Use tripod for better close up shots

A good tripod is almost essential. It not only frees you from needing to have three or four different hands, but it makes it easier to focus and frame an image through a digital camera's LCD screen. A tripod is also a consistent and repeatable support, so if you're taking photographs of your model train collection, the camera can remain the same distance from your rolling stock picture to picture and session to session.

You'll quickly discover that not just any tripod is suitable for close-up photography. Some models are little better than camera stands and the worst of them wobble more than you do. Digital cameras are so small that you might be tempted to go with an equally petite tripod. Don't succumb to the temptation! Although you might not need a heavy-duty studio tripod like the pro is using, you still need something that's rigid enough not to sway while you compose your image, and heavy enough to remain rock-solid during a long exposure. There are smaller tripods available that don't flex under tiny amounts of pressure and resist swaying with every gust of wind or other minor environmental shakes.

Camera supports come in a variety of sizes and shapes, from single-leg unipods or monopods best suited for sports photography to tiny tabletop tripods and full sized studio units. A small, but solid tripod is a good choice if size alone makes the difference between whether you'll carry the tripod with you or not. A tabletop tripod or clamp-style camera mount is generally best used in the same way as that first aid kit in your trunk: You hope you never need to use it, but carry it with you everywhere, just in case.

Here are some things to look for in a tripod used for close-up photography:

• Legs that adjust easily so you can change the height of the tripod quickly. You'll need to make some altitude adjustments while taking pictures, of course. However, you'll find that you frequently need to set up a tripod on uneven surfaces, from stairs (indoors) to a sloping hill (outdoors). Legs that adjust quickly make it easy to set each leg at a different appropriate length or angle for a steady mount on a less-than-flat surface.
• Sure-grip "feet." Rubberized feet at the end of each leg are good for gripping slippery surfaces. Some tripods have feet that can be adjusted to use spiky tips that can dig into dirt, grass, or other iffy surfaces.
• An adjustable center column. You'll need one that's long enough to let you move the camera up or down by a foot or two without the need to adjust the legs.
• A center column that's reversible. This feature comes in handy when you need to point the camera directly down at the floor for some close-ups.
• A tilt and swing head that flips in horizontal and vertical directions, or a ball head that swivels in all directions so you can quickly change the camera angle. With some professional tripods, the tilt and ball heads are a component that's purchased separately.
• Cross-bracing that holds the legs of a light-weight tripod rigid even when extended fully. Sturdier tripods might not need any cross-bracing.
• Locks that let you tightly fix the legs, center column, and tilt head at precisely the position you want.
• If you're taking your tripod out in the field, you might want an extra light model that can be toted around conveniently, but which doesn't sacrifice rigidity. Tripods built of carbon fiber or carbon fiber and magnesium typically weigh one-third less than aluminum models, yet are just as sturdy.

If you take pictures of small, flat objects (such as stamps, coins, photographs, or needlepoint), you might want to consider a special kind of camera support called a copy-stand. These are simple stands with a flat copyboard and a vertical (or slanted) column on which you fasten the camera. The camera can be slid up or down the column to adjust the camera-subject distance. A slanted column is best, because it ensures that the camera remains centered over a larger subject area as you move the camera up. Copystands provide a much more convenient working angle for this type of photography, particularly if your digital camera allows swiveling the lens and viewfinder in different directions.

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