Large Format Photography in 50 MPH wind

[Ben Crane]

There is a spot in the Mojave Desert which I had thought for some time would be a good place to make a photograph. The only catch was that it had to be in the early morning for the light to be right, and I never happened to be there at that time. Leaving Los Angeles at 3 am, I made it to my destination just before sunrise. Imagine my disappointment when after I arrived I found the wind was blowing about 50 MPH! I went ahead and set up my camera thinking I might get a a brief lul to make an exposure. I wasn't having any luck with the wind and to make matters worse, the composition I wanted required the 400 mm telephoto lens which is not forgiving of vibration. At this point I was starting to contemplate the long drive home without a negative to show for it. First I tried moving the car to shield the camera from the wind and then the solution hit me. With a bit of finagling I managed to get the tripod set up in the back seat with a clear view from a partially open back window. After that all I had to do was turn the camera back upside down and remove a locking screw so I could get the negative holder in from the bottom (the roof prevented getting it in from the top). In the end I went home with a sharp negative.

http://www.benjamincrane.com/CameraInCar.jpg
http://www.benjamincrane.com/CameraInCar2.jpg

[Keith S. Walklet]

That's the spirit, Ben! Don't let a little wind slow you down. ;-)

[Ralph Barker]

That's great, Ben. I've used a similar rubber-footed quadopod - my Suburban, which gives a slightly higher camera position. ;)

[Mike Lewis]

A few years ago I attempted to photograph the dunes at White Sands, New Mexico. The wind kept messing me up, so I bought an umbrella in Alamogordo and returned to White Sands with it, intending to use the umbrella to shield the camera from the wind. I set up the camera on top of a dune, in the wind, then opened the umbrella as I prepared to trip the shutter. People stared. Immediately the wind grabbed the umbrella, crumpled it up into a ball, and blew it out of my hands. Enraged, I took off after the umbrella and caught it in a flying leap, then landed hard in the sand. I ended up in the emergency room but fortunately I had no serious injuries. I've yet to take a photo at White Sands that I really like.

[Scott Knowles]

Thanks, I'll remember this. I have a VW Syncro with a big space, folding jump seats and a wide door. The only problem is the big boxy shape which causes it to be sensitive to wind, both driving and sitting still. It's great on a bad, rainy day to stay dry, warm is a different matter as the heaters in latter models were at best marginally better, just too much glass and thin body panels. And the ~6-foot wide back seat unfolds into a near-fullsize bed for naps. Sorry, I meant waiting for the right light.

[palantiri7]

Ooh, I never tried the car-trick, but I've tried the umbrella-trick. I used one on a rock-outcropping, near midnight, as I attempted to photograph dinoflagellates glowing in the water. There were people arriving to see the sight, and quickly leaving after seeing the 'madman'. My sister later inquired as to whether I had shamed myself to my satisfaction.

[Ralph Barker]

Hey, there are worse things than being referred to as "Barry Poppins". Right?

[CXC]

Good work.

Given the right (wrong?) conditions, sometimes I shoot through vehicle glass, including cars and my commuter train. The train in particular is a double-decker, and rides mostly on an elevated trackbed, providing a viewpoint not otherwise available by any means.

Ralph has also demonstrated that the SUV can provide a boost to your tripod height.

In terms of anticipating potential wind, I have learned that if you want to shoot gigantic windmills when they are turning, up close, possibly there will be a little breeze.

[Jeffrey Sipress]

Good idea. Sort of like using a window mount with a smaller format camera. The main limitation, of course, is that you don't have much choice for camera position, and you always end up capturing the same view that you see from your car window.

[Donald Qualls]

Seems to me you got lucky. If the wind is gusty or turbulent rather than steady, the vehicle can move enough (via compression of the suspension) to be a serious problem to those prone to motion sickness, even in park with the parking brake set and the wheels chocked. The taller the vehicle, the more this is a problem.

If it works, great, and your chances are probably better on a mountain top (where there's less landscape around to turbulate the wind) than down in a valley or canyon or even on flat ground. But before you take the time to try to make this kind of setup, sit quietly in the car for a few minutes, with eyes closed, music off, and just *feel*. If you feel any movement at all, chances are you'll get little improvement over setting up in the wind with a heavy weight hanging under the tripod...