Way back in the day, people wanted to express their ideas so they invented extracts of berry and smeared it all over themselves. It was cool because they could take their painting everywhere they went. Then they started to paint on the walls, which gave them more flexibility because other people could enjoy the artwork even while the artist was out fishing. As time went on, painting the living room wall was impractical; they needed more portability so they painted on rocks.

Fast forward to the mid-1800s and along comes photography. Suddenly we could capture a "painting" exactly as we saw it. Problem was the cameras were so slow that everyone had to remain still or the picture would be blurry. They then invented tripods and soon they learned how to make movies. These movie cameras were mounted on tremendous tripods because they were so big and heavy, and clunky.

As the art of filmmaking evolved so did camera mounts. Camera mounts have become so advanced that you can now film the Space Shuttle ascending into the sky at several thousand miles per hour with an extreme telephoto lens and get fantastic results!

My, how far we've come. The artists with the berry extract smeared all over themselves were really onto something. All they needed was a little paint and they could take their show on the road! No tripods, no computers and no batteries; that was the life. This article is here to help you bust out of the shackles and unleash your inner cave dweller! We can't do anything about the computers and those pesky batteries, but the tripods? Here's some tips when you have to leave the sticks behind - don't worry, they'll be there for you when you need them!

Go Low and Go-go!

Start with a little number called the LowRider. Supplied by Digital Juice, it's destined to liberate you from the burdens of your tripod. It's a canvas bag upon which you rest your camcorder. With a system of straps for securing your camcorder, it's designed especially for videographers who need a portable, versatile camera mount for shooting from anywhere, including the ground, a fence post or even a car door. It includes pockets for small accessories so you can pack things like tapes, flash cards and batteries, and features a channel stitched right into the base that allows you to rest on to the hand rail of a staircase. Once fitted to the rail, you can smoothly glide along while you record. It's perfect for taping an interview of someone while they slowly descend the stairs. Try gliding upwards while people walk down stairs and you'll get some fast moving traffic.

How about your skateboard as a dolly? With the LowRider you can rest your camcorder at nearly any angle including pointing down. It lets you tape an army of ants marching off to war.

Speaking of war how about a helmet cam? Yep, someone makes those too. The GoPro HD Helmet HERO is just such a beast. At $299, including a built-in camera, it isn't cheap but you gotta figure if you need a helmet while shooting you're probably going fast, and that means if the mount fails so does your shoot and probably your camera too! Which brings us to just how robust does a camcorder mount need to be? As robust as you can afford because any failure can result in a complete wreckage of your camcorder.

Not just for skydiving anymore, helmet cams are perfect for hands-free recording of those mundane tasks like changing your kids' diapers. Just imagine sharing that video with your loved ones. The ContourHD offers a bullet camcorder that fully integrates a system of camera mounts including bicycle handle bar mounts, underwater housings and helmet mounts, just to name a few. This robust little camcorder can record at 60fps for smoother action than would be available in 24fps or 30fps. For those covert missions all you need is a little ingenuity along with some tape or Velcro and you can easily fasten it to an RC plane or helicopter to get aerial views of your neighborhood.

Take the Higher View

If you're not into buying a specialized camcorder with a mounting system just for special situations, but you still want a different view, you might try mounting it to a pole. Two of my favorite mounting accessories for smaller camcorders are a pole used for cleaning pools and a Manfrotto Super Clamp. These items, along with a tripod head, allow you to get views from places you would have never thought possible. The pole is available from your local pool supply store for about $30.00. I use the extension versions because they are sturdy, lightweight and portable. The Super Clamp, which is available at nearly any camera store or online for about $29.00, allows you to mount a tripod head like the Manfrotto Mini Ball Head 494 ($60.00) to the pole.

Extend the pole to about 10 or 12 feet, rest one end on the ground while holding the pole straight up and shoot over a crowd for a view of the main drag at your local food festival. Slowly pan around and you get a 360-degree pan of the entire event. Extend it over a small creek, holding it steady just as you would a boom mic, for a great view right down the center of the creek. If you use a system like this for reaching over sets, attach another clamp on the "handle" end. You can add a counter weight for balance to improve not only the stability but also extend the time you can hold the system. This makes a great hand held jib for a fraction of the cost and with practice you can get a smooth hand held look. Manfrotto makes a complete system of mounting studs, poles, flexible rods and adjustable plates that work with the Super Clamp. They allow you to mount your camera just about anywhere.