# What are your thoughts? Bad idea?



## shefjr (Nov 11, 2012)

So I've been into doing time lapse videos of different projects that I've been working on. This particular job we built the walls and then set the joists (I time lapsed the joist setting). I used a super clamp and attached it to an "L" bracket with C clamps to Fraco scaffold. In this photo (snapped from my iphone) it is hard to tell but the camera is actually up in the air at about 40 feet. 
The question here is what do you think "crazy stupid idea" or "eh, I've done worse"? If BTW, you've done something worse, feel free to post it up here in my thread. I'd love to see it. I was almost thinking about starting a thread in photo themes "your camera in peril" just to see other peoples cameras in curious positions. 




camera attatched to fraco by Shefjr, on Flickr


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## 480sparky (Nov 11, 2012)

Hey.. it's your gear.  Do with is as you wish. I'm sure your camera 40' up like it is here is safer than my camera 40' up on my Easy-Up.


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## Light Guru (Nov 11, 2012)

shefjr said:
			
		

> So I've been into doing time lapse videos of different projects that I've been working on. This particular job we built the walls and then set the joists (I time lapsed the joist setting). I used a super clamp and attached it to an "L" bracket with C clamps to Fraco scaffold. In this photo (snapped from my iphone) it is hard to tell but the camera is actually up in the air at about 40 feet.
> The question here is what do you think "crazy stupid idea" or "eh, I've done worse"? If BTW, you've done something worse, feel free to post it up here in my thread. I'd love to see it. I was almost thinking about starting a thread in photo themes "your camera in peril" just to see other peoples cameras in curious positions.
> 
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/shefjr/8175099824/
> camera attatched to fraco by Shefjr, on Flickr



I would probably just put something like a torpor camera up there.


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## shefjr (Nov 11, 2012)

480sparky said:


> Hey.. it's your gear.  Do with is as you wish. I'm sure your camera 40' up like it is here is safer than my camera 40' up on my Easy-Up.



Agreed. I guess I was hoping more for other peoples "crazy stories" and or photos of their setup. 



Light Guru said:


> shefjr said:
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> ...



I did a search on a torpor camera and nothing came up. I am assuming it some sort of online type job site camera. If that is the case it's not quite the type of time lapse that I am doing but, hey! thanks for the suggestion. :thumbup:


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## Overread (Nov 11, 2012)

The only two things I would be concerned about:

1) Rainfall/wind - I would possibly have put a rain cover over the camera body and most of the lens itself. Even if they are weather resistant it never hurts to wrap a plastic bag over them just for a little extra protection (that is if the camera is staying up there for days/weeks/months/howeverlong it takes you guys to build it).

2) Darn that will be a lot of shots to edit! Don't forget to check the memory card incase it gets full.

Othewise good luck


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## panblue (Nov 11, 2012)

I had a book of pinhole photography, showing 6-12 month duration exposures of construction 
sites in Manhattan. Unfortunately, I don't recall the photographer's name.


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## mjhoward (Nov 11, 2012)

Overread said:


> 1) Rainfall/wind



Las Vegas is in the middle of the Mojave Desert.


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## Overread (Nov 11, 2012)

mjhoward said:


> Overread said:
> 
> 
> > 1) Rainfall/wind
> ...



DUSTSTORMS! Gah even more scary - just think of the dust on the sensor if any gets inside!!!


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## 480sparky (Nov 11, 2012)

shefjr said:


> Agreed. I guess I was hoping more for other peoples "crazy stories" and or photos of their setup.


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## shefjr (Nov 27, 2012)

Overread said:


> The only two things I would be concerned about:
> 
> 1) Rainfall/wind - I would possibly have put a rain cover over the camera body and most of the lens itself. Even if they are weather resistant it never hurts to wrap a plastic bag over them just for a little extra protection (that is if the camera is staying up there for days/weeks/months/howeverlong it takes you guys to build it).
> 
> ...



On this days when I bring out the camera on the job I always make sure that rain is not going to be an issue. The wind should concern me more than it does (dust) I never think about it. My time lapse videos that I do are only 1 day events. I wouldn't even think about leaving my camera at the job site with out me being there. 

