Tuesday, August 28, 2012

#241 of 365 for August 28, 2012

I am really struggling with outside flower shots here in Michigan.  It is always windy, in fact it is rare to look outside and not see the leaves and limbs swaying in the wind.  Of course this feels wonderful on a hot day but it makes shooting macro almost impossible.   I love to visit Dow Gardens and they have the most beautiful flowers but I really struggle with getting them sharp enough. 

This zinnia is in my garden.  I shot it last night and was not very pleased with my results.  I tried going out early but there was still some breeze, at times I would get focused on a flower and the wind would blow it completely out of my frame.... finally I just waited till I thought the flowers were either still or moving only a little and managed to get a few shots.  I decided to bring one in to try some inside macro shots for later in the day.

Any tips or ideas for shooting macro in a windy place?
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7 comments:

  1. AnonymousAugust 28, 2012 at 3:04 PM

    So, I've looked at all the photos you posted to get caught up, and love them - especially the frog! How'd you do that?

    Also, are you in MI long-term now? We have a lot of wind here so taking photos of flowers is often a challenge - but I don't have a true macro lens, so mine are never as good as yours anyway. I just have to wait for the times when it is not windy, which some days means I'm not taking photos of flowers or leaves or other things outside - thus I do more landscape shots.

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    Replies
    1. My 365 ProjectAugust 28, 2012 at 11:28 PM

      I still consider TN my primary residence and MI is temporary for work.

      The frog was floating in a pond that had a little bridge across it so I could shoot straight down at it. I believe maybe it thought I couldn't see it since it was mostly underwater.

      I try to wait for a not windy time but honestly I almost never find it not breezy or windy. I haven't tried at sunrise time, one of my friends suggested it isn't usually windy at sunrise.

      Thank You very much for your kind words!

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  2. AnonymousAugust 28, 2012 at 3:06 PM

    Correction - not only do I not have a true macro lens, but I'm just not as good with photography skills as you are, which is the whole story of why my photos are not as good as yours. I'll keep working on it though, because I aspire to be as good as you.

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  3. patAugust 28, 2012 at 11:58 PM

    Nice DOF on this! Where in Michigan are you? I was born there and try to vacation there at least once a year...it's in my blood.

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  4. CindyAugust 29, 2012 at 10:55 AM

    Great shot! Tip: Use a tripod and try to use something small like a piece of cardboard, white board, small scrim, ... to block the wind. It's hard to shot macro when the wind is blowing.

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  5. My 365 ProjectAugust 29, 2012 at 10:26 PM

    Thank You Cindy! I think I might give the cardboard idea a try.... maybe use foam core board.....

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