Platypod – A Quick, Long Stop by David Williams


Text and Photos by David Williams

Whilst on a trip to the Canadian Rockies recently I was in need of a little break, having driven a very long way in order to capture as much as I could of the epic scenery throughout the trip. I pulled in to the side of the road between Jasper and Hinton for a quick break and some fresh air when I noticed I’d stumbled upon a quaint little lakeside scene that I just had to capture.

What happened is quite simple – I pulled in at the side of the road to a parking area where there were some trash cans and a bench. Beside the pullout there was a lake. I intended to stop for a few minutes just for a quick break and stretch, but then I spotted the little boat on the bank leading down to the waters edge.

 



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In the back of my car I had a whole pile of gear, and I quickly made a plan about what I wanted to do to shoot this scene. I took out my Nikon D810 and Tamron 24-70 f/2.8, and threaded a Gobe ND10 filter on the front, after having set my focus. I then put the whole thing on a Platypod Max and sat it on the bench with me and fired off a shot at about a three minute exposure.

 



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The entire situation, to me, was a demonstration of how the Platypod is just perfect in so many circumstances. I was able to kick back and enjoy my little driving break, and simultaneously get the job done on this shot. It’s come as a “bonus shot” for me, so I’m still not sure whether I’ll be submitting it as stock or using it as the basis of an article somewhere, but either way I enjoyed that moment where I was able to take a quick, long stop and soak up the scene while the shutter was open and the light was inscribing the vista onto the sensor!



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