Today I replaced my trusty tripod with a sleeker, and most importantly, lighter version. I have had the same tripod for over 14 years, almost my entire life as a photographer. Like many people I tend to develop somewhat of a sentimental attachment to objects that mean something to me, although I don't go overboard with it. After all, it's not like I've named it, ala Wilson in the movie Cast Away (I tried calling it Manfrotto, but that just didn't stick. Inside joke for you tripod owners out there). And while I won't be taking it to bed with me tonight, it isn't without a certain degree of reflection that I retire it. We've been many places together, my tripod and I. The thing is a beast, and has served as the bedrock of almost all my photos over the years. Stable as all get out, it's been with me on countless trips to the Texas prairie as I photographed wildflowers, on several journeys to the Desert Southwest and the Canadian Rockies, and all over the east coast. It has stood with me in the boiling heat of White Sands National Monument and in the freezing cold of winter along the banks of the Bow River in Alberta. But it became clear during my hikes last year that it was time for a new one, something lighter that I could attach to my pack or carry over my shoulder. Plainly put, I got tired of lugging it around with me. And so today it has been relegated to a corner of my office, a decorative piece from this day forward. Thanks for the memories, old friend.
On a related note, anyone out there want to buy a used tripod? Good as new!
