Jenna Caplette migrated from California to Montana in the early 1970s, first living on the Crow Indian reservation. A Healing Arts Practitioner, she owns Bozeman BodyTalk & Integrative Healthcare. She says, " Health is resiliency, a zest for the journey. It’s about coming awake to the joy of being alive. As a practitioner, its a privilege to facilitate that healing process, to help weave new patterns of health & well-being. “ And by the way, healthier, happier people help create a healthier, happier world.
It’s the season for macro, or close-up, photography, photography for that world at your feet, the world of pygmy flowers and busy-bugs. For that work, and for many of your other summer photography expeditions, you’ll appreciate having a tripod to hold and stabilize your camera.
Because they are such a personal piece of equipment, this is a purchase that you want to make after discussing it with someone who can match your needs with the right equipment. It is a good idea to try out tripods and heads before you make the leap. You may even want to rent before you buy.
Generally, tripods can be sturdy, lightweight, or affordable. Of those three characteristics, you need to choose the two most important to you. If you want an affordable tripod, it is easy to find one that’s sturdy, but probably not also lightweight. If you want one that is both sturdy and lightweight, the cost is likely to rise.
Think about where you’ll use your tripod, what kind of equipment you want it to hold; video cameras, still cameras, spotting scopes and super telephoto lenses excel on different styles of tripod heads and you may even want slightly different legs or "sticks." .
Calculate the weight of the heaviest set up you will be using on the tripod. If you’re using a spotting scope, include the weight of the body plus eyepiece; the camera body’s weight should be added to the heaviest lens weight for the total support needed. You can put ten pounds of equipment on a tripod and head that are rated at thirteen pounds, but the reverse could be disastrous resulting in damage to your equipment and sub-par pictures.
If you work outdoors on ground that isn’t level (think side hill or even in the borrow pit of a road) it is essential to be able to change the angle and length of each tripod leg individually to level the camera. Want to set your tripod up in the mud, water, sand or wet snow? Make sure the legs are sealed to keep out moisture which can cause some tripod legs to temporarily lock up.
Check the style of the leg locks. Quick release levers are fast to use, and you can tell at a glance if the legs are locked or not. Twist locks are slower until you get in the habit of using them, but they have the advantage of being virtually unbreakable. Ask if the brand you are choosing sells parts.. Lines like Manfrotto and Gitzo have a long history of making repair and replacement parts available which can significantly lengthen the life of your support. Fine tripods are a long term investment. Cheap tripods are often an annoyance and if you break anything a cheap tripod goes right to the dumpster.
In addition to tripods, you can buy monopods, walking sticks, minipods, selfie sticks and car window clamps. A monopod is a single tripod leg with a head used when the photographer needs to be highly mobile—the subject is probably moving as well.
Walking sticks are for the hiker in everyone—two sticks, and one doubles as an uber lightweight monopod.
Window clamps do exactly that—drive and shoot from the vehicle days are well served by a clamp with a tripod head.
Minipods work with point-and-shoot cameras, iPhones, point-of-view video cameras and lighting on the go. Fold them, hold them, grip them and sometimes even stick them with a suction cup or magnet and you can get your camera or lights almost anywhere you want them. Use a proper support even for your super lightweight gear and avoid the temptation to balance your camera on a rock or tree limb on the edge of a cliff over a stream.
The Selfie Stick is relatively new, designed primarily for mobile photography. They help you with all those fun self-timer pictures so that your arm isn’t in every single picture. Many include a bluetooth remote for your phone. Fun? Yes, but also banned from many museums and high traffic areas because they can be annoying in crowded spaces. Be aware of your surroundings and consider getting some pictures of yourself the old fashioned way—ask a fellow traveller to snap the shutter for you.
Federal land managers have approved a summer roundup at Montana's Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range to curb the size of its mustang herd.
