I’ve always read about getting lower to utilize how fine the depth of field can be with a super telephoto (usually 200mm+.) By getting lower and getting eye level with your camera is key. It puts the film plane parallel with your subject making the area of ‘acceptable focus’ appear closer together. In my want to ge a ground pod I did my usual Google search. I saw one model for 100$ and another for 200$. I don’t know about you, but this seems like an awful lot of money for something I may or may not use often. At least yet. It was hard to find too many how-to’s out there. In search of motivation however I came across this page here. It was exactly what I wanted and eagerly set to work to figure out what I would need.

Here are a list of the items I used:

• Drill using a 3/8th bit
• Incredibly cheap skillet with the ability to remove the handle
• metal washers with a 3/8ths hole in them
• rubber washers with at least a 3/8ths hole
• 1  3/8th 1″ hex bolt
• 1 3/8th threaded nut
• Gorilla glue
• A weight or set of clamps
• Safety Goggles and gloves

The reason you see 3/8th being used for the bolt, washers, nut, and bit is because the thread that my ball head uses to connect to a tripod is of the 3/8ths standard and not the 1/4th you are used to when mounting your camera to its quick release plate. So do make sure to check that. You will also want to experiment with the amount of metal washers you will use and that will directly effect the length of the hex bolt you will use. I brought the ball head with me to the hardware store to make sure how many washers I might need. At only 24cents or so a washer I got a few extras. In order to figure how many washers and the length of the hex bolt you will need will depend on your neck comfort. Put the ball head on the floor and lay down with your equipment attached. Peer through the viewfinder and see how your neck feels. This will tell you if you will need it higher or lower. This will help you in determining proper height. You might be laying low for a while and you wouldn’t want to ruin your neck.

When looking for a skillet  you want something that isn’t hard and anodized. The cheaper the better. Remember to look for a screw near the handle so it’s removable. It might leave a nub, but to me it makes no difference. Aluminum was my pan of choice and the drill bit went right through. I price shopped to find the cheapest skillet. I noticed single pans seem to go for around 15$. I lucked out at JcPenny where they had three skillets at 7,9, and 11 inches together for 15$. I went with the 11inch skillet for the best in stability. A nine inch diameter just felt too small in order to support larger lenses. Don’t rush purchasing everything if you want to save some cash. Take advantage of sales wherever possible. More particularly with the skillet.

The first thing I did was glue one of the washers along with the bolt to the skillet. I wasn’t sure if the gorilla glue would hold up as there is a lot of force when screwing in the ball head, but so far so good. The key is using Gorilla glue because it expands filling spaces and creating a fantastic seal. Now when using the glue be careful to not get it on your skin, fingers or anywhere else, but your project. Also remember that a little goes a long way. This glue will expand 3-4x its original size. Plus always follow the directions to get the best seal.

An example of how little it takes. This expanding glue really helps too as it will fill the grooves that are on the bottom of your skillet (if your skillet has them.)

Now you can keep all these items loose, but personally I don’t want to fumble with all that. I want a solid piece I can deal with.

I wanted to glue the washers together this way with a little glue. Not too much as there isn’t that much space between the washers. Make sure to clamp them and that the 3/8ths hole stays clear and straight. I decided not to glue the red washes you see above to the metal as I may want to change them or find a better solution for washers in the future. These are  a tad thick, but all I could find at the time. I am on a quest to find flatter and wider ones. It doesn’t appear to effect my stability of the lens on my ground pod if your curious.

The order in which they are stacked goes: a rubber washer first, then the metal washer stack and finally one more rubber washer. I did this feeling there would be better grip.

You could carry around a wrench if you want. They are dirt cheap at any hardware store. I happen to have a bunch of them laying around. I tossed it into the trunk of my car in case I need it. The Gorilla glue has held up so far and I haven’t required it. I haven’t tried to twist until the glue may give, but I did not spare it any mercy making the ballhead fit snugly.

Your final product. I have found it to work great. I didn’t want to post this until I had some sample images. It slides perfectly and not having a round headed bolt doesn’t appear to be an issue in the sand. Possibly an issue on hard surfaces? I can’t imagine it would be too bad as it is still low lying.

This ruddy turnstone was hanging out amongst the terns on the shore at high tide.

A parent common tern has caught a fish and waits to feed it her young (blew that opportunity.)

One of the young terns still in their immature plumage. You can see the bill turning from black to an orange. The chicks will wait on the shore as their parents go out to find food.

As I hope you can see in these images the benefit of getting low to the ground through use of the ground pod. It’s even better if you have a faster aperture lens and longer focal length. Instead of paying 100-200$ you can make this ground pod for around 30$. That is on the expensive end too if you don’t have some of the tools needed. For drilling a hole you might be able to find a metal or machine shop to do it for you for cheap as well. The great thing about this is that whether you are using a wimberly head, or a modern ballhead they all have panning abilities that can still be used. You lose no functionality from being on a tripod to my knowledge and all for such a cheap price and a days work. I hope this helps you to get out there and give an extra edge to your images!