Wind vs Camera: An Expensive Lesson 🌬️

February 2025 newsletter

In this extensive newsletter, I’ll share a story that almost cost me over $1,600 (in the end, it was “just” $664) and what you can learn from it so it doesn’t happen to you.

In addition to that:

1️⃣ We’ll travel to Iceland together to experience winter photography, frozen waterfalls, and ungodly cold wind gusts.

2️⃣ You’ll learn about the new dates of my photo tours for 2026.

3️⃣ Finally, I’ll share a personal update on how I put a decade of work behind me and started fresh. And what it may bring YOU down the line.

Let’s get into it!

Don’t make this mistake

It is late November in Iceland. Day 1. Shoot #2. Iconic Kirkjufell mountain in the background.

That day, the wind was blowing strongly, and the gusts were even more potent. I told my dear tour participants, Allison and Wendy, to set their tripod lower, legs more wide-spread, two legs forward, one back, and make it shorter so that the camera leans backward a little to improve its stability and protect it from the gusts.

A minute before the fall (credit: Allison Betz)

What happened?

After we set up, I went to help Wendy with her composition and camera settings, leaving my camera on a tripod unattended.

One minute later.

I still see it in slow motion as it happened. I looked to the right, and I saw how my tripod didn’t resist a powerful wind gust and was tipping over. Little could I do but watch the camera hit the rocks on the ground and the 16-35 mm lens roll towards the river. I was lucky—it stopped in tall grass and didn’t leap into the ice-cold stream.

What now? Let’s assess the damage and the way forward.

The glass didn’t shatter, and the camera could turn on. That’s good. I went to the car to clean the dirty sensor, put this lens away, and brought a 24-105 mm to keep on shooting.

Did I fail?

It was a sad moment, but I wasn’t angry at myself. I didn’t feel I failed. I knew the wind and did what was sensible to avoid this.

But sometimes, even if we try our best, it’s not enough, and the external forces are way stronger than we had anticipated. The only thing left to do is learn from this and not repeat the mistake again.

What could I have done to prevent it?

In hindsight, two things would lower this risk.

1️⃣ Hang a camera bag on the tripod. This weighs it down even further. I didn’t do it, because I had my other lenses in the car. I knew exactly that the only lens that I would need at this spot was the wide-angle. I only had my set of ND filters in the backpack, so it wasn’t particularly heavy anyway.

2️⃣ Do not leave the camera on a tripod unattended. The wind was coming from my back, so while I was on the tripod, my body protected it. Once I stepped away, I left the tripod exposed, and it received the wind at its full strength.

The lens hood saved my glass.

The mount was damaged completely.

My backup plan

Even if the worst scenario took place, I was ready.

1️⃣ I always travel with a backup camera body (currently a Sony A7RII) that I leave in the room. In case I get robbed on the street, the camera in the room is safe.2️⃣ I had another “somewhat wide-angle lens” with me. My kit includes just three lenses - 16-35 mm, 24-105 mm, and 100-400 mm. I lost my wide angle for the trip, so at least I could use 24 mm for the rest of the trip. Sure, it was not ideal at a few locations, but better than nothing at all.

I learned this lesson in 2018 when I accidentally dropped my bag in Myanmar while getting off a tuk-tuk and broke this very same 16-35 mm lens. But at that time, I only carried one other lens - 70-200 mm - so I couldn’t shoot anything wider for the remaining two weeks of that trip. This is when I bought the 24-105 mm.

How much was the repair?

The lens itself was $416. I asked the service shop to clean the sensor on my Sony A7RV, which was exposed to dust and dirt after the impact. They found two tiny dents on the sensor that couldn’t have been cleaned.

Just the sensor costs about $1,000.

The gentleman at the shop felt sorry for me, so he studied the manual and noticed that a filter attached to the sensor could be ordered separately for about $50. Hooray!

Then we added $200 for three hours of work to disassemble the camera, replace the filter on the sensor, and put it back together, bringing the final bill to $664.

Please, learn from my mistake. Don’t underestimate wind, and in similar conditions, take the camera off the tripod and carry it with you.

Inspiration from Iceland

Allison, Wendy, and I spent a week in Iceland, and the weather cooperated for about half of the trip. Let me share my nine favorite shots from the trip with you.

Budakirkja. Shot hand-held to catch the colors before they faded away.42 mm, f/5.6, 1/25 sec, ISO 500

Budakirkja against mountains. 154 mm, f/11, 0.6 sec, ISO 100.

