Wind

[colrehogan]

What is the highest speed of wind you've ever shot with your LF camera in and what format were you shooting?

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

The 8x10" ultralight Gowland box kite was NOT the camera to bring to Hawai'i. I didn't even get it out of the bag on the Pali on Oahu, where winds are in excess of 40 MPH. There were other spots where the winds weren't quite so bad, but I caught the tripod more than once when the camera was ready to blow over.

Now I usually take my Tech V 4x5" to Hawai'i, and it stands up much better to the wind.

 

[Loose Gravel]

"The wind doesn't blow, it sucks."

Attributed to Charlie Morrell.

 

[Mongo]

8x10 Calumet C1 (a.k.a. The Green Monster) has been just fine with sustained winds of 20mph, gusting to around 30mph. I didn't use anything special to block the wind other than standing next to the bellows while I tripped the shutter; I don't know if that helped or not. I haven't had it out in anything stronger than that, but I don't think it was at the limit of what it could handle. Sometimes when I'm working with this camera, I think I'd blow away before it did. (BTW: This was for a close-up of moss on a rock...conditions weren't exactly right for shooting long exposures of trees that day.)

 

[MurrayMinchin]

40 knots (45 mph?) with a 4x5 field camera. Actually, I had to set up in the protected corner of a pocket beach where it was fairly calm, but a tad gusty. Only 20 feet away the wind was ripping. It was also cold enough for the ocean to be steaming, and ice formed on the inside of my rain gear.

Murray

 

[Troy Ammons]

On a mountain side. Supposedly according to the news it was 45mph gusting to 60 but more like 40-45. It was a bitch and almost blew me over a few times. Could not leave the setup unattended. I met a fellow camera nut at this location, and during my side trips running around, like to chase my hat, he was nice enough to hold my camera down. It would occasionally slow down to 15 or 20 but just for maybe 2 seconds and that was when I would shoot. It was a real PIA I would not do it again.

I was shooting a Sinar 4x5 and a 150 lens. Should have been shooting a mamiya 7 that day.

 

[colrehogan]

I see. I was going to shoot my Ansco 8x10 a couple of weeks ago, but the winds were gusting enough that there were whitecaps on the lake. Probably in the 20-30 mph range. I decided not to. I was just curious.

 

[John Bartley]

Fuzzy photos result

I don't know how strong of a wind I've taken a picture in, but I'm a wuss, so likely not very strong. I have found, and should remember, (most of you already know this) that the longer the distance to the subject, the less wind it takes to make the picture blurry, but I keep reminding myself of this "the hard way"

 

[mark]

The cool thing about taking pictures of rocks is they don't move in the wind and can be used as a wind break. I was out once, with my 5x7 2d and the news reported wind speeds in gusts of 60mph near my location. Considering the circumstances I would say lower than that but not much. I expect it this time of year in the SW. In fact if your face does not get the top layer of skin sandblasted off you wonder if something is wrong.

 

[scootermm]

I shot this image in well over 25mph winds.
Its an 8x10 shot taken outside of bastrop, tx.

 

[Robert Hall]

I shot in Zions with 45 mph gusts (12x20) [behind the truck!]

 

[Loose Gravel]

I shot out at the Oceano Dunes one time and I don't know how fast the wind was, but by the time I was done focusing the 4x5, my feet were buried in the drifting sand. It took forever to clean all the holders after that trip.

 

[George Losse]

Last Spring I was in North Dakota shooting both 8x10 and 8x20 in 35-40 mph winds.

Worst experience of my life..... I wanted the images, but had to get down the road that day so I couldn't wait to see if maybe the winds would die down. I made one exposure in open country and used the Jeep as a wind break for the rest.

I hate wind!

 

[Jeremy]

I would never go out and shoot with the wind over 10mph with my horse blanket, but with my new Blackjacket I don't mind the wind at all unless it's going to knock over the camera

Unpaid solicitation from a VERY satisfied user.

 

[Calamity Jane]

I live on the prairies so wind is a constant state of affairs.

I do recall one day I wanted to take a shot in the yard but it was windy. I spead the legs of the tripod WAY out so it wouldn't tip over but I found there was no way I could control the darkcloth in the wind - it just stood straight out (no darkness) and it was flapping so bad I didn't dare put it around the camera.

I gave up and packed everything up. The wind I DIDN'T shoot in was probably 40 guesting 80 KMPH - difficult to stand up without bobbing around in the gusts.

Was a pretty sky - sad I missed it

 

[Brook]

I started using a portable ice fishing house for shooting in the Minnesota winter, at first to mainly keep warm, but I also found it worked well for keeping out light and wind. This does have its limits though, as it is a really big kite in a strong enough wind and will take off if you step out.

 

[jd callow]

I shot (there was a url link here which no longer exists) during i would guess 20+ mile an hour wind. If you could see it close up you can see tons of movement in the neon sign and awning.

I shoot 4x5 mostly wide angle so camera has a pretty low profile (opposed to an 8x10 with 480mm). I have never had the wind blow over my tripod. I do that on my own.

 

[photobackpacker]

Last Spring I was in North Dakota shooting both 8x10 and 8x20 in 35-40 mph winds.

Worst experience of my life..... I wanted the images, but had to get down the road that day so I couldn't wait to see if maybe the winds would die down. I made one exposure in open country and used the Jeep as a wind break for the rest.

I hate wind!

I don't know, I kinda like the wind. It helps me to sleep and I don't feel guilty about not shooting......

 

[removed account4]

a few years ago i was documenting the fort point channel seawall ( boston ) with a speed graphic ... i was in a skiff ( flat bottom boat ) drifting with the winds at about 30 mph. the grumble of the johnson outboard gave me more trouble than the wind.

 

[MurrayMinchin]

I was once on a ridge between two hanging glaciers which dropped 1000 feet below on the south face of the Seven Sisters Range in BC, Canada. The wind was howling. My hiking partner and I were hunkered behind the lee of an outcropping of rock. We figured that the filter factor of my pile pants & rain pants after I farted was 25 seconds...oh, wait a second...what kind of wind were you asking about?

Murray