Off the Beaten Path with the Chronicle
At ProMaster, we don’t just sell our products, we use them! The Chronicle was no exception to this. In our pre launch content pursuits, we put the Chronicle through the wringer, shooting in a number of different environments. Everything from the rocky coastline of Maine to the blistering deserts of Utah, and even the bustling streets of NYC. Each location posed different challenges. Oftentimes when you are on the road shooting, you are quickly changing from one location to the next, scrambling to capture the best light while it's available. To put it simply, gear gets beat up, so it's crucial to have a reliable set of tools on hand. The Chronicle is just that.
Shooting in Downeast Maine
Gigantic slabs of sharp, ocean-washed granite, backed by tightly stacked pines make for both a dramatic and demanding shooting environment. This type of arena is begging to scratch, dent, and destroy your gear. Downeast Maine has some of the earliest sunrises in all of the U.S. – meaning early morning wake-up calls to hike out to shooting locations. Working in the morning darkness while half awake means that gear is going to get banged around. The Chronicle showed no signs of abuse after several full days of hiking and shooting in some of Maine's northernmost coastline.
It was an incredibly versatile tool for shooting landscape images of the coast. The sharp cuts and snags along the trail provided many unique long-exposure opportunities. The full tripod itself can be dropped to a working height of approximately 8 inches, making it a perfect tool for long exposure work. What we found ourselves using more often, however, was the Flexor. We could have the full tripod setup at eye level and immediately remove the Flexor from the tripod's yoke and get ground level with it. Convenience cannot be understated when shooting in off-grid locations. The Chronicle allowed us to more easily get through our shotlist and handled every camera setup that we ran on this particular leg of the Chronicle campaign. Everything from telephoto lenses to cameras rigged out for shooting video.
Result photo of above video. Image credit: Chris Trembley
Unlike most tripods with a ball head, the Chronicle features a video handle. Traditionally, you’d be faced with some serious limitations in your ability to control your camera when using a ball head. The video handle provides an additional level of control that makes a huge difference when you're trying to get smooth panning shots or adjust your framing. The textured rubber material also provides a firm and comfortable grip.
The added benefit of being lightweight was a huge plus for this particular shoot as well. The uneven nature of the terrain combined with large amounts of equipment meant that getting around wasn’t always super convenient. Any weight savings is greatly appreciated. As Clint said, “Bold Coast approved!”
The Deserts of Southern Utah
Utah is a true proving ground for photo equipment. With an extremely diverse set of landscapes, there are an unlimited number of opportunities to test the limits of your gear. In an effort to show the Chronicle’s versatility, we connected with some mountain bikers in Southern Utah and took to the trail.
Virgin, Utah is exactly what you would imagine when you think of the Southwest. A dry, desert landscape that is littered with aggressive buttes, plateaus, and mountains. Dust is nearly impossible to avoid in an environment like this, making it a perfect testing ground.
Our goal was to capture the fast-paced nature of mountain biking and how the Chronicle could be used to capture both unique and dynamic shots. The Chronicle’s ability to be converted into a full-sized monopod was exceptionally helpful. Providing an added level of stability, the monopod allowed us to easily capture sweeping shots of the riders. Along with this, we could easily adjust our framing and height without sacrificing time. Adding the 3-leg base to the monopod not only improved stability but also granted us the ability to create camera motion while maintaining a fixed base. The collar on the 3–leg base can be lifted, revealing a ball joint that allows you to fully articulate the entire monopod.
Once again the Flexor proved to be extremely effective in capturing a wide array of shots. Flexibility and speed are crucial in an environment like this as riders may only make one pass a jump.
The Chronicle Takes on New York City
Shooting in crowded locations poses a different set of challenges. Being nimble and under the radar is a major advantage in this type of environment. The main goal of this shoot was to use the Chronicle to capture skateboarders cutting it up across Brooklyn and Manhattan. Once again, the Flexor was a major player in the success of our shooting. The low-profile design allowed us to shoot in several skateparks while maintaining a small footprint. It’s one thing to have a location all to yourself but when you are working around numerous people, some of which may not want to be on camera, it can be comforting to have a small, inconspicuous setup.
Having the ability to easily get low to the ground was also very helpful as we could capture stable footage of the riders without having to make any adjustments to the main tripod legs. This allowed us to quickly adjust our framing when needed and generally sped up our workflow. At the end of the day we threw the Flexor back into the tripod to grab some shots of our recap. With the turn of a knob the camera was locked off on the tripod and ready to capture the action. Being able to easily switch between the two at the end of a long shoot is just flat out awesome. You don’t really think about these conveniences until you are out shooting.
Although our goal wasn’t to shoot stills of the city on this particular day we definitely saw how the Chronicle could crossover to this type of shooting. Once again, the ability to be low profile cannot be understated. The lightweight design makes for an easy travel companion as you navigate through the busy streets. There’s really no end to the use cases for the Chronicle.
Why The Chronicle?
The game has changed. With camera gear becoming more capable than ever before it was time for the tripod to be reimagined. As important as gear is, it is imperative that the gear you have works with you and makes the shooting process seamless and more importantly, fun. That is exactly what the Chronicle accomplishes. Fewer roadblocks in the creative process grant you more creative freedom. With the ability to transition from a full-sized tripod, to a tabletop tripod, and a monopod in a matter of seconds you lose the feeling of having to bring unnecessary equipment.
