Induro Blog

That last post really made me interested in the Northern Lights, and I found myself doing a little photo research. Here are ten pretty special shots I found on flickr. Makes you want to grab your tripod and head north, eh?

photo by Hörður B. Karlsson

photo by icerock

photo by arctic pj

photo by Ói

photo by scottchochon

photo by Tom Oliver

photo by IngaHel

photo by photoranger54

photo by J.E.T.

photo by digitalosh

A groups of artists recently journeyed to the North Pole to make some pictures. That’s their ship, above. You can read all about the voyage in The New York Times, but here’s a quick parse:

We are 14 artists, 2 scientists, and a crew of 4 sailing as close to the North Pole pack ice as we can get away with. Aboard the M/S Noorderlicht, a hundred-year old Dutch schooner, we left Longyearbyen one week ago in the Norwegian territory of Svalbard, the most northerly point in the world with regular air service, for several weeks traveling the Arctic through open sea and sheltered bays, stopping along the way to respond to the landscape in uniquely artistic ways.

WOW. That’s kind of amazing. I happen to know one of the artists on this voyage, Willy Somma, and am happy to report that she and the others returned safely. There was, however, a bit of a problem with Willy’s gear, specifically her tripod. We won’t say who made said tripod, but it wasn’t Induro, and there were issues. For example: it was heavy, it slipped all over the ice, and the grips froze in place in the cold weather, so it became nearly impossible to manipulate. Frustrating.

I asked Willy which tripod she’d bring if she were to go to the North Pole again, and she chose this one, the CT414. It’s a BEAUT.

The largest of the new 8X CT-Series, it can easily hold Willy’s Large Format camera.

These tripods are light and strong, and have some amazing features. These two would have been helpful in the North Pole!

As it was, Somma leaned on railings and such when her tripod was acting up. She got some pretty amazing shots.

The Money Shot.

The Northern Lights looked white in person, but came out green in the images.

I love these, they feel like paintings.

Of course, they’d probably be sharper if Induro was on the case.

File this one under “you can’t make this up”.  Photographer Michael Hoffman wrote on his blog yesterday about saving a life with his new Induro tripod. Really!

This was the lifesaver, the C214:

The new, even more awesome CT214 was just released– see specs below. This one could probably save TWO lives.

CT214
INDURO CARBON 8X CT-Series tripods are the strongest, most stable tripods ever offered. A wide stance cross-braced magnesium alloy spider, ultra-light 8X layer Carbon Fiber legs, oversized center column lock and enhanced leg angle locks all contribute to a tripod with up to 35% greater stability, rigidity and higher load capacity. Includes interchangeable rubber feet and stainless steel spikes, a tool kit and deluxe carrying bag and strap.
Height: 20.9″ Folded / 61.2″ Extended

Apparently strong and stable was just what the doctor ordered for Hoffman. Here’s what happened, in Hoffman’s words:

Once in a while, you get far more than you expect from a piece of gear. On Saturday, I used my tripod to help save a life.

I was happy to have purchased Induro’s C214 Carbon 8X CT-Series tripod back in March. I have found the C214 to be lightweight, sturdy, reliable, and most importantly, affordable! Combined with the Induro DM12 ballhead, I have a budget minded gem of a tripod, just right for my mid-sized SLR rig.

This weekend, though, I got my money’s worth and more from my Induro. My wife and I joined my parents in the mountains of northern Georgia, land of a thousand waterfalls. It being the peak weekend for fall foliage in that area, we were taking in the scenery and visited some of the local waterfalls as well, including Helton Creek Falls near Blairsville, GA. I was able to capture some nice pictures such as the one below:

We were up near the area where you see the man standing, and a tourist had ventured out onto the rocks to snap a few pictures upstream. As I looked on from the edge, I saw him slip, his feet went out from under him, and he began sliding over the edge!

Fortunately, I was there with my tripod, already fully extended, and was able to stand in the relative safety of the bank and offer him the end of the tripod. He grabbed it, I pulled him up, and aside from being shaken up (and likely having a bruised backside) he was fine.All’s well that ends well, but what a nerve-wracking experience! I’m glad I was there to help, thankful I had the Induro tripod, and relieved that it is made a solid and sturdy as it is. A life depended on it.

Yikes! That’s some scary business! Here are some calm, beautiful sunsets from Mr. Hoffman to calm us down:

See more of his work, here.  And remember, never underestimate the importance of a sturdy tripod! Also: be careful around slippery waterfalls.

