What to use instead of a tripod.

A few years ago I was listening to a German blogger and he suggested using a bean bag as an alternative to a tripod. It's been so many years since I heard that blog I can't recall the photographer who made the suggestion to give him credit. Anyway, it sounded good, so I made one and tried it.

Tripods can be bulky and awkward many times and time consuming to set up. They can also malfunction or break at awkward times.

A bean bag can be a useful alternative in many situations when you need a long shutter speed, want bracketing shots or even a self portrait. They can be set up in a lot of places very quickly and taken down just as quickly.

You can set it on a block wall;

The roof of your car;

The dashboard of your car (remember if you do this you will have to adjust the white balance to account for the tint of your windshield. You should also ensure the windshield is clean.)

Or the seat of your motorcycle.

It even works with Super Zoom point and shoots;

and pocket size point and shoots.

Of course a bean bag can't replace a tripod in all situations such as standing in an open parking lot or field, but it's small, light and easy to carry and can come in handy in many situations. I made my bean bag with my sewing machine, some fabric and small plastic beads. I imagine filling a sock or ziplock bag with dried beans or rice would work just as well.

If you decide to give this a try let me know how it went for you and what you might have learned doing it.