I have to be honest. When I opened my Gorillapod GP3 as a gift last year, I wasn’t terribly excited. I already had an Ultrapod II and it was working just fine for my needs. I really didn’t see where I would use it in place of the other one. Now, over a year later, I see it for what it is and what it can do.
The unique design of the Gorillapod enables you to make micro adjustments to the height or tilt of whatever you have sitting on top. Not as smooth as a pan/ tilt head, but it isn’t meant to replace a full fledged tripod. The GP3 is the model designed to hold DSLR’s, but they have a range of models for different size cameras, and at different prices.
Mine has been used for taking macro shots, mounting the camera to odd objects (the rubber feet hold it on windows well, as long as you straddle it that is), even wrapping the legs around small fence posts and such. Just the other day I was doing taking some pics in a warehouse and didn’t have a lightstand with me. There was a small step ladder nearby, so I grabbed the Gorillapod, put the Cactus trigger and flash on it – instant lightstand with great “fine-tuning” ability.
It is also quite a conversation piece. I keep it latched onto my Caselogic Hardshell Backpack at all times, even while traveling. People are always asking me “how do you like that? I have been thinking about getting one.” I understand their curiousity and, perhaps, hidden skepticism. I felt the same way. But now I am a believer. If you don’t have one, you don’t know what you are missing, but I would encourage you to get one and try it for yourself.
Cactus remote trigger
. This was my second shoot with the Cactus Trigger, and the first indoors. It proved useful, but with some caveats.
Funny coincidences
Sometimes I think I am a crazy person for believing in some of my photographs the way I do. Take this one for example. It is a crop of a larger image, but there were some things in the larger one that I didn’t like. Rather than editing them out and going through all that (which I deperately need to learn how to do better), I just cropped the image down to the piece I liked. Unfortunately, that operation left the Saguaro cactus in the middle of the image. In all of the images I have seen of Arizona, I can’t really say that I have seen any others like this. Which made me think I was crazy for liking it.
Fast forward to this past weekend. I was reading a book on exposure, and lo and behold, the other had taken a similar image in Arizona. Going through the book more, I saw other shots similar in nature to the ones I had come up with all on my own. Knowing what the publishing cycle is like, I know this guy was there before me. But we saw similar things. That is really encouraging to me. To see similar photos published in a book alleviates any thoughts of being crazy. It reinforces my thought that I might know at least a little bit about what I am doing.
BTW – watch for the book review soon, I am almost done with it. And not too soon – I have 3 more books coming in from Amazon this week.