GROUND LEVEL -
Connecting with subjects 

A Gitzo Story By Tom Mason

Join Gitzo pioneer Tom Mason in exploring his love affair with the Gitzo Systematic range for getting low and connecting with his subjects whilst out in the wild. The stability and angles offered by the columnless design are essential tools he utilizes on every project, allowing for creative images and close encounters.

High up above, a barking gives away my subject's presence, and I dash towards my tripod that's been set up in the snow since first light. With legs splayed out on the cold white surface, I jump down behind it, disregarding the coffee I'd just been enjoying. My body suddenly acknowledges the cold permeating through my layers of clothing, while my hands simultaneously reach out in front. One hand instinctively wraps around the grip of my camera, the other finding the locking dial of my Series 4 Ball Head . Loosening it allows movement, and the friction carries the weight of my heavy 600mm lens. 

As a professional wildlife photographer, I’ve had a Gitzo Systematic tripod as part of my core gear for more than a decade. Dependability, functionality and the ease of use of this professional staple are all high up on the reasons for my love affair with these tripods, but if I’m honest the thing I adore more than anything, is its simplicity for getting low. Now there are so many pieces of advice that we share as photographers for making impactful wildlife images, how to focus, expose or edit, however without doubt the most important aspect of any truly interesting image, in my opinion at least, is that of connecting with our subjects, and that’s a rather hard thing to do if you’re not on their level! 

The Importance of Stability

Arguable the most important reason for getting to ground level comes from a fieldcraft standpoint. Lowering yourself and your outline helps to blend you into an environment, minimizing your impact, allowing nature to become more accommodating of your presence, something that’s essential if you’re looking to have those close encounters that provide the opportunities for the most captivating of shots.

Now of course as photographers who are hunting out those gorgeous frames, the aesthetic is the other big plus point and why you’ll want to be down in the dirt. These ground level positions enable us to really accentuate the use of depth of field within our shots, minimizing our plain of focus, rending backgrounds clean and distraction free, perfect for those portraits of wildlife that have immediate presence when viewed. 

Long hours working on the ground inevitably mean a good support is essential. The strain of trying to handhold a long telephoto lens is unfeasible if you want to minimize your movement, but still be ready for those split seconds when a subject comes into view. In addition, a great set of legs allow for an advanced level of creative freedom when it come to shutter speeds or of course just helping to stop fatigue setting in on your arms before the action starts. We all know a good tripod is critical when it comes to stability and taming camera shake, but their additional support in assisting us to retain a composition, angles and specific position is often overlooked. Much like a dog to man, the tripod is a wildlife photographers' best friend and when it comes to working low, they are certainly not all made equal.

All models in the Gitzo lines offer a way to get low, be it a replaceable column in the Traveler, Ground-level set in the Mountaineers or the simplicity of the Systematics flat top. Each come with variable leg angles offering low positions and critically supporting the rated load capacity of the tripod even when completely spread. 

As a user of long telephoto lenses my daily choice is the Systematic line (I specifically love the Series 4, 5 sections for its compact travel size and the ultra low 10cm minimum height), the wide flat top casting is reinforced for structural rigidity offering an impressive load capacity of 30KG, giving me confidence that even with the largest lenses like my 600mm f4, paired with a pro spec body like my Z9, I’m still well within the rated capacity. I can be at ground level in three clicks, pulling up the leg angle adjusters and flattening my tripod out, fast and stable, ready to shoot in anything an assignment throws at me. 

Tom's gear

To bring out the best in your wildlife photography expeditions, choosing the perfect equipment is crucial.   

Connecting with Wildlife

Back on the snow the fox is approaching, the lure of our cabins smell in an empty vastness tempting. Behind my tripod I’m following every move, my low angle giving me a perfect view from my position behind a slight snow drift. The 10cm height of my tripod allows for some of the snow to obscure the frame, giving a hint of out of focus snow for a clean image with depth. I’m no longer cold or concerned with anything, other than the foxes' eyes, my focus point and pressing that shutter when I can feel the connection.

I didn’t notice my tripod until the encounter is over, great tools are invisible, simply working and delivering in the moment to help you get the job done.