Why I still use a monopod

The well known photography website Peta Pixel recently ran an article looking at "The Beloved Photography Gear That Nobody Uses Anymore".  The author, Jeremy Gray, included monopods in the list.  His final paragraph summarises his arguments:

"Between lighter lenses, better camera stabilization, and improved ISO performance, the only photographers who still use monopods are people working with 400mm f/2.8 and 600mm f/4 lenses, which themselves are becoming less common in the age of super-light, compact telephoto lenses with slower apertures."

While I can accept some of his thinking I certainly dispute that monopods are almost obsolete for most photographers.  I am, to put it bluntly, no longer young.  I can no longer hold myself in awkward positions for any length of time without some bodily tremor creeping in.  Even the very effective IBIS on the EM1 Mkii can't compensate for inadvertant backward and forward movement (pitch).  And my age certainly induces pitch if I'm handholding a camera and can't brace myself.

Which is where a monopod comes in.

Our youngest daughter bought me the one shown above a few years ago to replace my aging 1990's Manfrotto monopod.  This one has the advantage of removable, foldable tripod feet.  I added a small ballhead I had hanging around and was ready to go.  It's quite light but easily strong enough to support my Olympus gear.

My primary use is for field macro of insects and other small subjects.  The manouverability of a single column and ballhead allows me to either get into awkward spots and still have a measure of stability or set up station beside a suitable nectar plant and hold the camera steady while I wait for the best angle for a shot.  This also helps me to shoot in situations where I can manouver a suitable backdrop behind the subject while shooting one handed.  If I'm using manual focus for macro it also helps to further steady the shot as the camera and lens are slowly rocked to get the correct plane of focus.

The secondary use is for situations where using a tripod would be impractical - or even forbidden.  With the tripod foot off I'm just an old man with an adjustable walking stick.  The fact that I can steady my camera for a close up or a focus stack is just a bonus.

The tertiary use is for ground level shooting:  

With the camera mounted on the ballhead and angled to hold it level but off the ground it's easy to lay the monopod flat on the floor and hold it in position with a foot or knee.  Yes, a bean bag would work as well - but I don't routinely carry one.  

A final use is one that most older photographers encounter if they're trying the aforesaid low level shots.  Getting down for the shot is relatively easy - gravity assists.  Getting back up again as hips and knees creak and groan is rather harder.  The additional support of the monopod certainly helps.

No, the monopod is certainly not dead.  Here's one user that increasingly relies on one.

Getting higher and higher

There's a tendency for all photographers to stick with the familiar.  In my case it's to set my viewpoint somewhere between my eye height and ground level.  This doesn't always provide the best view for complex scenes such as gardens.  A little more height, to provide a more elevated viewpoint, can provide a very different picture.

In my own garden I occasionally photograph from the upstairs windows to produce images looking down on the scene.  For example:

Part of my rear garden taken from a first floor window

 I've also increased height by going up on a step ladder.

Part of my rear garden taken from a ladder

Even though the viewpoint is only about 8-9ft / 250-280cm above ground level the use of a wide angle lens (my old Tokina 12-24mm before it expired) gives a definite feeling of looking down on a scene.

Working, as I now do, in the 10 acres of The Garden House, I have areas I can photograph using a higher vantage point - and areas I can't.  The walled garden, for example, has vantage points on terraces and on the tower that links an upper and lower terrace.

Looking down on the tennis court terrace at the Garden House, Devon

View over the walled garden from the vantage of a window in the tower at the Garden House, Devon

Shots like these are easy to take using conventional tripod, wide angle lens and remote release but they definitely give a feeling of a different perspective on a garden.  But what do you do if the terrain is flatter or you need height to see over hedges or other obstacles?  Carrying a stepladder round a ten acre garden is far too cumbersome.  My tripod, even with the centre pole extended, only gives me a small amount of height extension.

So I've been trying a technique I've used before but never extensively.  It involves mounting my 600D camera on my old Manfrotto monopod (25+ years old), adding my 15-85mm Canon lens, switching the focusing to manual and setting a hyperfocal distance, switching on live view with the articulating screen positioned so I can see (just) the screen, and hoisting the whole lot as high as I can get and still trigger the camera using the remote release.  Yes, it's a bit hit and miss.  The monopod does move around a bit - but the good IS on the 15-85 and a wide angle setting such as 15 or 18mm produces sharp photos in good light, even at ISO 100 to get the best dynamic range.  Even though I can see the live view screen it's too far away to do more than roughly judge the angle of a horizon or upright feature.  But you can, with a bit of practice, get excellent results.  Results such as these:

Elevated view over the borders in the walled garden at the Garden House

Elevated view over the hedges in the walled garden at the Garden House

Elevated view over the drift plantings of the Summer Garden at the Garden House

Elevated view over the drift plantings of the Summer Garden at the Garden House

Elevated view of the tower in the walled garden at the Garden House.  The window vantage point for the earlier shot is on the tower.

In practice I'm getting shots taken from a viewpoint about 11-12ft / 330-360cm above ground level. Where there is no suitable vantage point it's certainly worth a try to produce some different views of familiar scenes.  Another advantage if you have taller structures in the shot (the tower above is a good example) is that shooting from a higher viewpoint reduces the converging verticals problem so common with lower level shots.  Yes, it can be overcome with tilt/shift lenses - but those are beyond my budget.

I'm planning to get an 80D in the next six months (Alamy earnings permitting).  With it's built in Wi-fi and ability to be controlled from a phone app I can see me getting even higher.  There are taller monopods out there and even special extendable poles that will carry a suitable camera mount.  And all at an affordable price.  Of course, you get a few funny looks from visitors - but it's worth it.  At least I'm not taking selfies.