Protecting Digital Photography Equipment with Tether Tools’ Secure Set-Ups

Testimonial from Allan Henry, Golf Chronicles The first time my laptop toppled out of the cart, I chalked it up to bad luck. After the second time, I realized that the spider web of cords connecting my laptop to the 5D Mark II, mounted more than 30 feet in the air, was a recipe for disaster. I’m a digital golf photographer, and, while I spend a majority of my time covering the best players in the game on the PGA Tour, I also chase the light for some of the country’s premier golf courses. When I first started shooting landscapes my setup was pretty simple: A tripod, camera, lenses and a few filters. Well, those days are long gone and as you can see, I have a full tethered setup including a 33-foot telemast and remote-controlled pan/tilt head. Setting aside the fact that clients love the end result, I came to loath all of the additional digital photography gear, as I was worried about:

• Strain on my camera from the weight of the dangling cords
• Cords twisted and tangled at my feet and around the legs of the telemast
• An unsecured and precariously balanced laptop
• A USB tethered connection that kept slipping out

And thus after the second time my laptop toppled out of the cart, I started looking around and very happily discovered Tether Tools. My setup, as you can see, is pretty simple. It includes the Jerkstopper Tethering kit for both my camera and laptop. This removes the strain caused by the weight of the dangling cords and keeps my work area clear. And for my 15-inch MacBook Pro, a Tether Table Aero attached to my golf cart with a SuperClamp. It still amazes me how well the system works. It now takes me a fraction of the time to get set-up and best of all, the only thing I have to worry about is the light.