I do quite a bit of macro work outside, and a common problem when shooting flowers is getting them to stay still in the wind. It’s commonly a game of patience waiting for lulls in the wind. I am not what I would call a patient photographer though. Another option is getting up very early in the morning to get the photos before the sun heats the Earth which gets the whole wind machine going. Unfortunately, I’m not what I would call an early morning photographer either.
Mike Moats over at Tiny Landscapes has come up with an ingenious little wind box that can be used to wrap around your subjects in the field. This wind box is made from cheap Plexiglas and Gorilla Tape (stronger version of duct tape). It literally takes around 15 minutes to build. When not being used, it collapses flat for easy storage and carrying. You can find a link to Mike’s 14-minute build video here: Mike Moats Wind Box Build Video
I have personally tested the wind box in 15 MPH winds with gusts up to 20 mph. The wind box does a great job of keeping the flowers still. However, 20 mph gusts are pushing the limits of its effectiveness. At those speeds, it is possible for the wind to blow the wind box over with the potential of flattening your delicate subjects.
Here is a photograph I made of a Pasque Flower (Anemone patens) at Nachusa Grasslands near Franklin Grove, Illinois using the wind box. As you can see, despite high winds, I was able to get very fine detail. This photo were taken on an overcast day with the camera set to ISO 200, 1/250th @ f/8.0.