After my last post, I had a nice exchange with Ian Sitren, and he sent me some photos from the Mr. Olympia event in Las Vegas a few weeks ago. Cool! See three below. Ian made these with an Induro monopod and ball head.

I love knowing gear secrets! Check out the info on a new Induro monopod and a new ball head. These products are better than ever!

CM25

I love a monopod. So, so handy.

BDH2

This guy is my favorite. He's having the most fun.

Now get shooting!

I know I got all excited about new stuff in the last post, but I just can’t help myself. These new Carbon CT Series 8X Tripods are too rad. Here are the stats, lest you didn’t check them out on the website.

I thought it would be fun to demonstrate the strength of this gear by utilizing the imagery of Ian L. Sitren, who provided a super duper interview for us a few months back.

To recap, Ian told told us his story of finding (and loving) Induro:

Tripods were always an annoyance to me. Then I found Induro and I was transformed. It became a convenience.

So many guys in the front row of the press pit where I was working fought tripods with flimsy legs and non-secure locking mechanisms. Even the lightweight expensive brands got mangled in airline luggage and had extension leg systems that just failed. I found the Induro to be solid and reliable. Locking mechanisms and ball heads that are sound and smooth.

When I fly I typically would check my Induro tripod and head and toss an Induro monopod and head in my luggage. So if I lost the tripod I would have a back up. But when both arrived I would always use the tripod even when a monopod would do, Lightweight and convenient, having that Induro tripod really so very often made my job just easier and let me just make better photos.

Cool! SO, here are the several models of CT 8X tripods that are available- from smallest to largest.  Illustrated, you see, by some of Sitren’s bodybuilders, from smallest to largest. Please don’t take offense, bodybuilders!

CT014

Excellent for point & shoots and SLRs.

CT113 and CT114

Excellent for point & shoots and SLRs.

CT213 and CT214

Excellent for SLRs and Medium Format.

CT313 and CT314

Excellent for Medium Format and SLRs with long lenses.

CT414

WHOA! That’s big!

This tripod is excellent for SLRs with long lenses and Large Format cameras.

-

Thanks for helping us illustrate, Ian! See more of his work, here.

This season is bringing many new things: some chilly weather, a new Photo Plus Expo, and some new Induro news.

New, new, new.

Let’s start with news you can use: The Induro Facebook page. Here you can find all sort of Induro updates. Become a fan today.

I did, and I don’t regret it! I even learned a few things. I especially enjoyed the an Induro review from Photo Focus‘s Scott Bourne. His review is titled “How Induro Tripods Got Me to Make the Biggest Gear Switch of my Life”, and is a good and informative read. Here are some excerpts:

I got my hands on one of the first Induro CT214 -8X CT-Series tripods and wow I am very impressed. This is a well-designed, well-thought-out, super strong and stable tripod. Induro makes its own ultra-light 8X layer carbon fiber legs for this tripod. They include an oversized center column lock and enhanced leg angle locks. What’s really impressive is the non-rotating leg sections. This makes set up and tear down a breeze. While this particular model isn’t strong enough to support my longest lenses, for everything else I do, this 3.3 pound unit will more than do the trick. I’ll have to grab a CT414 for use with the big 500, 600 and 800mm lenses.

Back to the CT214 – Induro didn’t forget anything on this tripod. They include a bubble level, spring-loaded bottom hook (for counter weight), triple closed cell comfort grips on all three legs making it very easy to hoist this bad boy over your shoulder. They also provide interchangeable rubber feet and stainless steel spikes, a tool kit and deluxe carrying bag and strap.

What’s most exciting about this tripod is that it packs up to less than 21″ folded and extends to more than 61 inches extended.

Thanks, Scott!

In honor of Fall, and newness, I thought I’d post some photographers I’ve been thinking about lately, who’ve been making some eye-grabbing work. Here’s an image from each. Check them out, you won’t be sorry!

Michael Hall

Finn O'Hara

Ami Vitale

Jasmine Star

Robert Caplin

Melissa Farlow

Have a great day!

I’m very excited to have Troy House on board today to delight us all with his photography insights. This man has shot the Snuggle bear, my friends. And he loves Induro tripods! Without further ado…

—

I hear you’re a long time fan of Induro tripods. Any special stories of when a tripod helped you get a truly fabulous shot? If not- then simply- why do you choose Induro?

