Landscape Photographer Scott Davenport: 3 Ways I Use Platypods in My Photography
San Diego-based landscape photographer and instructor Scott Davenport is passionate about helping people become better photographers. It is a goal that inspired his photography-focused YouTube channel, the Scott Davenport Vlog, a page filled with topics and tips meant to train photographers and foster community. Scott's vlogs are easy to consume, each just minutes long, with practical content like: Challenges at Low Tide; Pushing through a Creative Rut; and Long-Exposure Processing Tips.
For landscape photographers like Scott, the tripod is a critical piece of photography gear. Scott talked to us recently about how Platypod is shaping his photography experience as a busy photographer and photo educator who is often scouting locations, hiking miles of trails, and onto the next shoot or photography class. "I have several uses for them," Scott explains on his channel. "They've become a handy thing in my kit."
We love hearing that Platypod makes life a bit easier for a busy landscape photographer like Scott. Here are his favorite three uses for both Platypod Max and Platypod Ultra!
#1: Scouting Trip? Leave the Heavy Tripod Behind!
Scouting trips can be a lot of work. Scott recommends using Platypod when you don't want a lot of extra weight on your back. "This applies to any situation where you just don't wanna carry your tripod around," Scott explains. "I was recently in the Big Sur area, from sunrise to sunset on some days, and just hiking, looking for different types of spots and shots to get at Golden Hour, and I would leave the tripod in the car, because frankly, carrying my full tripod started to just get heavy."
"In one situation, I was in a creek area and the light was kind of filtering through the trees ... I didn't have my tripod, but I had one of my Platypods in the bag; took that out, set it up on a rock in the creek, got my camera on it and was able to capture some nice photos that I would not have been able to do handheld."
#2: Avoiding Awkward or Tricky Tripod Situations
We hear this one a lot, especially for those moments when you wish you could set up the tripod and do the whole photo-shoot thing, but it's just not a good look or feel for everyone in the room.
"I was sitting in a restaurant, took a shot with my cell phone because I liked the way the interior looked and thought, wow this would look cool as an HDR," Scott recalls. "I'm a sucker for a particular wood grain, a slight orange type of caste. Well, I wasn't going to break out my ginormous tripod. Instead, I took out my Platypod and set it up on the corner of the table in the restaurant and that worked out really well."
"It was inconspicuous," he adds. "Extend that to locations where you can't have a tripod -- museums, interiors of buildings, churches and cathedrals in Europe. If you have one of these in your bag, it's so low-profile, you just set it up on a ledge, a window sill, and grab your shots."
#3: Taking Video: B-Roll & BTS Footage
Scott Davenport uses Platypod Ultra to record Photographers in Cars podcast. One of our favorite episodes was the Platypod Unboxing episode -- no surprise there!
For Scott, video is a huge part of his role as a photographer, but especially as an educator and trainer. "I'm capturing b-roll, BTS footage, or doing on-location interviews to talk about what I'm doing with the camera, why I'm composing a certain way," he explains. "Now, I'm incorporating Platypods into the mix, as well. It gives me options for multiple camera angles, helps me capture more of the surrounding area to give me a better feel for locations."
"I keep finding useful ways to use them," Scott adds. "Platypods have a role, they are very useful and I will continue to find ways to incorporate them into my photography."
Like this? Join Scott on his Scott Davenport YouTube channel for more awesome content about taking your photography to the next level; and his check out his Photographers in Cars podcast, too!
