I spent about an hour an a half the other day on Roosevelt Island, shooting Big Allis. Mostly trying out different vantage points and then shooting different versions as the light changed.
While I was there, a guy went by on a bike, did a double take, and stopped dead in his tracks. He wanted to ask me about my tripod head (an Arca-Swiss "Cube"). We talked for a while about tripod preferences, which is much more interesting than camera preferences.
@mattblaze You go to Roosevelt Island and don't photograph the wild turkey that's been hanging out there lately? (It had been in Manhattan, even perching on Saks Fifth Avenue, before (correctly) deciding that Roosevelt Island was probably more congenial.)
For the record, I use three main tripods in the field, depending on how light I want to travel.
Big checked bag: Gitzo GT5534LS Systematic, usually with Arca-Swiss Cube head.
Smaller checked bag: RRS TFC-34, usually with Arca-Swiss Core 75 head.
Carry-on only: RRS TFC-24, usually with Arca-Swiss Core 60 head.
All these can easily support my fairly heavy camera; the main difference is max height, though the big-ass Gitzo is a bit more stable under difficult conditions.
I pretty much only use geared heads, with separate X/Y/pan controls. These are much better suited to precise architectural compositions than the more commonly used ball heads. The Arca Cube provides the most flexible range of movement of the ones I have, but the smaller "Core" heads are sufficient for almost all practical purposes.
Good tripods and heads are surprisingly expensive, but, unlike (especially) digital cameras, they last almost forever and don't become obsolete with each new iteration of technology. And you interact with them directly every time you carefully compose a shot.
@mattblaze There is, allegedly, a "slow photography" movement. Dunno if it actually has leaders (do slow movements have leaders), but I'm absolutely sure there are people that would sign up to go on a shoot with you, if you could explain what you're up to. Dunno if that would fit with your style, and probably not something to do unless it really appealed to you.
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