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Sunday, July 26, 2009

Lomo Bridgework


Lomo Bridgework
Originally uploaded by lensfodder
I've been wanting to take a photo that'd do this bridge justice for a while...think I might've just pulled it off.

Friday, July 17, 2009

MAKE: A Camera Bean Bag!

I sourced this from the wonderful folks at motherearthnews.com.

Going to try this one out really soon!

BEANBAG CRAFTSMANSHIP

If you've got the coordination necessary to use a camera, you can certainly handle making a beanbag tripod.

The fabric you use for the sack should be nonabrasive, tightly woven, and tough enough to withstand hard knocks and rugged use without ripping. Denim is perfect; a section of old jeans leg is ideal . . . and is half-finished before you even touch it. Just cut a piece of leg to the length you want your bean pod to be, sew one end shut, fill the resulting pouch loosely with the "beans" of your choice, and sew the top shut. (For added strength, the seams should be double- or even triple-stitched.)

Naturally, the dimensions—and to some extent, shape—of your beanbag will be determined by the photo equipment you'll use with it: A tiny rangefinder camera will rest comfortably on a 3" X 6" pant's pocket filled to a thickness of less than an inch; a massive 500mm lens attached to a motorized 35mm SLR (single lens reflex) camera body might require a large bag as much as 6 inches thick. If you'll be resting your makeshift tripod over the windowsill of your car or truck, as my friend the wildlife photographer does, give it some floppy "legs" to hang down either side of the door. And when maximum stability is your goal, think big.

THE ULTIMATE IN PORTABILITY

For added versatility, you can make an "inflatable" beanbag by sewing a zipper into one end of the sack. (Plastic zippers are less durable than metal ones, but they're also less likely to mar expensive and delicate photo equipment.) To assure that you don't lose your beans at an inopportune moment, make several extra passes over the ends and corners of the zipper with strong thread.

This closeable opening will let you pack a virtually weightless and bulkless wad of cloth deep into the woods or to the top of a mountain—where you can fatten the slack sack with wild nuts, stream gravel, sand, dirt, or whatever natural materials are at hand—and have an instant tripod for that "I've been there and I can prove it with pictures" photo session.

EXTRA BITS

A quick burst on Zipper-Sewing-Scariness!