Watch water and wind when setting up a tripod

Saturday 13 May 2023, 20:02 by Nando Harmsen | 2,965 views | 2 comments

This article was translated from Dutch with the help of AI. Read the original.

You often use a tripod to keep your camera stable when the shutter speed becomes too slow. It ensures that you get a sharp photo.

But pay attention to where you place the tripod. Especially by the sea and when it is windy. Minimise the chance of your tripod falling over.

I often use a tripod for long shutter speeds. With or without grey filters. Sometimes I need to expose for a second to get the desired result, sometimes for several minutes. It is important that the tripod is stable. I don't want it to fall over.

Setting up a tripod in the surf should be done thoughtfully. Also, don't leave it alone.
For long shutter speeds, movement is important. Either I want to show movement, or I want to remove it completely. So I often photograph in water, or by water. Or it is blowing hard, to capture the movement caused by the wind.

My tripod is therefore often in the water. I have to make sure that the flowing water or the surf does not knock the tripod over. Or that the wind does not blow the tripod over. Simply putting the tripod down without thinking is therefore not smart.

Position two legs against the direction of the flowing water, and one leg in the direction of the flow. Bear in mind that mountain streams can be very cold.
You can of course spread the legs far apart, but that is not always practical or desirable. Holding it is also possible, but that creates a risk of moving the tripod while holding it. Ideally, you don't want to touch the tripod.

It is therefore wise to position the tripod legs very carefully. Place two legs in the direction from which the water or wind is coming. The third leg is then positioned exactly in the direction in which the water is flowing, or in which the wind is blowing. This makes it take more force to knock the tripod over.

Although the legs can be spread further apart, that is not always desirable, because you will always have a low viewpoint.
This does not mean that you no longer have to pay attention. Wind and the force of water can be incredibly strong. So always stay with your tripod and make sure nothing happens. But with the legs pointing in the right direction, the chance of water and wind knocking it over is as small as possible.

When you set up the tripod properly, the chance of anything happening is smallest. However, always stay with it, because the force of water and wind is stronger than you think.
I have one more tip. Do you have a camera strap on your camera? Make sure it doesn't flap in the wind. Not only does that cause vibrations, it can also increase the risk of your tripod being blown over.

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