I met Daniel last month in Portland at an exhibit of his Wild Image Project photography. Daniel is a photographer and adventurer who is traveling the world and photographing the earth’s last truly wild places, mostly from his kayak. This interview will give you a deeper understanding of his passion for the project and his vision of blending art, environmental activism and adventure.

In preparation for the next leg of his journey, Daniel is giving the carbon fiber TrekPod XL monopod/tripod/hiking staff a shakeout for use with his DSLR. He’s planning on using an Optera flexible tripod to mount his point shoot camera that he uses to shoot video of his experiences.

Jeff Revell the PhotoWalkPro - Photograph by Robert Klimkiewicz, Jr

Jeff Revell, the PhotoWalkPro, gave the TrekPod GO! Pro a workout on his Washington, DC stint of the Worldwide Photo Walk. He just published a review and it’s making us blush.

You can read Jeff’s whole review but here’s his bottom line: “The Trek-Tech TrekPod Go! Pro is an incredibly versatile piece of photo equipment that will really come in handy for anyone that enjoys hiking and photography.”

“There are three kick-butt features that really make the TrekPod unique.  First off, there’s the quick-release system. The system is fast, secure, and incredibly solid.

The quick-release system is perched on another great feature of the TrekPod, a ballhead.  The big problem with most monopods is that you have to tilt the staff to aim your camera.  With the ballhead, you simply turn the lever on the side to loosen the ball and then point your camera at your subject and re-tighten the lever.  I use a ballhead on most of my tripods and having it on the TrekPod just adds a new level of functionality to the system.

Okay, so the quick-release and the ball head are pretty cool but this last feature is what really caught my eye and made this a piece of equipment that I would definitely take on a photowalk.  On the bottom segment of the staff is a piece of Velcro that, when released, let me spread out a small set of tripod legs that supported the rest of the pod and let me use it for my group shot.  See, I hate carrying a tripod on photowalks because the only time I use it is for the group shot.  Having these small legs on the bottom of the pod kept it functional as a stand-alone support for my camera and still useful as a walking stick/monopod.

The Trek-Tech TrekPod Go! Pro is an incredibly versatile piece of photo equipment that will really come in handy for anyone that enjoys hiking and photography.  The quick-release system allows for quick and easy transformation from walking staff to monopod and back again.  When deployed, the tripod legs add a huge measure of stability to the staff and, while not as flexible as a full-blown tripod, it is usable for situations where you need more stability or even a group shot of your photowalk group.  The TrekPod Go! Pro is available directly from Trek-Tech for $229.99.  If you have been considering purchasing a monopod, or even a hiking staff, you should give some serious consideration to the TrekPod Go!”

Thanks for the kind words Jeff.

Wimberley Clamp Mount and Trek-Tech T-Pod

Here’s a belated follow-up to Thomas who has a question about using the Optera 460 flexible tripod with his Wimberley Clamp Systems.

Thomas, you can use your Wimberley with an Optera. You just need to create some clearance.

The Trek-Tech MagMount Pro quick relase ball head works with any 1/4-in. 20 or 3/8-in. stud. The trick is to match the spacing with your camera. The typical Wimberly user is using a big camera with a big telephoto lens.

The Wimberley Head is a specialized tripod head for telephoto lenses. Its gimbal-type design allows you to rotate your lens around its center of gravity and thus easily manipulate very large lenses. Since its introduction in 1991, the Wimberley Head has become the industry standard for serious nature photographers.

Wimberly Clamp System

Ken Baehr, a wildlife photographer in Alaska, has come up with a clever solution to matching a Wimberly to the Trek-Tech gear using the Trek-Tech T-Pod.

“I really like my Wimberley Tripod Head for use with collared lenses.  However, if I want to shoot a shorter lens, it is difficult to use the Wimberley Head.  I have to bring another tripod with a standard ball head or at least another ball head.  Switching back and forth is a pain.   When I am out hiking in Denali National Park, or someplace similar, that is a problem.  The TPod offered me a solution.

I attached the Tpod to a standard camera plate from Really Right Stuff.  It is light.  The change over is quick and easy, and the TPod raises the camera above the tilt swivel point and gives me the ability to pan in a 360 degree arc.  The TPod is sturdy enough for short lenses and I get to eliminate 8 pounds of gear from my backpack”

You can see the picture of his set-up at the top of the post.

Photograph by Daniel Fox - The Wild Image Project

I got the chance to meet Daniel Fox, the man behind the Wild Image Project, last Friday at the PushDot Studio in Portland. Daniel is a photographer and adventurer who is traveling the world and photographing the last truly wild places, mostly from his kayak. I spoke to him about his vision of blending art, environmental activism and adventure. You can track Daniel’s Wild Image Project trek on Kontain.

We also chatted about the gear he uses and the gear we make at Trek-Tech. From there one thing led to another. Daniel will be using the TrekPod XL carbon fiber - hiking staff, monopod and tripod - on the next leg of his expedition to Argentina. He will also be putting an Optera flexible tripod to the test. The Optera will be lashed to the deck of his kayak. His point and shoot camera, which he uses to shoot video of his adventures, will be clamped with a MagMount. We’ll let you know how it all works.

Daniel Fox - The Wild Image Project