Photographing During A Windstorm!

[Andrew O'Neill]

I've always wanted to do it. I don't recommend it. I will I not be doing it again!

 

[Rick A]

Yup, high winds can be hazardous to your health. You were fortunate you didn't get smacked. I took the photo of Dunkirk(Lake Erie) standing atop a seawall in 35+mph winds (gusting to 50+) with my RB67, my 8x10 was definitely out of the question. We live on top of a mountain and trees are always coming down around us. Two years ago, several homes near us were demolished by high winds taking trees down, power outages are common from it.

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

Yup, high winds can be hazardous to your health. You were fortunate you didn't get smacked. I took the photo of Dunkirk(Lake Erie) standing atop a seawall in 35+mph winds (gusting to 50+) with my RB67, my 8x10 was definitely out of the question. We live on top of a mountain and trees are always coming down around us. Two years ago, several homes near us were demolished by high winds taking trees down, power outages are common from it.

Definitely my 8x10 was out of the question! That poor bellows would have taken a beating!

 

[4season]

In the past, I've gone out on windy days, hoping to capture some interesting motion blur, but mostly ended up with a dusty sensor.

 

[Melvin J Bramley]

I've always wanted to do it. I don't recommend it. I will I not be doing it again!

Thanks for that, you are an inspiration.
My biggest fault when taking photographs is forgetting my tripod.

 

[Chuck_P]

Good on you for trying! Since my only film camera has a bellows, that would be a perfect darkroom day for me.

 

[cowanw]

I now await the "-40 C in a snowstorm" episode, eh! The one where your wife shovels you out.

 

[DWThomas]

As I started watching that I thought "hmm -- maybe not a good idea." And the thought was quickly proved correct!

I live "in the country" on a fairly wooded plot and have seen evidence that one should stay indoors -- or in spaces a distance from big ol' trees on windy days. Back in my working days there was a section of state highway I sometimes used for my commute. During an afternoon thunderstorm a guy cruising along happened to be in just the wrong place when a branch as big as many trees came down and through his windshield -- carrumph -- dead. Lately ash trees in this area are dying from insect damage. Many are huge, and after about three or four years, they become pretty dangerous in storms.

But you did get some cool pictures!

 

[MattKing]

@Andrew O'Neill
I'm just trying to figure out what ethical or philosophical issues are raised in your video .
It could have been worse - it could have been windy here:

And of course, it would have been truly frightening if it had been that windy here:

(and yes, I did miss focus in that last one)

 

[Eric Klingberg]

I live in the Sonoran Desert, where monsoon season brings massive winds and rain. Its something I've wanted to document for a while. Good thinking with the hard hat. I'd probably use a telephoto and shoot from safe vantage points. Eventually I want to get an underwater housing for a medium format camera to shoot in the rain (and underwater).

 

[Sirius Glass]

Photographing During A Windstorm! Not on my bucket list. hey those falling trees are dangerous.​

 

[GregY]

Andrew, I was once photographing at the Waldron Ranch south of Longview AB. I stepped back to my truck to get another holder when a gust of wind came up (nothing as extreme as yours) and knocked over my 8x10 Deardorff on a big Ries tripod. Luckily there was tall dry grass in the ditch and miraculously there was absolutely no damage done. Blind luck for sure!

 

[kykr]

There were some nice images there, but I’d probably go with a helmet instead of a baseball hat!

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

There were some nice images there, but I’d probably go with a helmet instead of a baseball hat!

My hockey helmet is just sitting on the shelf, doing nothing, too.

 

[Vaughn]

BTDT. Hiking for a few hours under 200' to 350' tall redwoods all around and a 60mph windstorm. I never did set the 4x5 up.

The advantage in the redwoods is that you hear branches falling from 300 feet above you for awhile before they finally get to the ground...and hopefully get out of the way. And the insides of fire-hollowed redwoods make nice places to kick back for awhile without worrying about something coming down at you.

This was about 40 years ago or so -- while still a dumb uni student...what was your excuse again, Andrew?

 

[Melvin J Bramley]

@Andrew O'Neill
I'm just trying to figure out what ethical or philosophical issues are raised in your video .
It could have been worse - it could have been windy here:
View attachment 388391

And of course, it would have been truly frightening if it had been that windy here:
View attachment 388392
(and yes, I did miss focus in that last one)

Thats not a camera it is a tiny house!

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

BTDT. Hiking for a few hours under 200' to 350' tall redwoods all around and a 60mph windstorm. I never did set the 4x5 up.

The advantage in the redwoods is that you hear branches falling from 300 feet above you for awhile before they finally get to the ground...and hopefully get out of the way. And the insides of fire-hollowed redwoods make nice places to kick back for awhile without worrying about something coming down at you.

This was about 40 years ago or so -- while still a dumb uni student...what was your excuse again, Andrew?

Old age...

