Dealing with Wind

[Greg Lockrey]

I stay in the van and shoot through the opened side door.

[Arthur Nichols]

This is a variation of the technique that I learned on a John Sexton workshop. Get the camera all setup and focused. Insert the film holder and pull the darkslide. Now wait for the wind to subside. It never does. After 20 minutes or so make big show of giving up. Put everything that is not attached to the camera away as if you are leaving. Put the darkslide back in and then take the camera off the tripod without folding it. Leave the film holder and lens on and leave the focus where it is. Pretend that you are going to put it away. but don't do it. Leave the tripod all setup without moving it. As soon as the wind is tricked into thinking that you are giving up it will subside. When it does, quickly pop the camera back on the tripod, pull the darkslide and trip the shutter. There you have it. You gotta out-think the wind.
Seriously though I do follow this procedure when I am trying to photgraph and the wind is not cooperating. For the project that I am working on I need some wind to make waves on the top of the water. My problem is more waiting for the wind to come than for it to die down. When I feel like I am at my limit of waiting and am seriously considering to leave, I do follow the above procedure, because sometimes the wind does arrive and I can make the shot without having to set everything up again. Art

[Kirk Gittings]

Arthur, isn't it true! You've got to humor the gods of weather.

[Drew Wiley]

It's a very predictable process. The wind always stops the moment I give up and start
packing the camera.

[Noeyedear]

I could be talking out my backside here as I have never shoot LF in the wind. I would of thought film vibration would be a big problem more than movement, would not double sided tape made just tacky to hold the film in the holder help a lot?

Kevin.

[Lenny Eiger]

I'm curious about any tricks people have for dealing with wind. I was out today on the edge of a storm with fantastic clouds shooting in gusty 50 MPH winds. I have been able in the past to get sharp images on exposure up to about 6 seconds in such conditions. Some of my tricks.
1) decide aesthetically whether I can live with movement of trees grasses etc.

Kirk,
Great thread, learned a bunch....
I think that "things move" when it comes to dealing with leaves and whatnot. It's part of nature and ok in m photos... Of course, 50 mph is more than I can photograph in without doing so in the lee of my car...

I second what Robert Hall said about the Wind Stabilizer Kit. I use it on my Canham 8x10 lightweight and it definitely helps. It's pricey for what it is, but, well, so is just about everything in photography it seems.

I have a foldup windshield thing that is supposed to keep ones dashboard protected. It folds into a lightweight circle and opens up large enough to cover an area the size of a car's windshield. It's pretty light. However, there is clearly room for a new product here. I think a small "sail" with two tent pegs and some 6 foot folding tent poles would be the ticket.

Lenny

[Greg Lockrey]

It's a very predictable process. The wind always stops the moment I give up and start
packing the camera.

I my world of road cycling we always used to say, "if you are lost and don't know where home is, head into the wind... it is always windy going home".

[Mark Sampson]

It's well known that the wind will kick up as soon as the darkslide is pulled. It's like throwing a switch...