7 reasons to use a tripod

...and low light isn't one of them! Steve Davey outlines seven reasons why always carrying a tripod can give you more creative choices and help you to take better photos

- By Steve Davey

Many photographers have got out of the habit of carrying tripods. With ISO performance seemingly improving with every new Nikon camera release, photographers are now able to work at higher ISOs than ever before. Whether on an extended overseas trip, or just a local photographic excursion, this has resulted in many shedding a little weight by leaving their tripod behind. But tripods have always been about more than being able to photograph in low light, and having one with you can open up a world of creative choices.

Prior to the pandemic, I spent years travelling around the world, photographing in all sorts of countries. I love photographing people and festivals, and although I always packed a tripod - most of the time I didn't carry it around with me, preferring to handhold my camera, work quickly and move on.

During Covid times, with my wings severely clipped, I had to relearn a whole new and more considered style of photography. Through necessity, I started to explore my local area in the West Country. I had only moved down from London a couple of years before and hadn't properly explored: now I spent days roaming across Dartmoor, Exmoor and the Somerset Levels. Previously no more than a handful of the shots I would take would be on a tripod; during Covid it was the vast majority. Tripod-based techniques that I might have used maybe once every few months now became things that I would employ on a daily basis.