A poll about patience ― how do you wait for the wind to calm?

[rdenney]

...big freakin' trees

It really was a little bit of a mental shift to hear talk about subjects so willing to dance that body thermals (snicker) could move them, and then see a photo of leaning dead snags that we call "widow-makers" when they are 1/1000th the size.

Rick "glad the body thermals of your boys didn't move those subjects" Denney

[Preston]

The adiabatic and katabatic winds Keith spoke of (up-canyon by day, down-canyon by night) are also known as diurnal winds. The calm times in the morning and the evening occur when the pressure and temperature gradients are near zero, and the temperatures and pressure at the top and bottom of the air parcel have come into equilibrium.

Across the board, I find meteorolgy extremely interesting--and fun!

I still hurl selected curses at the wind gods, though! :-)

--P

[Heroique]

Here’s when the air never settles down.

The river’s current is generating a continual air current above its surface. I took this shot on a quiet & serene day – but note the ever-swaying alder branches (top center). Neither patience nor curses will stop them. A case of perpetual motion. Stillness doesn’t have a chance. Well, unless the river drops down or dries up.

An unsuspecting photographer might set-up here & wait for calm. And wait. And wait…

Tachi 4x5
Fuji A 240mm/9
TMax-100 (in TMax rs)
Epson 4990/Epson Scan

[Keith S. Walklet]

Three Boys, Three Snags, Two minutes

Can't help but imagine the "breeze" that took those trees down.

[Keith S. Walklet]

Here’s when the air never settles down.

Looks like the kind of place that would be worth the wait, and the waiting enjoyable.

I used to think the dogwood near Pohono Bridge never stood still, but on rare occasions it has behaved. That's another place both worth the wait and the waiting is enjoyable.

[jnantz]

i just take the picture, wind an all

[Richard Mahoney]

i just take the picture, wind an all

As a guiding principle, I agree with this completely. Whatever else is going on, just create the image -- regardless.


Best,

Richard

[Shawn Dougherty]

But a sure fire way to stop the wind is to break the camera down and put it in your pack.

=) Exactly.

[rguinter]

I never curse the wind-gods. That makes them angry and they huff and puff even harder.

I've found it's much better to curse one's-self for being so inept and so stupid to go out when it is windy. After all I should know better.

I've found this amuses the wind-gods immensely and it distracts them enough that they start to laugh and forget to blow wind my way.

This gives me the few seconds calm that I need and then I take my shot.

But I still remember to give myself a few extra curses as I'm packing up to leave so they think I never got the shot.

Works every time....

Bob G.

[pdmoylan]

If Hamlet were a photographer we might have had: "To wait or not to wait, that is the question". The Fates are not always in our favor, or are they? The "great misfortune" of losing an image op can be simply a matter of perspective. Where there is a loss there is usually an opportunity. Sometimes waiting makes sense, othertimes not. I guess it depends on whether I have my creative eyes on and can find fresh ways of seeing notwithstanding the wind. It always seems to me that serendipity and a completely open mind is a better approach to seeking some "definitive image". Wasn't it Porter that talked about looking down at one's feet to find images! I used to say if I couldn't get the image on 4x5 film it wasn't worth taking. I now take a digital camera to satisfy the creative impulse when I can't capitalize with LF.

Interesting discussion.