It actually was a lot of shots on the camera on this particular day. It was almost 10,000. I should also admit that it is a somewhat regretted decision on my part because it didn't really turn out the way I had hoped it would. So to me in my mind it's wasted shutter actuating. In hind sight I should have done at most 5 second intervals instead of 3 second intervals. 



panblue said:


> I had a book of pinhole photography, showing 6-12 month duration exposures of construction
> sites in Manhattan. Unfortunately, I don't recall the photographer's name.



I enjoy looking over long duration exposures. I'm gonna have to do some searches on that and see if I can find it now. 



mjhoward said:


> Overread said:
> 
> 
> > 1) Rainfall/wind
> ...



That is something I never thought of. Some of the sites that I work on in the summer are extremely dusty. The inside of my truck can attest to that. I have given up on keeping the dash board clean. I am reluctant to bring my gear with me in my truck at anytime I go to a job. 


I would eventually like to do something like Sean7488 for those who haven't seen this is great! He is talented. 
http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/general-gallery/288081-philadelphia-time-lapse-project.html


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## shefjr (Nov 27, 2012)

480sparky said:


> shefjr said:
> 
> 
> > Agreed. I guess I was hoping more for other peoples "crazy stories" and or photos of their setup.



That looks fairly safe to me. Obviously you're not gonna send that up in the when it's windy. Or at least I would hope not. 
If you care to share I would like to know how you compose your shot. I see you have a laptop there so are you able to get a live view while the camera is in the air or do you have to throw it up and hope for the best? Also do you have some sort of control head that the camera sits on to change your axis's or is that something you have to do on the ground?


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## frommrstomommy (Nov 27, 2012)

I lived in 29 Palms, also in the middle of the desert.. and now in Yuma, more desert and the sandstorm type things are awful!!! Plus, it has rained significantly more often than last year already... so I don't think you're safe from rainfall.


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## Tony S (Nov 27, 2012)

The only thing I really see missing is a safety cable securing the camera in case the system you have piece mealed together fails at some point.    Lens hood taped down so the wind won't take it off?


  Could be something worse where you camera takes a hit like this, ouch, seeing that camera and lens makes one want to cry
When a 200mph Parachute meets a Camera the Camera Loses &#8211; Mark J. Rebilas Blog

or look at this one farther down this page to see the remote camera almost take a hit..  http://markjrebilas.com/blog/?p=4711

....... check out Mark's pages for remotes and you will find all kinds of weird places he has set up cameras, even duct taped one to the body of a dragster.  BTW, I really love Mark's work, been watching it for years after he got shots of my son on the Carrier John C Stennis.


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## shefjr (Nov 27, 2012)

Tony S said:


> The only thing I really see missing is a safety cable securing the camera in case the system you have piece mealed together fails at some point.    Lens hood taped down so the wind won't take it off?
> 
> 
> Could be something worse where you camera takes a hit like this, ouch, seeing that camera and lens makes one want to cry
> ...



WOW!!! a camera and a 400mm f2.8 destroyed! That sucks! My risks are not near that level. Although, the bar joist did come within a few feet of my camera. For a brief moment I was seriously stressing. The crane operator swung the joist over a little too quickly.




geneva time lapse 7454 by Shefjr, on Flickr

This image doesn't do justice to just how close the steel came to the camera.


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## 480sparky (Nov 27, 2012)

shefjr said:


> That looks fairly safe to me. Obviously you're not gonna send that up in the when it's windy. Or at least I would hope not.
> If you care to share I would like to know how you compose your shot. I see you have a laptop there so are you able to get a live view while the camera is in the air or do you have to throw it up and hope for the best? Also do you have some sort of control head that the camera sits on to change your axis's or is that something you have to do on the ground?



10MPH is my limit, less if I raise it to the top.  I have some sandbags to lay over the ends of the legs if need be, plus the part the camera attaches to (not shown in the pix) allows for 4 guy wires.  And I use LiveView triggered with the laptop and shoot tethered.  I can pan & tilt remotely.


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