In article ,
David Dyer-Bennet wrote:

Sandman writes:

So I want to make a timelapse movie of me drawing, and I will be
drawing on paper on a table. I have a DSLR and I was wondering if you
knew about a good way to mount it above the paper?

I have two tripods and putting them on the table may be a bit
cumbersome but it's possible, but I don't seem to be able to zoom
out/move the camera far up enough without seeing the tripod in frame.
Not a huge problem per se, but I would prefer a mounting solution that
works without seeing it of course.

Any ideas?

A boom mounted on the tripod (or across two tripods) could put the
camera directly over the paper and far away from the legs.

The cheapest solution I can think of that meets my standards of neatness
is one Bogen Superclamp or equivalent. Now, support a scrap piece of
pipe or lumber of suitable size or something across above the work area
with suitable quantities of Gaffer's tape (or duct tape if you don't
have to worry about the finish on anything), and mount camera below it
using the clamp. A new Superclamp was $36 last time I bought one, and
they're amazingly flexible and secure. Look in the studio lighting
sections of stores and catalogs.

You could get about the same effect with one of those "gorilla pods" with
the bendy legs made of balls. Wrapping the legs around the cross-beam
would let the camera hang below pointing down. It wouldn't be as stable
or as secure.

In my own office, I'd just have the superclamp grip the edge of the
shelf that's conveniently over my workspace. Sometimes the best hack is
very specific to the space.

If you've got a shelf up there, you could also have the tripod lie on
the shelf (legs not spread), probably duct-taped down, with the head
sticking out off the edge supporting the camera.

All good ideas, thanks! Unfortunately, there's a window by the desk
here, so those ideas, while very good, doesn't apply unfortunately.

Thank you!


--
Sandman[.net]