Gear/D.I.Y.: Tripod Attachments for Positioning Small Subjects

Note: For demonstration purposes, none of the shots here involve photo manipulation such as cloning in Photoshop.

Tripods are typically used in conjunction with cameras or some other piece of photography equipment. However, other things can also be mounted via a standard 1/4-inch nut and some basic D.I.Y. modifications. Shown here are two variants that I use for my toy photography.


The first is basically a glorified Figma stand.

The second is an adjustable platform.

For the glorified Figma stand, I took the arm off a spare Figma stand and attached 1/4-inch nuts to its base.

A simpler version can also be made with the standard Figma stand and a rubber band.

For the adjustable platform, I used epoxy putty to fill the space between the platform and the tripod plate in order to prevent the setup from wobbling. I found this stable enough given the negligible weight of the objects I put on top, but for heavier items (ex. dioramas), dedicated woodworking tools might be necessary for a sturdier configuration.

This was made from the metal lid of a Pik-Nik can.

For group shots or small dioramas, try a wooden chopping board.

One trick that can be done with this is tilting the tripod platform to get a clearer view of the sky.

Shown above is an image taken with the platform parallel to the floor. Even though this was shot from the second floor of the house, there were still many distracting elements in the background.

By tilting the platform and adjusting the camera angle, all of those distractions have been pushed out of the shot.

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I made these for toy photography (specifically forced perspective shots and simulating portraiture lighting), but I can also see potential uses in other types of still life such as macro and product photography. Of course, an actual stool or table might still be more stable, but neither of these allow variable height/angle adjustments, and even the folding types aren't as compact for travel or storage.


For other custom tripod mounting options, you may also refer to this video by thefrugalfilmmaker.