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Photography Equipment: It Doesn't All Have To Be High Tech

By Wayne Cosshall 

Even though we work in a digital photography mode, that doesn’t mean that we have to rely entirely on high technology. Although it can be tempting to rely on high technology for everything, it may not always be best.

For example: My real passion is landscape photography—particularly infrared landscape photography. Because of this I spend a lot of time (or at least as much time as my other commitments allow) out in the country. At a recent workshop I conducted in the country several participants were late because they relied on GPS navigation systems to get them there. It didn’t work. They only arrived after falling back on the old ways: using a good map and asking directions.  

Now, GPS can be really handy for location information (latitude and longitude). But because I am mostly still working from roads, I find that I can simply rely on maps to keep track of where I am.

Sometimes, I use Google Earth before each trip. This is a great tool because it allows me to scout possible locations from which to shoot before I get there. But Google Earth is not the complete answer.Because of issues of wireless Internet coverage, Google Earth is not something I can rely on in the field. So what I prefer using on site is a good set of topographic maps and a compass. With practice, you can get almost as good an idea of the terrain and what you will confront as you get with Google Earth.

There is another major benefit of carrying the maps with me: If I decide to wander off into a different area than I have researched, I am still covered. The best of both worlds is when I compare the Google Earth view with the same area on the map. I can then annotate the map with likely shooting locations.

Another tool I rely on is a good pair of binoculars.  I often take two: one larger pair and a compact folding pair that stays in my camera jacket pocket. With these I can scout the terrain further ahead when I am on a rise or hill and look for places I wish to explore more closely.

The combination of pre-trip preparation on the computer with good maps and binoculars in the field gives me good information plus the freedom and flexibility to go wherever else I may feel like going. This flexibility is important, because sometimes the weather will push me to head in a certain direction or to give up on where I am for another time and try somewhere, anywhere, different.

Other simple, low-tech items can also help you get great shots. The tripod is as old as photography. And although it may be made of newer materials, a tripod is fundamentally no different today than yesterday. Paired with the tripod is the cable release.  Sure, today’s versions may be electronic rather than purely mechanical, but a cable release is still so simple and continues to be a key tool in great photography.

In an era when all the emphasis in photography publications seems to be on acquiring the latest digital photographic technology, it is worth remembering that simple, low-technology equipment is still important.
Posted 12-29-2008 5:14 PM by Eileen Fritsch
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