Stabilise your tripod or light stand with these simple DIY hacks

The ulitmate in stability for critical applications has to be the studio stand. For those not fortunate enough to own a studio stand here are a few ideas I use when I don't have my studio stand and for lighter weight light stands. 

This is a low cost hack involving a 20kg bag of beach pebbles from a builders merchant or DIY store and a length of 550lb paracord. I use paracord as there is no stretch under tension. 550lb denotes the Mil Spec tested breaking strain. Using a loop gives 1100lb and more cord to bite into. Paracord is available from many outdoor suppliers from the popular online markets.

 

 

This is my trusty vintage Gitzo Geant tripod with Gitzo No.4 pan tilt head, a legacy from the days I used to shoot sheet film. In the yellow bucket is 20kg of beach pebbles which serve the dual purpose of a background and ballast. I also fill sandbags with pebbles as they don't create dust as does sand when dry.

 

The first loop of paracord is secured to the top of the tripod.

 

 

 

The second loop is secured to the handle of a bucket.

 

The loops of paracord are joined by a Prusik knot which under tension locks tight and will not move. Release the tension and it slides freely.

Click on image to view larger

 There are hundreds, maybe thousands of resources showing how to tie knots. I recommend Animated Knots as the illustrations are easy for knotting novices to follow - that is unless you're a Boy Scout, sailor or climber! https://www.animatedknots.com/prusik-knot

 

Another option is a ground screw, the type of thing used to tether dogs, goats or whatever.

The same principle applies, attach one loop of paracord to the top of the tripod, the other to the ground screw. The ground screw can be twisted to increase tension and stability.

In the absence of a ground screw or when moving around it's possible to put a foot into the the lower loop to improve stability to for long exposure photography. In my expereince it's a better way than hanging a camera bag from the tripod which can swing and cause camera shake.

It's possible to secure light stands in position using a ground screw and two lengths of paracord. This is especially important with carbon fibre lights stands such as the Namgrip LS-255C which weighs around 550g.

With light stands it best to secure the first loop of paracord to the top of the first riser which helps give extra tension.

One advantage of the ground screw it can be screwed into the groind an extra turn or two to increase the tension on the paracord and in turn stability of the light stand.

This ground screw is about 500mm long and can be purchased from pet stores on the highstreet or online.

Another favourite with light stands is to use 2 litre bottles of water in place of sand bags, especially on location. You don't need to carry the bottled water, just a tote bag or similar. Buy a couple of cheap super market bottles, in UK I've founf them for as little as 17p for 2 litres. I keep a couple in the car for this purpose and radiator tops-ups etc.

If you work with battery flash that has a remote pack, a strip of duplex hook and loop (Velcro) will secure the pack for added stability.

I also use my bag for ballast, just feed the light stand riser through the carry handles or attach with a loop od paracord.

That's it for now, I hope this inspires you to try accessible alternatives to keep your tripod and light stands stable.

I offer one to one training for selected photographers and bespoke training for businesses who need to keep their photography in-house. Feel free to contact me to discuss your requirements.

Keep safe and remember your health is important in these strange times.