Beating the Tripod Police with My Platypod Ultra

Anyone who likes taking photographs inside museums, historic buildings, train stations, churches, or other public buildings has probably encountered them — the Tripod Police.

You walk through the door carrying a regular tripod and suddenly somebody is telling you, “Sorry, no tripods allowed.”

I understand why. A full-size tripod takes up space, creates a tripping hazard, and can get in everybody’s way. But sometimes I want a steady camera for a photograph inside a dark building without pushing the ISO through the roof.

So I’m going to start carrying my Platypod Ultra again.

The Platypod is basically a tripod without the legs. It is a small, flat metal plate that fits easily into my camera bag. I can attach a small ball head, mount one of my Sony cameras on it, and put it on the floor, a bench, a table, a railing, or another safe flat surface.

That opens up some interesting possibilities for my photography.

Instead of standing at normal eye level, I can put the Platypod right down on the floor and get those really low-angle photographs that I enjoy making. Inside a big building, that low viewpoint can make columns, staircases, ceilings and people walking through the scene look completely different.

And because the camera is supported, I can experiment with slower shutter speeds. People walking through the building can become slightly blurred while the architecture stays sharp. That can turn an ordinary interior photograph into something that shows movement and life.

Best of all, the whole setup is small enough that I'm not walking around with three tripod legs spread across the floor.

Of course, if a building's rules prohibit all camera supports, the Platypod stays in the bag. But when the rule is about full-sized tripods blocking walkways, this little piece of equipment can be a very useful alternative.

Sometimes you don't need a newer camera or another expensive lens to change your photography.

Sometimes you just need to put the camera six inches off the floor and see the building from a completely different point of view.

And if the Tripod Police come looking for three legs?

Good luck. Mine doesn't have any.