How to shoot a flower sharp in a light breeze?

Question

I want:

• Blurred background.
• Sharp flower with some point in focus.

I have:

• Macro lens 60 mm on a tripod.
• No flash.

Situation:

• Gentle breeze blowing constantly in a garden.

Timing is not a constraint. I can go to shoot any time as per requirement.

What am I supposed to do to get the said results?

Answer 1

The only thing you need is a fast shutter-speed to freeze the motion. How fast depends on the breeze and magnification but 1/2000s or around that should be good.

Magnification is how big the flower appears in the photo. If you are filling the frame with a flower, then movements will be far more perceptible than if your flower is in the corner at one tenth of the frame.

To get the background to blur you need a wide aperture, Go the widest your lens can do which I think is F/2.8, depending on which 60mm you have. Incidentally, this will also favor a high shutter-speed.

Should you still not have enough light to get a proper exposure, raise the ISO.

Answer 2

Whatever your shutter/ISO/aperture settings (and your desire to blur the background helps here) anything you can do to steady the subject helps.

An assistant holding the plant is almost always acceptable. They can also act as a windbreak (as can your kit bag close to the ground, a chair...).

In some situations (e.g. your own garden) you may be able to attach the stem to something out of shot or concealed behind a leaf. I've seen products designed for the job, but something like a gorilla pod can also be used. Also check your local garden centre for suitable sticks and ties/straps.

Answer 3

I think there are two options and they can be combined:

1. Get plenty of light. This will allow shorter exposure to stop the motion and narrower aperture to increase the depth of field to keep the flower in focus. Macro flash, regular flash or passive reflectors can help here
2. Prevent the motion by fixing the flower or by protecting the flower from the wind