I've come to learn if you're going to get into photography, always, always, always carry a tripod.  Unless you are shooting in bright daylight - which, for a number of reasons, isn't the optimum lighting conditions - then you're going to most likely need to fall upon the use of a tripod or deal with blurry - or at least soft - images.

Madison at Night © Kevin W. Hammond All Rights Reserved

After watching the Nikon School breakfast series, I was sold on the idea of carrying a table top tripod with me at all times.  I picked up a Manfrotto 3007KIT, a table top tripod kit that fits nicely in the front of my bag.  This tripod is cast iron and rock solid and thank goodness I had it in my bag last night!  I was returning to my hotel from Tom's and saw a beautiful reflection on the lake from downtown Madison.  The only lens I had with me that could grab that shot from across the lake was a Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM lens - and I had forgotten my main tripod at home!  Since I carry the table top tripod with me, I was able to mount it to the big lens, drop to my belly and actually get the shot you see here.   Without the tripod, I doubt I would have gotten this shot.

Yesterday, I used Tom's Manfrotto full size tripod and found it to have the same rock solid feel as my table top tripod.  So I bought one - the Manfrotto 3001BPRO and the grip action ball head.  Man are they nice!

Window at the Canturbury Inn © Kevin W. Hammond, 2004 All Rights Reserved

While traveling on business to Madison, Wisconsin and staying at the Canturbury Inn, I completed reading Bryan F. Peterson's Learning to See Creatively.  On my day of departure I awoke late and threw open the curtains of the window and turned to walk away and shower.  But then I stopped.  I remebered reading about patterns.  I remembered reading about framing images that prevent the eye from leaving the picture.

I had left my tripod at home on this trip, but fortunately had my mini Manfroto with me.  I quickly scoured the room for something that would afford me the height I needed to take a picture of the window.  I placed the desk chair atop an endtable chess board, extended my mini tripod as high as it would go and framed the shot above.

I used my 18-55mm lens set to 37mm, chose an aperture of f/22 and adjusted my shutter speed until 1/6 second indicated a correct exposure at ISO 400.

I'm currently taking Bryan F. Peterson's Understanding Exposure course over the Internet.  We're into the second week - studying the creative aspect of aperture and shutter speed.  In completing last weeks lesson today, I made this shot based upon a technique I read in Popular Photography and Imaging.