The TALLEST tripod

[Leigh]

It's trivially simple to mount a tripod head on a ladder.

- Leigh

[Steve Gledhill]

It's trivially simple to mount a tripod head on a ladder.

- Leigh

I suggest mounting it on a 'pruning ladder' which is essentially a tripod with steps.
Or get a ladder brace for use with a simple ladder.

[David R Munson]

It's trivially simple to mount a tripod head on a ladder.

- Leigh

Seconded. Also: grip equipment is godly for this stuff.

[Peter De Smidt]

Seconded. Also: grip equipment is godly for this stuff.

Right. Super clamp + 3/8ths inch stud + Tripod head + Ladder

The first three also work well on railings, posts, pews, tripod legs (for getting the camera really low) ...

[Mark Sawyer]

The trouble with mounting it on the ladder is that either you'll be up there with it swaying the ladder during the exposure, or you'll be pulling the darkslide, climbing down, using a veeeerrry long cable release to trip the shutter, then climbing back up to replace the dark slide. Maybe it's just me, but I don't like my dark slides out for extended periods. And with so little weight on the ladder, it seems it could sway in any appreciable wind.

Tripods are more rigid with a wider stance. (I've been up on enough tall A-frame ladders to know how much they sway!) I'd use a tripod and a separate ladder for the photographer.

[Frank Petronio]

Real pros use scaffolding, cherry-pickers, sandbags, and concrete pilings. Short of that, a metal Gitzo Giant-Lux ,111 inches without column.

[Marc B.]

Here are a couple of modern orchard ladders.
Have the party at your destination get a couple of these at the ready,
or as suggested use rented scaffolding/staging at your destination.

http://www.acutabovetree.com/images/IMG_3895.JPG
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cafemam...0195/lightbox/

Scaffolding
http://www.scaffoldingdepot.com/scaf...%20picture.jpg

[vinny]

Careful with those aluminum tubes, the last iraq war started cuz of aluminum tubes!
Somewhere on here i've posted a pic of my home built tripod using schedule 40 aluminum. 11ft max but it's heavy.

[Leigh]

The trouble with mounting it on the ladder is that either you'll be up there with it swaying the ladder during the exposure, or you'll be pulling the darkslide, climbing down, using a veeeerrry long cable release to trip the shutter, then climbing back up to replace the dark slide.

You must do all of those steps, exactly the same, if the camera is mounted on a tripod of the same height.

In addition, with a tripod you have to lean over to access the camera, thus increasing the likelihood of a fall.

- Leigh

[Mark Sawyer]

You must do all of those steps, exactly the same, if the camera is mounted on a tripod of the same height.

In addition, with a tripod you have to lean over to access the camera, thus increasing the likelihood of a fall.

- Leigh

With a ladder and a tripod, you can stay at the camera throughout the exposure process, without shaking the camera. I don't see it increasing the chance of a fall, although with a loss of equilibrium under the dark-cloth, either method could prove hazardous!