Long exposures without a tripod?

[dreed]

I've been considering some ... more interesting ways in which to shoot photographs and some of them include wanting to be in a situation where a tripod (or an ordinary tripod) just won't work...

For example, how do you shoot at 1/5th of a second when you've absailed half way down an office building and the only solid, flat, surface is that of the vertical office building?

Do you put suction cups on the feet of your tripod?
Will they hold a full frame body plus zoom lens?
Do you use something else to keep the camera still?
Or just give up?


To twist that just a bit more, if you're climbing up a sheer rock surface (as people do up El Capitan, etc), suction cups aren't going to work on rock. What then?

[John Nollendorfs]

Just be creative, no tripod necessary. Just press the camera against the wall being careful to have it level. Should be able to execute several second exposures. Really helps to get an articulated display to help frame the composition better.

[jonathanlung]

I don't rock climb or abseil, but I'm thinking that a tripod could indeed work on both a rock-face and a flat building (at least for a large number of angles). The camera would be mounted to the tripod in the normal fashion and the tripod "resting" on the building/whatever. Instead of using the downward gravitational force for stabilization, one could perhaps use your own weight (with your legs extended, especially if mounting the tripod on a surface that is at an incline of greater than 180º from the horizontal), using the resultant normal force as a way of stabilizing the tripod.

[dreed]

I don't rock climb or abseil, but I'm thinking that a tripod could indeed work on both a rock-face and a flat building (at least for a large number of angles). The camera would be mounted to the tripod in the normal fashion and the tripod "resting" on the building/whatever. Instead of using the downward gravitational force for stabilization, one could perhaps use your own weight (with your legs extended, especially if mounting the tripod on a surface that is at an incline of greater than 180º from the horizontal), using the resultant normal force as a way of stabilizing the tripod.

I think what you're saying is that if I'm away from the surface then the force that wants to bring me vertical can be used in such a way as to hold the tripod?

[SeanBK]

Back in early 70s. I attended one of the original Nikon School Of Photography & they had a wonderful suggestion. Turn the camera upside down, so the back of the screen is against the flat forehead, in lieu of resting against the nose. Then shoot either Timer or just pushing up on the shutter.
  Try it, it does require a little time to get used to.

[Ellis Vener]

For example, how do you shoot at 1/5th of a second when you've absailed half way down an office building and the only solid, flat, surface is that of the vertical office building?...To twist that just a bit more, if you're climbing up a sheer rock surface (as people do up El Capitan, etc), suction cups aren't going to work on rock. What then?

The human body can make a very good shock absorber, Hold the camera firmly against your face with both hands with your arms tucked in against your torso, think relaxing thoughts and breathe out while you release the shutter.
You might also look into a KenLab KS-3 or KS-4 gyro

[jonathanlung]

I think what you're saying is that if I'm away from the surface then the force that wants to bring me vertical can be used in such a way as to hold the tripod?

Yes; I've tried holding a camera against a jagged surface with my feet planted firmly on the ground to take shots on the order of seconds (both on film and digital) with good results. But I'm not a pixel peeper, so it may not have been up to the standards of serious shooters. The only problem that I've had is lack of flexibility in composition due to being at the mercy of finding a stable set of nooks and crannies. It should be easier with a tripod.

[KevinA]

I've been considering some ... more interesting ways in which to shoot photographs and some of them include wanting to be in a situation where a tripod (or an ordinary tripod) just won't work...

For example, how do you shoot at 1/5th of a second when you've absailed half way down an office building and the only solid, flat, surface is that of the vertical office building?

Do you put suction cups on the feet of your tripod?
Will they hold a full frame body plus zoom lens?
Do you use something else to keep the camera still?
Or just give up?


To twist that just a bit more, if you're climbing up a sheer rock surface (as people do up El Capitan, etc), suction cups aren't going to work on rock. What then?

First choice Fast lens, high iso it's what they are for.

Even if you get a tripod to work, composing is going to be very difficult, at best you would end up with what the tripod wants to give you.

Kevin.
www.treewithoutabird.com