 

[Taylor Nankervis]

There are wind-storms, and there are persistent, aggravating winds; both present unique challenges, problems and risks. Outback Australia in Spring and Summer is renowned for ferocious dust storms that usually roll in with equally ferocious winds (100-120km/h) ahead of a or several thunderstorm(s) (another dimension of shock and awe); epic in their size and ability to penetrate absolutely anything, even the local yokels flee inside. I do earnestly avoid entirely photography in pre-storm conditions. Post-storm is the time to get out, often when an eerie, settled calm pervades the atmosphere.

The other extreme end of the spectrum can be bitter cold (well into the 'minus' measurements!) and high winds.
My shoot in Antarctica in the Spring of 2005 required the tripod to be weighted down (4kg from centre column), additional to two Station staff surrounding me and bracing the tripod with one leg each in gales of 40knts, gusting to 53knts. It isn't particularly balmy in the Deep South (except on rare occasions in high summer!), with the windchill lowering to around minus c. 33°c, so exposed flesh (face and nose especially) has to be covered up, goggles over eyes and thick down gloves made working with the camera a real challenge. The shoot lasted only 20 minutes (I think 6-7 exposures over that time) at which time the Station staff advised that the limit of exposure in hazardous conditions (for humans, never mind about cameras!) had passed, and it was a requirement to finish and return to quarters. The gales, then sleet and snow (interspersed with milky sun!), persisted for the remainder of my stay (4 days out of 8).

I have known colleagues to have lost (destroyed) LF and digital cameras through inattention and/or clumsiness e.g. turning away from the camera on a tripod to fetch something from the bag, only for a gust of wind to make a decisive move; it is a golden rule to never turn your back on the camera in windy conditions, and it is unfortunate how frequently disaster still occurs.

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

There are wind-storms, and there are persistent, aggravating winds; both present unique challenges, problems and risks. Outback Australia in Spring and Summer is renowned for ferocious dust storms that usually roll in with equally ferocious winds (100-120km/h) ahead of a or several thunderstorm(s) (another dimension of shock and awe); epic in their size and ability to penetrate absolutely anything, even the local yokels flee inside. I do earnestly avoid entirely photography in pre-storm conditions. Post-storm is the time to get out, often when an eerie, settled calm pervades the atmosphere.

The other extreme end of the spectrum can be bitter cold (well into the 'minus' measurements!) and high winds.
My shoot in Antarctica in the Spring of 2005 required the tripod to be weighted down (4kg from centre column), additional to two Station staff surrounding me and bracing the tripod with one leg each in gales of 40knts, gusting to 53knts. It isn't particularly balmy in the Deep South (except on rare occasions in high summer!), with the windchill lowering to around minus c. 33°c, so exposed flesh (face and nose especially) has to be covered up, goggles over eyes and thick down gloves made working with the camera a real challenge. The shoot lasted only 20 minutes (I think 6-7 exposures over that time) at which time the Station staff advised that the limit of exposure in hazardous conditions (for humans, never mind about cameras!) had passed, and it was a requirement to finish and return to quarters. The gales, then sleet and snow (interspersed with milky sun!), persisted for the remainder of my stay (4 days out of 8).

I have known colleagues to have lost (destroyed) LF and digital cameras through inattention and/or clumsiness e.g. turning away from the camera on a tripod to fetch something from the bag, only for a gust of wind to make a decisive move; it is a golden rule to never turn your back on the camera in windy conditions, and it is unfortunate how frequently disaster still occurs.

I grew up on the Canadian Prairie. Notorious for sandstorms and tornadoes. I dodged an approaching sandstorm here (approaching from left side of image):
Grabbed this one with my 8x10 and 4x5 reducing back on. Efke IR. Foolish me had the 87C filter on, extending the exposure longer than if I had stuck a 720 on. I cut the exposure short, tossed camera in the car, and buggered off, just when the sand hit!

 

[Rick A]

I grew up on the Canadian Prairie. Notorious for sandstorms and tornadoes. I dodged an approaching sandstorm here (approaching from left side of image):
Grabbed this one with my 8x10 and 4x5 reducing back on. Efke IR. Foolish me had the 87C filter on, extending the exposure longer than if I had stuck a 720 on. I cut the exposure short, tossed camera in the car, and buggered off, just when the sand hit!

View attachment 388560

Well done!

 

[Ben 4]

That first shot of (from the porch, moving branches in the distance) looks like a good one.
I love the feeling of pulling just-washed 120 negatives off the reel…

 

[Bazamat]

I grew up on the Canadian Prairie. Notorious for sandstorms and tornadoes. I dodged an approaching sandstorm here (approaching from left side of image):
Grabbed this one with my 8x10 and 4x5 reducing back on. Efke IR. Foolish me had the 87C filter on, extending the exposure longer than if I had stuck a 720 on. I cut the exposure short, tossed camera in the car, and buggered off, just when the sand hit!

View attachment 388560

This photo is outstanding! Storms alone are worrying, but risking sand blowing into all your gear too? True dedication