your tripod head. It also pretty much keeps your composition intact as you switch between horizontal and vertical formats.

The King Cobra head makes using long telephoto lenses a snap. Rather than trying to use a long lens on a relatively small ball head where the threat of tippiness is always present (and disaster not far behind) the Cobra holds your long lens effortlessly and perfectly balanced. It is as if your telephoto was weightless. With the King Cobra following subjects with your telephoto is easy, almost fluid, allowing you to pay more attention to what is in your viewfinder rather than on our tripod.

And since I am talking about things you can get from Kirk Enterprises there are some more stuff that I carry around that also make my photography easier.

The Long Rail is basically a 6" long quick release plate with a small clamp at one end. The neat thing about this is that you can use it to get your camera to places you can't otherwise get to. I use it when I am shooting very low to the ground when there is a mound exactly at the place I want my tripod to be. With the long rail I set up the tripod as close to the mound as I can get and then use the long rail to reach over and put the camera where I want it. The long rail also allows me to put my camera right down at ground level and still be firmly attached to my tripod. It also makes a very easy focusing rail.

Kirk also has a nice shoulder strap with a quick release clamp on it that makes it easy to carry a second long lens or a second camera body with you. Kirk calls this a Security Strap. Kirk also makes the best car window mount and low pod for ground level shooting that I have seen. I don't carry these with me all the time but when I need them it sure makes my photography much more painless and therefore better.

Contact Kirk Enterprises at KirkPhoto.com or 800.626.3670 in Angola, Indiana.

Speaking of things that make your photography much easier and more productive I have become addicted to Robert Hitchman's Photograph America Newsletter. This bi-monthly 12 page publication is a detailed site guide for photographers that is extremely handy, dare I say essential for any traveling photog. There are 87 of these newsletters now and you can buy the entire collection or get collections of them for certain areas. A yearly subscription is $45 or you can buy a single issue for $8.50.

So don't come crying to me anymore with your tales of woe about spending all this time at such and such place and not finding the great spot until you were leaving for the airport. And don't be a cheap old coot. This will be some of the best money you can spend in photography. Bob can be contacted at photographamerica.com or by calling 415.898.3736.

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