I use a tripod with telescoping legs, which is very useful as there are so many different levels of my layout. Fully extended, it's about 55" high, and will collapse, in about 8" increments, down to 9" high. I also take a lot of shots with the camera sitting directly on the layout. If the terrain is flat and at the proper height, set the camera down, holding it steady if necessary, and shoot. If the terrain is too low to get a good view of the subject, I use a collection of wooden scraps to make adjustments: I have several small bits of various thicknesses of plywood, from 1/8" to 3/4", plus some thicker pieces, that allow me to lift the camera where it needs to be. If it's more than 9", I use the tripod. I also use the wooden blocks in whatever combination necessary to level the camera, as scenery at trackside is often sloping away from the track. If you're using a digital camera, it costs nothing to take the pictures, so don't be afraid to experiment. I have many photos taken with the camera placed on the layout where it's impossible for me to look through the viewfinder. While many such shots aren't useable, some of the ones that
do turn out are views that you would not otherwise see.
The view below was taken from the aisle, with the camera on the tripod.
This photo was taken with the camera placed directly on the layout, at a spot just about where the horse in the previous picture is standing.
The buildings beyond the water tower and sheds are in the town across the aisle, with the layout facia visible just below them. That "cloud formation" cutting across the "sky" in the centre background is part of the support for a planned second level of the layout.
Wayne