I think I actually have 4 of them! Tripods are the most under rated piece of equipment. I don’t use a tripod for every shot but when I do it has to be rock solid but I spend a lot of my life on the road and in remote places so it has to be light as well. I have no particular allegiance to Induro, I just use them as they are the best I have found.

I really love the feel of your imagery. You seem to have a unique knack for creating a light, bright, nearly otherworldly feel. Or maybe otherworldly is the wrong word- your images feel “clean”, scrubbed of every day soot and left gleaming and beautiful.

This seems to lend your work ideally to the dreamy lifestyle category. Is this the way you’ve always shot? How did you develop this style, and do you employ any tricks to create the effect?

I actually started as a studio fashion photographer. The first 5 years of my career, the only time I saw the outside of a studio was on my way home. Later, I started shooting more on location. When I started showing that work it wasn’t long before everyone thought I was a location guy. I started taking personal pictures on these fashion trips and started showing it and soon I was getting hired for that more than fashion. It was never a conscious decision but one that I have never looked back on. Being prepared and tenacious is my trick. 80% of what I do is in camera.

I see your parents were in the business of photography as well. How did this help you choose your career, and what was their work like?

Actually this had me running from the business. My father owned a small town portrait studio on Main Street USA with pictures in the window. All I knew of photography was that and I knew it wasn’t what I wanted. I tried to make it as a painter but eventually moved back to photography, I just never did weddings. Once I realized what else you could do with photography, I knew it was for me. My father sold his studio when I was 14 so I didn’t work there when I had really started shooting but it was great to have an expert on speed dial to call with all those photography questions.

Attached are two images I absolutely love. Can you tell us the stories of how they were made?

The pool photo was taking in Turks and Caicos for Harpers Bazaar Australia. It was dusk and I saw a workman walking on the back ledge and I asked a waiter if she would do the same.

The fishing story was taken last year for a hotel client advertising things to do near their property in Aspen. We tried out several locations but I felt they all where too busy and expected. I asked our fisherman to get into some faster moving water as I thought it would be more interesting and he said that you would never fish there. Sometimes the best photos lie a little.

Tell us about your Snuggle ads! I’ve always been intrigued by that Snuggle bear, he was a mainstay of my childhood. How did you approach that project.

Snuggle was one of the greatest projects of my life. It was a few years ago with AD Shawn Kelly at Lowe. We shot it all in Rio as they were shooting the TV spots there as well. The comps called for Black and White so we shot film instead of digital. The client would not be attending so every night we would call with updates. The problem was, it rained every day we were there and the project was called Sunkist Breeze.

We would call back and say, “we shot in the rain and have great work but we don’t have sunny images”. They kept extending our shoot and we kept shooting. Finally we had 2 hours of sun and jumped on the plane home. Every image here was taken in the rain. It was actually fun hauling the snuggle bear everywhere because he is a worldwide icon.We would have huge crowds gather around calling out his name. He actually has different names in different countries. In Brazil they would call out,”Fofo”! This bear was actually very heavy as he was mostly metal on the inside. Now they have switched to cgi so no more Snuggles on set.

What’s next for you in 2010?

Lots of personal work. I have a few projects I am researching at the moment. I am also playing with moving images as well and working on how to translate how I see to the moving image.

Thanks, Troy!

I ran across Jake Khuon‘s flickr stream today and it was fortuitous timing; he’s got all sorts of image-processing tips that I tried out (I then proceeded to lose the rest of my afternoon). But what really caught my eye, and what brought him here to this blog, was the cutest pictures of a fold up Induro tripod. I mean, you can’t make this kind of thing up, it’s just cool.

What adorable tripod is that, you ask? Why, it’s the C014.

Specs:

C014
INDURO CARBON 8X C-Series carbon fiber tripods offer the ultimate in strength, light weight, fast action, and reliable performance. They’re ideal for Backpackers, Nature, Wildlife, Landscape, Photojournalist, Travel and On-location Photographers. C-Series tripods are made of the latest generation of high quality 8-layer carbon fiber tubing which is 60% stronger overall than conventional carbon fiber material. Each leg lock has a specially designed dust and moisture-resistant seal and most tripods include interchangeable rubber feet and stainless steel spikes.
Height: 17.9″ Folded / 54.9″ Extended

Awesome. And now, for some more of Mr. Khuon’s shots. They’re great. And I get the sense he knows a bit about color management and image processing. We may have to introduce him to our friends over at X-rite.

See more here!

Check out the new, extra-stable product line Induro has available. These babies are strong and rugged. And here’s a fun youtube moment to announce the news.