How to avoid subject motion blur in Macro

Well, I am sure this must have been discussed before but couldn't get search to return the apt results.

What's the most practical way of stopping those flowers/branches in the field from moving? I suppose flash is useful in some conditions particularly for insects etc, but when the gentle breeze is moving everything, even if the shutter speed is achieved with flash, the comp still goes haywire.

Even with a Wimberley plamp, while the branch may remain steady the flowers on top of those seem to do a gentle dance.

I am not worried about camera shake. Tripod, mirror lock up etc. takes care of it, but what are you experts doing to stop subject motion and get those wonderfully sharp macro/flora images?

I block the wind. There are purpose made tents for shooting wildflowers and such, translucent to limit shadows while they're at it. I can't remember the brand or source because I don't use one, but someone on here will pipe up. I use translucent Light Discs which, while not as effective, are lots more portable. They also can work as reflectors for a nice muted fill.

It all depends on how elaborate you want to get and how much you want to pack out into the field. As Hank mentioned, there are diffusing tents for wind and hard light. I've seen folks go as far as building plexiglass boxes. There is also a small device called a plamp. I made one similar for a fraction of the cost. Since I prefer to travel light, I carry folding reflector/diffuser disks which are very light weight, home made plamp and generally try to shoot early and late when the wind is usually lesser and the light softer.

Regards,,,,,David

Hey Debashis, I will generaly shoot in the very early morning when the wind is blowing the least, or raise up the ISO for a faster shutter speed. One problem I have with my workshops is it's always windy on the days of the workshops, so I designed a plexiglass colapsable wind box to fix this problem. It's made from thin plexiglass I buy at a local hardware, and they cut it to the sizes I need. I have a short 18" tall one for the low growing spring flowers and a 30" tall one for the taller summer field flowers. It takes four pieces of plexiglass (three sides and one for the top. It's all held together with black gorilla duct tape. The duct tape acts as hinges so it all folds together flat. I also duct tape all edges of the plexiglass as it is sharp and can cut you. When it's in position you can closed down two of the sides with just enough opening for the lens to fit in. Works great and you can also place a diffuser on top if you need to soften harsh sunlight on the flowers.

Here's a link to the wind box in use.
http://www.pbase.com/mgm123/image/107605520

In this image you will see the large box in use, and another colapsed smaller box lying on top of the one in use.

On thing that will really improve your flexibility to respond to conditions is a Bogen Super Clamp. With the large end of the stud sticking out, you can spin your ball head right onto the clamp, then mount it on one of your tripod legs.

Priceless. Easy as pie to move up and down, spin to position, etc. Then I just use my tripod legs to support whatever I'm using as a wind block or reflector. I've even pulled off my T-shirt for the job.

The $30 it sets you back is just about the best money you could ever spend for field photography, especially macro. It works so well that my Super Clamp lives on my tripod even when not in use. I never leave home without it.

The above mentioned plexiglass boxes and windbreaks sound great. I would like to suggest another fairly inexpensive product that is also very portable. Wimberley products makes a "PLAMP" for stopping or reducing motion blur on flowers/branches. It is a heavy duty clamp that can attach to a tripod leg and has a segmented ball and socket flexible length of 24 inches with a smaller clamp at the end to gently hold the subject. I had good luck with the one I ordered and just ordered a second, one for holding the subject the second for holding other stems/branches out of the way. The "Plamp" sells for $37 and an extension piece of segments is $5 and adds another 12 inches to the length.
You can see the Plamp at... http://www.tripodhead.com/products/plamp-main.cfm

Craig

I've used my backpack or an umbrella with limited success. Usually the breeze just blows around them but if it isn't too strong of a breeze it can work. There are "shooting tents" advertised on eBay for getting evenly lit photos of small objects. You might try getting one of those and remove the floor so that you could set it over the flower. I've seen homemade Plexiglas surrounds if you want the natural background. A little while back I posted this http://jims-ramblings.blogspot.com/2010/03/hold-that-flower-diy-project.html on my blog which might help with tallish flowers in a breeze that isn't too strong. Good luck.

What great ideas!

Thanks, everyone!

Sandy r

My most useful tool for overcoming subject movement is patience. There are usually lulls in the wind, get set up, sit down and watch through the view finder. You're often only waiting for a fraction of a second of stillness.

I like to hike pretty far from the car, so I can't carry too much in the way of a wind shield, but I do usually pack three small sheets of "Coroplast." Coroplast is like corrugated cardboard made from plastic. I bought mine at an art supply store. My sheets are translucent so they also function as light diffusors. Two of the pieces are hinged together with gaffer tape so they can be stood up on a flat surface, like an open book, with the third piece balanced on top as a light diffusor/wind break. Finally, one of the sheet is covered in black flocked paper to give me the option of shooting against a deep, black background. This is an extremely lightweight set up that I don't mind carrying. I used it for my recent lady slipper shot. I keep meaning to make the "base" part of it three panels hinged together. I think that might be easier to stand up on uneven terrain.

Pete D.

Reflectors/ diffusers to block the wind and accepting the fact that even though I may wait 30-45 minutes for for a brief lull, I may not get the shot.

Thanks all for the brilliant ideas... I have sure got to get out this weekend and check out the DIY/art stores in search of some of the stuff mentioned here. Well, guess now I'll have to come up with another excuse for not coming off with good shots
Many thanks for the terrific suggetions.

Debashis: One thing stood out in your original request; mirror lock up. Unless things are perfectly still and I'm shooting at a vibration prone SS (1/10-1/20) I never use it. Instead I stay fixed on the viewfinder and look for a lull. I'll often use a cable release so I can stab the button pretty aggressively and not worry about moving the camera. I do on occasion use a large diffuser as a wind break but then you have to wrestle with it. I've also used a large golf umbrella. The wind blows constantly around here, especially in the summer so I have developed a large measure of patience and a good sense of timing. Another thing that helps is to put your camera on burst mode and fire away. You're more likely to come away with one shot that's a keeper but it means a lot more editing time. >=))>

Thanks Bill for the very practical thoughts... Your point about mirror lock is quite revelationary. I do use a cable release more often than not and will give the continuous shooting mode a try. Many thanks indeed.