One thing we discover as we get into landscape photography is that it tends to encourage more and more gear accumulation. Tripods, filters, remotes, etc. It seems there is always something more to purchase and add to our ‘need’ or ‘want’ list! It can be hard to decide which gear is truly worth the expense.
If you are into long exposure photography or astrophotography, there is one piece of gear that is a total game changer. That item is an “L Bracket”. This little piece of metal is in the shape of an L and it screws onto the bottom of your camera where you would screw on the tripod plate. It replaces the plate and stays on your camera tightly unless you take it off. It adds a small amount of weight and bulk but minimally so and is well worth the benefit.
The L Bracket allows you to place your camera securely in either horizontal OR vertical orientation. In my experience, long exposures with a typical tripod plate are frequently lacking sharpness, especially with a heavy camera and lens combination. This is because when the ball head is turned to shoot vertically, the weight of the camera causes it to slip and even the slightest movement will create blurriness in our images. The L bracket allows the camera to sit securely on top of the tripod without moving during long exposures.
The ability to shoot portrait orientation long exposures is especially helpful in situations such as shooting tall waterfalls or astrophotography when you want to capture the height of the sky and Milky Way. It is also helpful in keeping the camera composition steady when utilizing focus stacking in a vertical orientation. As a bonus, I find my camera is more secure on my tripod with the L bracket than the tripod plate regardless of whether I’m shooting horizontally or vertically.
The L bracket also means you don’t have to worry about forgetting your tripod plate because it will always be ready to mount on the tripod. The little allen wrench fits in a space at the bottom of the L bracket so it is always there if an adjustment is needed. Be sure to purchase an L bracket specific to your camera model and make sure it works with the ball head on the tripod. Just check the details online when you purchase or ask the camera store you are purchasing from.
Milky Way capture in September 2019 using my D850 and Kirk L bracket
I hope you find using an L bracket to be helpful in your landscape and night photography!
Kristen Ryan is an award winning and published landscape and fine art photographer and educator residing in the Midwest suburbs of Chicago. All images are available for purchase in the Fine Art Store or by request. Kristen leads ladies landscape photography retreats in the Tetons, Chicago, and the Canadian Rockies, offers private mentoring and teaches an online landscape photography workshop, The World Around You.
The next run of ‘The World Around You’ beings April 20th! Registration opens in early March!