Pixiq

A DIY photo gadget that you can make from stuff you probably have kicking around in your basement or shed? All right, we are hooked!

It’s one of those completely daft projects, but it actually does work pretty well; creating one of these string tripods takes a few minutes, and if you throw one in your photo bag, it means you're never completely without support when you're out and about taking photos.

But why?

The main problem of taking photos free-hand is that your hands aren’t particularly sturdy. Myself, I find using a heavier camera makes it a lot easier (the inertia of the camera means it is reluctant to move, so up to a point, a heavy camerea is easier to hold still than a very light camera.), but what for lighter cameras? The answer might just be a String Tripod!

I often find myself thinking “Damn, if there was only a way to anchor the camera to the ground…” And that’s exactly the way a string tripod works. Basically, you pull the string taut, and the idea is that you loop the string around something firm – such as your foot, a rock, or a fence. Make the loop bigger, and you can even use it to adjust the height of the camera.

Sure, it will never replace a proper tripod or monopod, but I wouldn’t be surprised if you gain a couple of stops on your shutter time by using this system.

And the best thing? Making one of these is going to cost you less than a bottle of milk and a loaf of bread!

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