How do you anchor your umbrella stands?

So i have just recently bought equipment for off camera flash and wanted to know how you all anchor your umbrella stands to prevent them from falling over from wind or anything like that. I was thinking if i was going to be outside on concrete or something i would be able to duct tape them to the ground. Would this be a reasonable way to do it? I have thought about sandbags but think that would be just extra weight that i dont really want to carry around. Also, the stands i have are decent, but im worried if i attach anything heavy to the center column it will weight it down too much and may bend or break something. Any suggestions are very appreciated!

Duct tape will not work.

You'll need at least ten to twenty pounds of sandbags per stand, mounted very low on the stand, and that's for just a mild breeze and not for anything I would call "wind".

It would also be wise to have an assistant at each light stand to keep the umbrellas aimed right and catch the ones that do blow over in spite of the added weight.

Alright, that sounds good. Im glad i asked here first rather than throwing tape around. I am not planning to be using it in a storm, but i need to be ready obviously for some good gusts.

Skip the umbrella and learn to love shooting with harder light. It's much easier to work with a flash on a stand without the umbrella.

I've heard some use milk jugs filled with water (either on site or before you leave the studio.) Once the shoot is done you can water the plants!!!

When I'm shooting in grass, I use a dog stake and a bungee cord. Screw the stake directly under the stand and run the bungee cord through the loop and around the lower thumbscrew on the stand. See below.

Benji

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Wrong. Umbrellas may not be great (I'm a huge softbox fan, or lights bounced off walls), but not much is worse than a hard strobe.

I use sandbags or the weights Manfrotto ships. If I'm on location where I can't pack the weights, use saddlebag-style sacks that drape over legs or booms. Fill 'em with whatever is handy — phonebooks, rocks, assistants...

You know that cable/chain with spiral spike combo that are used for keeping dogs leashed outdoors? The one people usually have by the dog house.

I'm thinking of using that for those times when I really don't want the stands to budge. I know that it takes a few extra turns before I can take it out of the dirt just to move it but at least I don't have to carry sand bags for each stand. It also costs like $6 at a local pet sore. Not to mention when I collapse my stands, I can just leave them where they are and put them in my carrying bag.

Benji wrote in post #8967652
I've heard some use milk jugs filled with water (either on site or before you leave the studio.) Once the shoot is done you can water the plants!!!

When I'm shooting in grass, I use a dog stake and a bungee cord. Screw the stake directly under the stand and run the bungee cord through the loop and around the lower thumbscrew on the stand. See below.

Benji

WHOA! You beat me by a few seconds. While I was typing, your post wasn't even there yet. Haha.

Yup! This is the one.

tent spikes and cables...much easier to tote and cheaper than sand bags

seanzky wrote in post #8967682
I'm thinking of using that for those times when I really don't want the stands to budge. I know that it takes a few extra turns before I can take it out of the dirt just to move it but at least I don't have to carry sand bags for each stand. It also costs like $6 at a local pet sore. Not to mention when I collapse my stands, I can just leave them where they are and put them in my carrying bag.

u can use sand box sand from Lowes or HD @ 10 bucks for 50lb bags

I did some family shoots outdoors with my new 40 umbrella. The first timeI used it there was hardly a breeze, but It caught a slight whiff and tipped over into the bushes. It bent the spokes and I was able to straighten out. Just the last time about 2 weeks ago I had an assistant ( my daughter) keep an eye on the stand for tip overs. A slight breeze and over it went. It bent the spokes again and this time one broke when I tried to straighten it.( it is still usable). They tip very easy, so unless you want to by an umbrella every few sessions.You need some means to anchor them in place, even for a slight breeze. Or get an assistant that will keep a hand on the stand at all times.

I've been using some ankle weight, 10 lbs each. For outdoor shoot, 6 of them will hold two stands.

mcluckie wrote in post #8967668
Wrong. Umbrellas may not be great (I'm a huge softbox fan, or lights bounced off walls), but not much is worse than a hard strobe.

I use sandbags or the weights Manfrotto ships. If I'm on location where I can't pack the weights, use saddlebag-style sacks that drape over legs or booms. Fill 'em with whatever is handy — phonebooks, rocks, assistants...

I've seen an awful lot of pros use bare flash in a lot of situation where it might have been 'better' to use an umbrella or softbox. Some of my favorite photographers use bare OCF quite a lot...and if you asked them to stick an umbrella on their light all the time...they would look at you like you were crazy.

The key to working with hard light, is really watching where your shadows fall.

As for keeping a stand upright when you do use a sail on your light. I have some sandbags that I use on occasion but my typical OCF is a studio light with a 'ghetto vagabond' that weighs about 8lbs. I just hang that near the bottom of the light stand.

HoRnYTuRbO wrote in post #8967981
u can use sand box sand from Lowes or HD @ 10 bucks for 50lb bags

I can barely curl 40 lbs. in each arm. Lol. I think using weights is a good idea but not if I am without an assistant. I prefer spikes when I'm alone.

I use barbell weights sometimes. I don't use them to build my body, so I may as well use them for something. I've also tied on camera bags and strobe power packs - an actual advantage of pack and head systems! In my situation I use bare heads, but they are up pretty high. When I step away for a bit, I lay them down or collapse the stand depending on the strength of the wind. Believe me, we can have some pretty stout winds here in the flatlands of Kansas.