How to get 'stable' shots in strong wind

Hi - I spend most of my time and effort photographing landscapes in the

Scottish Highlands (http://www.transformedbylight.com) using 4x5 (Ebony RSW).

Unfortunately, the mountains in Scotland are often very windy indeed, and I'm

really struggling to get decent shots under these circumstances. Ignoring

using faster film/wider aperture, and having the camera low to the ground and

using your body to try to shelter it, does anyone have any useful techniques

for keeping the camera stable?

 

Thanks, Michael

Big, heavy-assed tripod? Tent?

Thanks - yes - but the camera itself is what shakes (bellows etc are like a sail!!)

The same conditions have beaten me on a number of occasions, mostly around the coasts of Cornwall. Waiting for a lull in the wind sometimes works (fingertips to feel camera shake) but often doesn't. Hanging the bag from the tripod can reduce the wildest shakings.

 

Otherwise big hairy-assed tripod etc ....and a Fotoman?

 

http://www.robertwhite.co.uk/products.asp?PT_ID=339&P=Fotoman-PS

Well it's blowing here to in the seaside but 400 asa film and stand agaist the wind with your back open your coat so you cover the entire camera actualy helps sometimes. But you were into that.

 

A good tripod is a must with a heavy duty head.

I have this Gitzo broadcast which were made for 35 mm film cameras it's not moving at all but still the bellows shaking like it went to the ballroom and rock and rola. :-) There my coat helps.

Also timing helps like there is some pause now and than when it doesn't blow that hard than EXPOSE!

I have always done the coat open wide stand as close as I can technique but if you have a

heavy tripod and the camera is doing all the shaking what about carrying 4 cords that can

be tied to all the rise and fall knobs and then attached tightly to the tripod somehow like

to the leg extension or something?

I carry a small folding umbrella in my camera bag. Occasionally it gets used for rain, more often it's to shield the camera from wind. If it gets too windy for that, I wanna be in the pub anyway.

I use a big strong golf umbrella as a windshield. Other tricks include widening the tripod leg angles, weighing down the tripod with a bag hung from the centre column hook, using a wide angle lens to minimise bellows extension, and giving up when it is just plain too windy.

Well, your prices are reasonable enough.<P>Edward Weston used a "wind brace" on his 8x10 which is just a piece of dowl wood long enough to fit between the main camera body and the front lens standard. I don't know how he attached it, or adjusted the length, but it should be an easy thing to do. A couple of them on your Ebony should steady it despite the bellows flapping.

Thanks to all for your helpful responses. I particularly like the pub suggestion. It regularly crosses my mind when I'm stuck in a gale on top of a mountain! I think I may try the golf umbrella. Michael

After stiffening up the standards with the mystery dowel contraption, gyros might help if you

could figure a good system to rig them. Of course that adds so much weight and money that

you're going to have to really want that shot. These guys make stuff I've seen used for

motion picture equipment, similar size and weight, so might help with LF though I've never

tried(http://www.ken-lab.com/index.html). After adding that to your heavy tripod you'll

want to hire a sherpa. Kinda makes the pub idea sound that much better now on second

thought.

Similar conditions just botched a 16-sheet shoot for me. Was doing a shoot for a 12-print cyclorama. Since I use DB, my top shutter speed was '60... Used 400NC, f/22 at a 60th. Wind would not allow proper use of a dark cloth so I had to focus as best as I could. Was up on a roof in the desert. I loved the way the wind was blowing the creosote scrub bushes. Had made 11 shots with some backups. For 12th shot, the wind picked up my Sinar and Bogen 3051. It was up in the air on one leg only about to fall, but luckily I caught it. Tried to put it back where it should have been. I think I got close, but in the end it didn't matter because focus was SLIGHTLY off anyhow.

 

A heavy, heavy sand bag hung from a hook on the center column, an assistant, a "normal" shutter, a pop-up ground glass shade (like Graflex) or bellows, and most of all, checking focus a little more closely would have helped. It is not entirely botched, just a tiny bit soft.

 

Keith

 

Keith

Try 612 Fotoman or equivalent (no bellows to vibrate). Maybe a blanket with a 3 ft dowel at each end may help. Stretch this across your back and with arms extended out to both sides of the camera to create a large wall. Likely need a long cable release for grabbing. Never tried it. Roll it up when done.

Also use wider lenses if can, so you can gain a stop or two to allow faster shutter speeds. It also reduces bellows length.