After weeks of research, searching and comparing tripods suitable for hiking trips I finally got the chance to test one of the cheaper options on the market, the HorusBennu 747T aluminum tripod with the LX-1T ball-head. I’ve only had it for a week and so far I have only had a chance to test it on two occasions, both outdoor at twilight with long exposures and loaded with heavy equipment (2kg). So far it has performed quite well considering it is one of the cheapest eBay travel tripods around. I plan on testing this in a wide range of situations and will write a review once I am done. Meanwhile, I’m happy to answer any questions anyone might have regarding the head and legs.

Landscape photographers often plan their shots after the golden hours or twilight. The Photographer’s Ephemeris is a piece of software that helps you plan, not only twilight, but also the sun or moons direction at any given time as well as shadows and the length of the shadow and much more. About two months ago I visited a waterfall, the largest in the area called Månafossen, but arrived too late. The sun was partially blocked by a mountain ridge and only lighting half the waterfall. The upper half was bathing in sun, while the lower part was in shadow, making the shooting less than ideal. Based on my new knowledge of the area, I decided to return either an overcast day or a sunny day between 8 and 12 hoping the valley and entire waterfall would be well lit by the sun. I just recently stumbled upon this software and I decided to give Stephen Trainor’s The Photographer’s Ephemeris a go, starting with my planned waterfall shots. Read the rest of this entry »