The Manfrotto Element MII is a lightweight tripod aimed at hobbyists and entry-level photographers who need something sturdy yet easy on the pocketbook. But the tripod seems to check many boxes for such an affordable tripod. Let’s have a look. Note: Manfrotto sent us the Element MII aluminum tripod and
You can turn just about any activity into something fascinating by creating a fun time-lapse video. Best of all, you can use just about any smartphone’s built-in camera to create these videos easily! There’s no editing or post-processing that is necessary. Turn on your phone’s camera Your phone already has a
Making multiple images as you are photographing the Milky Way can give you more opportunities for creative projects. You can stack images for noise reduction. Combine photos for time-lapse. Ensure that if the skies change during the night, you already have some clean photos “in the can.’ Intervalometer Many cameras
I looked for a wired intervalometer that could be used for any camera. And I wanted it to be durable. Could I find one for under $20? Here’s what I found. But first, a brief discussion on what I was looking for. Issues I have with existing wired intervalometers I
A time-lapse is a fun way to record those Thanksgiving memories beyond the usual images. Murphy’s Law has a special addendum just for photographers: “Anything interesting that can happen will happen — as soon as you put your camera down.” It’s the fear of this that keeps us clicking away
Video can tell a story very different from the one that is a still frame. When you put a whole bunch of still frames together, a time-lapse is born. Capture I set the camera up in a vertical orientation to capture more stars and a taller Milky Way. I originally
Making a time-lapse of a scene is another way to tell a story. A time-lapse is not hard to do and many computers have the software to create them that come with your computer’s operating system. Capture I recommend making your Milky Way time-lapse capture while shooting in the RAW
I recently got the chance to try out the new Platyball (which is an inverted ball head). While it looks a little bit different from a normal ball head, it works amazingly well for the precise positioning of a camera. Let me walk you through this new piece of gear
If you’re not using the time-lapse feature on your smartphone now, you’re missing out on one of the great tools of the digital age. We get to see the world zipping by, in fast motion, and all it takes to make it happen is a click of a button. Clouds
Many night photographers who photograph the Milky Way will take a blue hour photo of the foreground. We do this so we may blend this image with a Milky Way photo later. But while waiting for the Milky Way to appear, we can still create videos and images with minimal
Selfies with your phone are fun, but you can do so much if you use your camera. You can control the depth of field, lighting, lens choice and you can place the camera somewhere other than arm’s length. All cameras have a timer built into them, and many of them
Got a room with a view? Make the most of it: Set up your camera to shoot a time-lapse movie. It’s a great way to capture the unfolding of time when you’re on a vacation or business trip, or to capture the drama of passing storms on a rainy day.
