[stoppingdown]

My first question: are you sure your mother will be happy to wait until you finished manual focus macro shots including waiting for the wind to stop blowing?
 

 

I mostly do my photos when she stops and seats on a bench. I think that with a tripod I'll spend less time focusing than now, considering that I'm trying to compensate the lack of a tripod with a lot of redundant shots.

 

I might add another thing I wonder about: most flowers I come across are low to the ground, how does a high tripod come into play there, especially with a short 58mm focal length?

 

 

 

I should have written it. The path has on one side, for large portions of its length, a dry stone wall: many flowers directly come out of it, others are on the meadow that is contained by the wall, so they are at eye level (or a few decimetres below). That's why is so relaxing: I even don't have to bend   .

 

For what concerns a monopod, I already have a carbon fiber one, excellent for landscape in low light or long focals... but I'd like to have something that stays put even if I don't hold it.

 

Going to check your suggestions.