It’s rare to find someone who doesn’t take an interest in photography while traveling. With today’s compact digital cameras, it doesn’t take much effort (or space in your carry-on) to bring a high quality camera that is capable of giving you wonderful images. A problem arises when you try to shoot in less than ideal conditions, in low light or when you want to capture the effect of a long exposure. Bringing a full-size tripod along often isn’t practical, and it negates the benefit of having a small, pocket-sized camera. Until recently, there weren’t many good options for convenient travel tripods, and the ones that were available were very restrictive. In the last couple of years though, a new product called the Gorillapod has emerged and is rapidly gaining popularity. The Gorillapod is a small compact tripod made up of many-jointed bendable legs that can wrap around just about anything to stabilize your camera. The rubberized ball and socket joints can be manipulated into any shape, to grasp tree trunks, window sills, handrails or even, as the site claims, bowling *****!

Gorillapods come in three sizes:
• Gorillapod Original, for point and shoot cameras
• Gorillapod SLR, for heavier cameras with short lenses
• Gorillapod SLR-ZOOM, for SLR cameras with long, heavy zoom lenses.

Even the largest Gorillapod takes up only a corner of your suitcase, weighing in at less than 9 ounces, and measuring only 9.8 inches in height.

Since their introduction they have gained quite a following, with a Flickr group dedicated to them that brags a membership of almost 900 people.


A Gorillapod in action. (Photo by scalespeeder on Flickr)

Gorillapods don't take up much room when folded small. (photo by stibbons on Flickr)

A long exposure made possible by a Gorillapod. (Photo by booleansplit on Flickr)

Available at most camera stores, Gorillapods are becoming a common site in camera bags of hobbyist and professional photographers everywhere. As a bonus, the company allows you to do your part for the environment while saving you money by offering a discount on Gorillapods purchased without the plastic packaging. So, if you’re traveling anytime soon and want to greatly expand your opportunities to get great pictures, think about trying out a Gorillapod.