Review

As professional photographers, we need to be able to sell not only our photographs but also ourselves – our image. It’s not just about the clients you’ve worked with, the quality of your portfolio, or the prices and deadlines you offer. Many clients, often unconsciously, are also buying you as a person.

Not everyone who takes photos needs to have a tripod. However, in architectural photography, a camera practically doesn’t exist without a tripod. Moreover, it is worth having more than one tripod! Many people believe that the optimal solution is to have three models… A large, versatile “workhorse” tripod (such as the previously mentioned Leofoto LM-324CL or the competing Gitzo GT3543XLS) A medium-sized tripod that we can always take with us, for example, in carry-on luggage or attach to a backpack when going hiking (Albrecht Voss described the Gitzo GK2545T-82QD model) A pocket-sized tabletop tripod that can be useful in specific situations (check out Mike Kelley’s review of the Platypod or the Gitzo Mini Traveler Tabletop Tripod).

A tripod can serve as support for both the camera and the photographer who is exhausted after a long photo session. It can also be a declaration of the photographer’s presence, expressing their intention to capture their subject. During documentary projects, I have consciously used a large format analog camera placed on a tripod, which drew the attention of passersby and became a pretext for conversation, facilitating the establishment of contact with people I wanted to photograph, for example, to take their portraits.

Have you ever had freezing hands during a photoshoot or drone flight? Look no further, as today I present you the best winter glove for photographers.

For some time now, I’ve been convinced that a better tripod or tripod head doesn’t make me a better photographer or improve my photographs in any way. That being said, it definitely makes my life easier and more satisfying instead of difficult. That’s why as a professional architecture photographer I always use carbon tripods from Gitzo with heads and accessories from: Arca Swiss, Really Right Stuff and Sunwayfoto. 

I have to admit that I have a slight obsession with camera tripods. Over the past ten years, I have accumulated six of them in my office and every one has its own unique use. For my architectural shoots in the mountains, I was looking for a real jack of all trades.

If you’re into architectural photography, my guess is that you already know about the abilities of tilt-shift lenses. Canon has been on the forefront of this domain for years. More recently Laowa has started to offer an alternative. Now they have both a 15mm and a 20mm option.

Hikes through the Alps are my favorite excursions, in search of new architecture to photograph. Here I have to work out my pictures. For these photo shoots, I usually stay one night on location. This way I reserve the time with the most beautiful light for photography: late afternoon, blue hour, and early morning.

For my latest shoot in my ongoing photo series Modern Alpine Architecture, I had the chance to test out a new piece of equipment. Data transfer and protection have always been an essential part of my shoots. Usually, I had my laptop on top of a backpack at the trunk of my car or in the passenger seat.

I know for an architectural photographer, the use of a tripod is assumed to be mandatory. It seems like we have our cameras firmly glued to our tripod heads. However, I have to confess that, especially for outdoor shots of buildings, I find the freedom of shooting handheld really liberating.

The first DJI Mavic Pro was announced in September 2016 and released in late 2016. The small size and the foldable design made me absolutely love it. I used the Mavic Pro for 2 years, and I was very pleased by its capabilities. I even won an architectural photography contest here in Hungary with an image created using that drone.

With all of the hubbub around DJI’s newest drone release, many folks are wondering if it’s worth upgrading their Mavic 2’s to the new, pricier, Mavic 3. Heck, even we’ve been wondering how it stacks up in a real-world performance test after comparing the stats in our Mavic 3 comparison article last week.

Unless you live under a rock, you probably have heard about the beyond full-frame Fujifilm GFX 100s. Before making the hefty purchase, you might be wondering how your TS-E lenses would perform on the GFX. I’ll be giving you a good look into how the 100s and TS-E combo works together.

When it comes to geared tripod heads, the more popular options on the market are from Manfrotto. The Manfrotto 410 and 405 heads are go-to options for many architectural photographers, mostly due to them being great value for their price. Even I started with the 410 and then moved onto the 405 head, and personally love the heads I currently have.

One of the key bits of equipment an architectural photographer is pretty much required to have, is a good geared tripod head. I would say it’s pretty difficult to photograph architecture without having one of these. For many architectural photographers, including myself, our first geared tripod heads are probably one of the two options available from Manfrotto.