Basalt columns at Reynisfjara beach. 38 mm, f/8, 1/160 sec, ISO 400.

Dyrholaey Lighthouse. 24 mm, f/9, 1/160 sec, ISO 200.

Ice cave pattern. 36 mm, f/7.1, 2 sec, ISO 125.

Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon. 29 mm, f/16, 1/50 sec, ISO 800.

Blue iceberg at Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon.143 mm, f/9, 1/250 sec, ISO 800.

Icelandic horse. 100 mm, f/5.6, 1/400 sec, ISO 1000.

Skógafoss waterfall. Stacked from 5 photos to eliminate people.47 mm, f/11, 1.6 sec, ISO 160.

If you’d like to experience Iceland on your own with your friend or partner and you enjoy photography, let me know. I can take you on a private tour and customize the itinerary to your liking.

2026 Photo Tours

There are still spots available in Cappadocia and Scotland this fall.

Tuscany 🇮🇹

March 21-26, 2026

Pisa & Cinque Terre 🇮🇹

March 26-29, 2026

May 8-18, 2026

Cappadocia 🇹🇷

September 12-17, 2026

Istanbul 🇹🇷

September 17-20, 2026

Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Sep 26 - Oct 4, 2026

Where do YOU want to go? I updated the list of possible future destinations and added:

• Madeira 🇵🇹
• Austria 🇦🇹
• Bavaria 🇩🇪
• Ireland 🇮🇪
• Myanmar 🇲🇲
• Slovenia 🇸🇮

Let me know or signal your interest by filling out the form on the website.

The king is dead. Viva Matkali!

Where do I even begin? In 2013, I co-founded a travel agency for Czechs named Zirhamia, and everything was going well until the COVID-19 pandemic. After the wave of lockdowns, when the travel industry started to pick up again, I sensed that my and the other co-founder’s paths were drifting apart.

We could no longer agree on anything, clearly wanted to do things differently, and envisioned our lives vastly contrasting.

Results?

In February 2023, my dream project, Shuttermoon, was born in the process.

Three months ago, I terminated the business partnership with the other co-founder and decided to go my own way. It’s been a rough period, but I’m getting through it.

In mid-January 2025, I started a new travel agency named Matkali. I built the new website myself, and 12 guides sided with me, which was an amazing feeling!

My team of guides and former clients received the new website very well, and I can now fully develop my vision for a modern travel agency.

I feel energized, and my wanderlust has returned. I want to explore new destinations.

What’s in it for YOU?

The previous paragraph ended with I want to explore new destinations. Let’s pick up where I left off.

I want to bring the concept of traveling with Matkali to English-speaking clients as well. Would you be potentially interested in a trip like this?

• Adventure travel with some photography (unlike Shuttermoon tours, where photography is the prime focus) is more suited for spouses who are interested in an immersive cultural experience and visiting beautiful places around the world.
• The tour would be guided by one Czech tour leader who’s an expert in a given destination and speaks fluent English, plus me for the photography part of the trip.
• My idea is to take you on an adventure with someone who knows the area really well and can safely take you around. My role would be to help you get some great shots and teach you more about travel photography in a new destination. It is a fantastic opportunity for couples, where one enjoys photography but the other does not. This kind of tour would cater to both.
• I thought of running a tour like this once a year. I’d propose several destinations, and you choose what sounds attractive to you. My team and I prepare the tour, and we explore it together.
  It would be a closed tour where only you and your or our friends could join. There would be no strangers to ensure a friendly group atmosphere.

I thought of running a tour like this once a year. I’d propose several destinations, and you choose what sounds attractive to you. My team and I prepare the tour, and we explore it together.

It would be a closed tour where only you and your or our friends could join. There would be no strangers to ensure a friendly group atmosphere.

• These trips tend to be more active; we walk up to 10-15 km (6-10 miles) in a city or nature daily. One could experience easy hikes with a day backpack.
• Accommodation is typically in 3-star hotels, nice B&Bs or apartments.
• The tour length is typically 10-14 days.
• The group size is small, with between 8 and 12 participants.
• Very affordable cost.

I’d appreciate any feedback you may have on this. Is that something you may be interested in? I have several destinations in mind already, so I will eagerly anticipate your comments.

The ice cave tour was one of the highlights of the trip to Iceland

This must have been one of my longest newsletters yet. I hope you found some inspiration and value in my stories.