Holly Macros!

ShepsMom

OK, I spent all day chasing bugs! You know, i didn't even take dogs for a walk. Bad mom!

All of you macro pros, please let me know how i did. I didn't use tripod, mine is POS anyway. All were handheld. It's my first try, so i would love to hear some C&Cs Especially i would like to know how to get the whole subject into focus. I tried different F stops and it just doesn't look very promissing. :scratch

Thank you so much!!











and one of Geico

RogersDA

Well, I'm no macro pro, but I think ya' did good.

The first two are nice with the color contrast between the leaf and the fly. The third and fourth are my favorites. Honestly I do no care for the month. Perhaps it's because of the screen.

Any more?

ShepsMom

Thank you David, i think that moth was dead, and was hanging on my pool cage, isn't it disgusting? :twitch
I don't have any more for now, i'm heaving headache already from all the macro shots . There are really not many bugs around my house, i should take a walk somewhere else. My neighbors already give me weird looks.

BigAl

ShepsMom wrote:

All of you macro pros, please let me know how i did. I didn't use tripod, mine is POS anyway. All were handheld. It's my first try, so i would love to hear some C&Cs Especially i would like to know how to get the whole subject into focus. I tried different F stops and it just doesn't look very promissing.

Ah, welcome the one of the most sought after wishes of the macro photographer - more DoF. You need the shutter speed and you need a small aperture, but you want natural light - very difficult combo. That's why the off-camera flash is so popular.

While you're saving up for a flash, what you could do is to try head-on shots with largish apertures, then as long as the head is really sharp your brain isn't too worried that the rest of the beast is out of focus. In the meanwhile, practice moving back and forth to pin down the focus on the eyes. Switch on the focus beeper too, it does help (oh and look around for Brian's tuts - Dalantech has put one up recently too).

Lord Vetinari

Excellent start. Think the first 3 are all dolichopid flies (long legged flies).
#3 and #6 the focus is excellent- always try to get the eyes in focus.
WRT composition try to give the bug more room in the direction it's facing- this will take it off-centre which normally looks better.
As Al mentioned lots of hints and tips here http://www.flickr.com/groups/topic/66514/.

I don't use a tripod but often use a bean pole to help stabilise the shots (just grip it and the camera in the left hand).
Macro is very addictive- don't forget to take the dog for a walk
Brian V.

Skippy

ShepsMom wrote:

OK, I spent all day chasing bugs! You know, i didn't even take dogs for a walk. Bad mom!

All of you macro pros, please let me know how i did. I didn't use tripod, mine is POS anyway. All were handheld. It's my first try, so i would love to hear some C&Cs Especially i would like to know how to get the whole subject into focus. I tried different F stops and it just doesn't look very promissing.

Thank you so much!!
and one of Geico

You can hand hold if you get your speed right and have enough light.
Using a flash will help you achieve that.

Any movement whatsoever using slow shutter speeds will result in a blurred image.......... you are sooooo gonna get there girl, you wait and see.

Push that ISO up too if you need to.

I mostly use these setting for hand holding.

Camera set on MANUAL
ISO set to 100
Speed 200
Aperture set to between F11-F14 ... (this varies can be even less).
External Flash (which I manually adjust)

Keep practising you will get there ..... Skippy
.

Dalantech

I'm not expert, but I'll add my .02:

If you shoot a critter you must get the eyes -because people will look at you funny if you consistently shoot the south end of a north bound bug- and the eyes must be in focus. We are predators, and we look at the eyes of other creatures to gage intent. So the very first thing the viewer will do is look into the eyes of your subject -and the rest of the image can be completely out of focus and it won't matter...

A part of shooting macro, barring focus stacking, is to choose where the area of sharp focus is going to be. Instead of seeing it as a limitation look for ways to use it to your advantage...

Avoid the "I'm about to step on it" look and don't shoot everything from above. Get even with the critter -it will be a much more interesting composition.

Speaking of composition: It's not enough just to get the eyes in focus, because after the "wow factor" of seeing a bug up close is over (about three seconds) the image has to work on its own. So don't center all of your shots (unless the subject completely fills the image frame). Treat the critter like you're taking a portrait, or the scene as a whole like a sunset. Don't forget the rule of thirds...

The slightest little movement can cause an image to blur, or sometimes you'll just get robbed of all the fine details. I was shooting a crab spider today and even though I was using the flash as my main light source, which should have given me the equivalent of 1/1200 of a second exposure, I ended up deleting 90% of my shots due to the wind moving the flower the spider was on. I don't use a tripod but I always look for ways to brace myself -and take lots of frames...

Practice -spend lots of time behind the camera...

ShepsMom

BigAl wrote:

Ah, welcome the one of the most sought after wishes of the macro photographer - more DoF. You need the shutter speed and you need a small aperture, but you want natural light - very difficult combo. That's why the off-camera flash is so popular.

While you're saving up for a flash, what you could do is to try head-on shots with largish apertures, then as long as the head is really sharp your brain isn't too worried that the rest of the beast is out of focus. In the meanwhile, practice moving back and forth to pin down the focus on the eyes. Switch on the focus beeper too, it does help (oh and look around for Brian's tuts - Dalantech has put one up recently too).

Thank you Al!! Ohhh yeah, i know all about "rocking" I'll make sure my neighbors not around while i'm at it!:D

ShepsMom

Skippy wrote:

You can hand hold if you get your speed right and have enough light.
Using a flash will help you achieve that.

Any movement whatsoever using slow shutter speeds will result in a blurred image.......... you are sooooo gonna get there girl, you wait and see.

Push that ISO up too if you need to.

I mostly use these setting for hand holding.

Camera set on MANUAL
ISO set to 100
Speed 200
Aperture set to between F11-F14 ... (this varies can be even less).
External Flash (which I manually adjust)

Keep practising you will get there ..... Skippy
.

Thank you Skippy!! I used flash on these, otherwise they would be too dark, even with nice bright day. Bugs are hiding in the bushes and hard to find

ShepsMom

Dalantech wrote:

I'm not expert, but I'll add my .02:

If you shoot a critter you must get the eyes -because people will look at you funny if you consistently shoot the south end of a north bound bug- and the eyes must be in focus. We are predators, and we look at the eyes of other creatures to gage intent. So the very first thing the viewer will do is look into the eyes of your subject -and the rest of the image can be completely out of focus and it won't matter...

A part of shooting macro, barring focus stacking, is to choose where the area of sharp focus is going to be. Instead of seeing it as a limitation look for ways to use it to your advantage...

Avoid the "I'm about to step on it" look and don't shoot everything from above. Get even with the critter -it will be a much more interesting composition.

Speaking of composition: It's not enough just to get the eyes in focus, because after the "wow factor" of seeing a bug up close is over (about three seconds) the image has to work on its own. So don't center all of your shots (unless the subject completely fills the image frame). Treat the critter like you're taking a portrait, or the scene as a whole like a sunset. Don't forget the rule of thirds...

The slightest little movement can cause an image to blur, or sometimes you'll just get robbed of all the fine details. I was shooting a crab spider today and even though I was using the flash as my main light source, which should have given me the equivalent of 1/1200 of a second exposure, I ended up deleting 90% of my shots due to the wind moving the flower the spider was on. I don't use a tripod but I always look for ways to brace myself -and take lots of frames...

Practice -spend lots of time behind the camera...

Thank you for great tips! I will definately read all the tuts i can find. I guess i'm a pro at butt shooting. Don't even ask......