The Art of Street Style Landscape Photography: No Tripod Required
No Tripod
Street and Landscape are seen as two very different genres of photography. Walking the streets, camera in hand, is kinetic, harried, and overwhelming. Conversely, walking in nature, tripod in tow, is soothing, relaxing, and deliberate. These two genres couldn’t be more different in process. Or so I thought, until I chucked the bulky tripod, gave up on attempting patience, and discovered what I like to call “Street Style Landscape Photography.”
Instead of hauling around a tripod—which I abhor—I like to walk in nature with just my camera in hand as if I’m strolling along the streets in a city. I’m certainly not the first to do this by a long shot, however, I don’t recall anyone specifically using the term “Street Style Landscape.” I’ll own it until someone sets me straight in the comments.
Tripod Assisted
Don’t get me wrong, I have carried the dreaded tripod out into nature to get a long exposure shot or use the pixel mapping feature on my camera. But take it with me on a regular basis? No fucking way. I’m a big guy with bad knees and some sort of tibialis tendon thing that I can’t remember the name of. Basically, walking hurts, even on flat pavement. The last thing I want to do is add more weight to my already considerable bulk.
To be honest, I loathed tripods way before I packed on the pounds and became decrepit. I think the pain of carrying it around is just an excuse. What I really don’t like is the pressure using a tripod puts on myself. It feels like when I use a tripod, I’m expected to take a masterpiece. I mean, if I take the time to pull out the legs, set it on the ground in a level fashion, and attach my camera, the photo better damn well be worth it, right?
No Tripod
Ironically, the photographs I take on a tripod are generally quite good. So why don’t I just suck it up and resolve myself to doing what must be done? The reason is that’s not who I am. I shoot by feel. As photographer Henry Wessel said, “I actually try and work before my mind is telling me what to do.” I notice a scene, I lift my camera, take a few shots, and move on. That’s how I like to work, whether it’s on the streets in a crowded city or out in nature with just me and the birds.
Mapping out the light. Planning a composition. Taking pre-shots with my phone to judge the best compositional angle. These things are anathema to me. Let’s pause and make sure it’s known I am not disparaging those who work this way. No judgement here. To each his own. Point in fact, I wish I could have the deliberateness and the composure to shoot in this manner. But patience and I are not friends. Neither of us understands the other, and we’re good with that. We’ve reached détente.
Tripod Assisted
One of the other reasons to not carry a tripod is I feel if I am carrying it, then I need to use it. Why bring this awkward thing with me if it’s not going to get used? Well, duh, David, what’s the point? The point is, when I’m out with my camera, I don’t always want to use it. Sometimes I want to just experience the scene around or in front of me without taking a photograph.
A scene from a modern concert comes to mind with everyone’s phones raised above their heads recording the show instead of just listening and feeling the music. Being in the moment is becoming a lost art. Feeling compelled to take a picture takes me out of the moment when all I want to do is just enjoy.
No Tripod
I think tripods are another factor in my annual losing interest in macro flower photography. After I satiate myself with studio photographs, the next logical step is to go outside and get pictures in the field of the blooming flowers. But to do that, I really need to take my tripod (you can do macro without, but it does limit creative freedom, at least for me). So, on the one hand, I can go out with my tripod to take pictures of the pretty flowers, or on the other hand, I can just move onto a different kind of photography that doesn’t require a tripod. Guess which one I always choose?
A question comes to mind as I close out this article. If I don’t like tripods so much, how come I have five of them? Probably the same reason I have 10 different camera bags. Despite my personal distaste for lugging around tripods—be they heavy or light—I definitely concede they are a fundamental part of good photography. And when the picture requires one, I will do my duty and haul that three-legged thing into the back country and let it enable me to take some wonderful photographs. Just don’t expect me to make it a habit.
Tripod Assisted Using Pixel Mapping
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