How Scott Kelby Uses His Platypod with Travel Photography

We love hearing how passionate photographers are using their Platypods, especially when the endorsement comes from none other than renowned photographer, author, and host of "The Grid" photography show Scott Kelby. Below is an excerpt from The Digital Photography Book, in which Scott describes not only how he uses his Platypod, but also WHY it's necessary in specific situations. While it's increasingly difficult to bring a tripod into popular attractions, Platypods are compact and versatile enough to get you through the door and creating images fast!

"I don’t know what changed in the past few years, but if you set up a tripod to shoot in a city, you can almost count the seconds before a security guard comes up and tells you: “You can’t use that here.” It’s like there’s a war on tripods. So many monuments and attractions now post big “No Tripods!” signs right outside, before you even get to the front door. That’s one of the reasons I carry a Platypod Ultra with me everywhere I travel.  

I love it for shooting low-angle shots (especially when I’m using a wide-angle lens— it makes everything look so epic), and I like that I can put it in places where you couldn’t fit a tripod if they were allowed. I put my mirrorless or DSLR on mine with everything from a 16–35mm lens to my 70–200mm, and it’s solid as a rock (it’s made of commercial aircraft aluminum).

Disclosure: Platypod is one of the sponsors of my weekly photography talk show, The Grid, and I’ve become friends with the inventor, Larry, who is a pediatrician and avid photographer. I don’t get a kickback or a fee or anything if you buy one, but I can tell you they have fans all over the world who dearly love their Platypod like I do, for the same reason I love it. You’ll dig them, too." - Scott Kelby