Geared Up

Tripods come in many sizes, from tabletop models to heavy-duty camera stands designed for studio use. Because of the variety of types, styles, and even colors, there’s rarely a one-size-fits-all tripod for most photographers. And, like eating potato chips, you can’t have just one.

“Never have I found the limits of the photographic potential. Every horizon, upon being reached, reveals another beckoning in the distance.”—W. Eugene Smith

“Great things are not accomplished by those who yield to trends and fads and popular opinion.”—Jack Kerouac

There’s more to black-and-white photography than an absence of color. One reason purists refer to black-and-white images as “monochrome” is that it’s a more precise term covering photographs made in sepia and other tones.

One of the hallmarks of fine art photography is the production of archival prints. Which begs the question, does the social media generation care about a print’s longevity or photographic prints at all? Maybe that changes when you drop five figures on a fine art print or hire a high-end photographer to create a portrait you expect to last as long as a traditional silver-based print.

“I think all art is about control—the encounter between control and the uncontrollable.”—Richard Avedon