Not got your bean bag with you?

Beanbags have become a valuable tool for photographers, acting as a simple, but useful, alternative to a tripod . Beanbags are easily molded to a surface and provide a good support for the camera when perched on walls, the ground, or  uneven / rough surfaces.  Actually, they are really useful when shooting from a car window too.

When you need one but you haven’t got your beanbag with you, you can improvise with a sock. Take off a sock, fill it with sand, soil, rice – whatever you have to hand – and there you go, you have a beanbag.

From experience I suggest you put a plastic bag inside the sock BEFORE you fill it. It makes the sock a lot more comfortable when you have to put it back on again!

And if you are wondering why you don’t just use the bag instead of popping it inside the sock…well… the sock is a lot stronger, softer, quieter and usually a less vibrant colour than a carrier bag.