I made a mistake. It was one that I teach photographers not to make, but I still did it.

You see, it was a scorching, sunny day. There was no wind, so I didn’t plan on bringing any sand or water bags to weigh my light stand down.

But then, out of the blue came one strong gust of wind. For only the entire photo session.

Down came my light sand. I was lucky, in a way, because my umbrella broke the fall, and took the effect of the impact. The umbrella’s rod snapped in half, but my strobe was in perfect shape.

Please learn from this mistake, and always weigh down your light stands while photographing people outdoors. Just because there is no wind, doesn’t mean there will never be wind.

Pick up and utilize a sandbag or water bag from Westcott, StandDaddy, or any other brand that makes weight support for light stands.