The Creative Exchange, February 27th - March 2nd

It’s an Arts and Crafts Day today at The Creative Exchange!  Smocks are in the closet, so help yourself!

If you’ve ever done any macro work outdoors, then you know that your biggest enemy is the slightest breeze.  Even if you are “being good” and using a tripod, it’s of no help if there’s a breeze, so today we are making a breeze box.  I’ve made a couple of these, and have been meaning to share it here, but just never got around to photographing the process for you.

A couple of things…

First, this is not my “invention.”  There are plenty of how-tos online for various types of these boxes.  Second, I am sorry about the iPhone shots, but it was simply with me when I put this one together.

MATERIALS YOU WILL NEED:

~~Four 16”x16”** pieces of 1/8 inch thick Plexiglas.

~~Sixteen, 17-inch lengths of Gorilla brand tape (duct tape works also, but is not nearly as durable over time).  You may want to cut the lengths of tape before beginning, to make things go quicker.

~~An Exacto knife or scissors.

Place one sheet of Plexiglas on top of another sheet and tape together on one side, by folding tape from one side to the other.  Trim ends of tape with the knife or scissors. 

 

Now open this up and lay it flat to tape the inside (so it won't be sticky).  Trim ends of tape.

You now have one hinge made! 

With the taped side facing AWAY from you, place a third sheet on top of the first two.  Tape all 3 together on the side facing you, and trim the ends of the tape.  Open it up, tape the inside, and trim once again.

With the 3 pieces opened up and lying flat, place the last piece of Plexiglas on top of the middle piece.  Tape in place on the side facing you, and trim tape.  Open up to tape the inside.  Trim tape.  You now have the top completed. 

Tape and trim remaining sides so that you do not cut yourself when handling the box. 

Your box will fold quite flat, which makes it very easy to carry with you.  If is not completely flat, it will come to be over time, as the tape stretches a bit.  If you want to hurry the process, place a heavy book on it for a day or two.

Note that you can and should adjust the front opening so that you can just fit your lens inside.  This will eliminate as much breeze as possible.  You can still use a tripod, but you’d need a tabletop one, or one that can get close to the ground for you.  If using a tabletop tripod, be VERY sure it will support the weight of your camera and lens.  If glare is a problem, you can use a diffuser.  No diffuser, no problem; a piece of white cotton will do!  You do not want any sort of thick material, as this will cause you to lose light.

Yes, it may get scratched over time, but remember macro photography makes use of a very shallow depth of field, so this should not be an issue.  Yes, it may fog up depending on weather conditions, so carry some paper towels with you!

**A 16”x16” is good for low-lying flowers, etc.  For taller ones, I use a 16’x32’.  If you choose to make a 16”x32”, you will need three 16”x32” pieces of Plexiglas, and one 16”x16” piece for the top.  The box you are seeing in the photos is an 8”x8”, simply because it was easier to photograph, and I had some leftover pieces from previous projects.

If you have any questions, just leave them in the comments section here, and I will do my best to answer them in the comments section also.  Happy Monday to you!!