"Rachael of Nex, the Wiccan Rat" wrote in message ...
[...]
I only use a tripod or monopod for landscapes (or very close studio macro
work where the depth of field is paper thin), and the monopod isn't really
worth having unless conditions are quite bright, due to the possibilty of
side to side movement, IME. In bright conditions your basic modern point and
shoot camera should be able to judge the shutter speed and aperture well
enough not to get much camera shake without support anyway as more light
means shorter shutter speed (usually, if you let the camera choose for
you) - so less time for the dreaded camera shake to occur. If you've got
digital of course then take as many shots as you like - some of them are
bound to be good. It's the technique I use, anyway !

(If you wish to decide for yourself if this technique actually works for me
or I am in fact talking total rubbish, go here http://littleurl.com/?01k5 )

But getting down to slight side-to-side movement is already reducing
the shake to within practical limits, since plant photography usually
likes a wide aperture and hence high shutter speed. Try also a good
length of bath-plug chain with a short 1/4" Whitworth bolt on the end:
the bolt goes in the camera bush, of course, and you just stand on the
free end of the chain, and tauten.

Or, like me, you just forget to bring the camera anyway. D'oh!

Mike.