We have decided to start a blog on photography for all the beginner photographers out there who might want the perspective of a not-so-professional. In other words, someone like you who is learning as they go.

I thought I would start things off by talking about my most recent lesson… While the learning curve for photography today has taken a giant leap forward from even ten years ago, there are still so many things to learn. In fact, while I have had a camera in my hand for more than 30 years, and I have had my Nikon D300 for more than two years, I am still constantly amazed at what I don't know. However, to start things off on a simple note, this week I once again learned the important lesson that one who enjoys taking low light, water or river shots or scenery shots in general, should always carry a tripod or monopod. While I have a tripod, I rarely carry it with me on my everyday travels as my truck is usually full of children and various other daily necessities. Yet this summer, I have wished for something to steady the camera on so many occasions I have come to the conclusion, a monopod is a good investment. You can pick one up relatively cheap, they are incredibly compact, light and easy to take with you and really…. there is no reason not to have one.

Case in point:

On my way to a photo shoot a few days ago, I noticed a spectacular orange moon setting over the mountains low on the horizon. It was still twilight and I pulled over to capture the shot. However, the light was lower than I expected and I soon realized I would need to drop my shutter speed way below a 60th of a second….. Of course, no tripod. This in turn meant ten minutes of frustration. I became a laughing spectacle to those passing by as I desperately tried to prop my camera and myself on different parts of my truck. I have been told by a few passer by's that I did indeed look quite silly...   "What on earth were you doing on the hood of your truck yesterday?" was one particular remark.

It took 10 minutes of experimenting to finally get one good shot. Now, had I packed a tripod or monopod, this would have been a two minute stop that no-one laughed at and I most likely would have had a selection of great shots with the moon on the edge of the mountain where it was when I first pulled over. Instead, my one shot is a tenth of what it could have been due to the fact that by the time I finally had everything propped for a decent photo, the moon had almost set behind the trees.

So, my lesson this week, invest in the proper equipment and as I have learned so many times, always be prepared. On a lighter note, I have ordered a monopod….