Macro shot

[CriPPle]

I got some macro tubes recently and here is my first attempt at a Macro shot

http://www.thephotographyforums.com/albums/album47/Macro.jpg

Would love to hear how this could be improved and any tips for macro photograophy would be generously appreciated.

[Marianne]

I think you have chosen a difficult subject for a first macro shot. Love the reflection and sharp focus of the lashes in the iris however the detail in the eye itself looks a bit soft to me and also lacks a richness. It would help to know how you set this shot up and took it :)

[MyPix]

nice first shot m8,
but i think you just missed it, the focus isnt quite on the iris , its just in front onthe catchlight ,

i would also try a different ' pose ' possibly looking in another direction, just to add a little more interest

just my thoughts, and keep on snappin

MyPix

[matty]

i agree with the above, focus point is slightly off, if your subject moves when you got tubes on then the focus can go completely, i have some cheap tubes and its very hard to keep focus!

[CriPPle]

Thanks for the comments.

It was shot handheld with a 70-200 (at around 100mm) and a 31mm extension tube I did try and stop down the apeture to get bigger DOF but all I got was camera shake.

Will try it again and use a tripod that will probably help it.

[matty]

thats damn good for handheld! i struggled with a tripod to keep focus on pin heads, but then again my tripod is pants....

[Marianne]

when I first started doing macro shots with my FujiS7000, I used one of those tiny tripods given free with a magazine and learnt to use the 2 second timer on the camera so as to eliminate the slightest shake...you can't stop an eyeball from moving though, why not try a shot on something more static? ;)

[dod]

have a search for CT's post about using flash with macro, although it might have been a bit harsh for the subject here.

[DJW]

Agree with others on how hard to shoot eyes with macro. Not having such a lens :( I had to do with 50mm f/1.8 prime lens & produce 100% crop below :-

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v178/djw_666/TPF/Eye.jpg

[Marianne]

I have to say that DJW's eye shot is stunning!

[CriPPle]

After listening to what everyone has said I have tried this shot again, all be it this time I have not had someone else to take a picture of so have done a macro of my own eye.......it took a while to get it in focus but I think it has come out a lot better than the original one I posted.

http://www.thephotographyforums.com/albums/album47/macro2.jpg


I know you're not supposed to post more than 1 pic a day in this forum so if anyone has a problem with it being here can you please move the thread into photo sharing :)

[DJW]

Now that's in a different league....& fair play for managing to photo yourself.

[MyPix]

wow,

what an improvement m8,

totally different shot, way more interesting ,
and technically much better

top marx there

MyPix

[Marianne]

really good...love the colour too :)

[matty]

fantastic shot, far better than the first, much better composition etc, well done!

[Joe T]

Very nice!

[CriPPle]

Thanks for all the comments, it's only with critisicim like I got for the first shot that makes me think more about what I am doing wrong to improve my shots.
So thanks for your help :thumb:

[CT]

How the Hell did you take that shot? :Ponders:

[CriPPle]

Camera setup on tripod connected to pc, focusing as best i could, then used capture software to take a load of pictures, checking each one and then moving my head slightly to correct until I got it right.

I took just shy of a hundred shots to get a good composition and in focus

[CT]

Gotcha. Top job and well worth the effort, it's a superb shot. :cool:

Was this with extension tubes?

[CriPPle]

Yes 65mm of extension tubes, shot at 1/20, f/11 with flash

[CT]

I doubt you'd have done much better with a top end macro lens then.

[DJW]

Camera setup on tripod connected to pc, focusing as best i could, then used capture software to take a load of pictures, checking each one and then moving my head slightly to correct until I got it right.

I took just shy of a hundred shots to get a good composition and in focus

Now that's commitment !!! I did wonder how the heck you did it. Just to double check, did you use Video out on camera to PC capture card & after each shot as camera gives preview this showed on PC ?

[CriPPle]

No camera was connected via USB to computer and used eos capture software to take the pics directly to the computer

[DJW]

Oooh...not sure how/if you can do that on a Nikon...back to the manual :coffee:

[Arkady]

You need Nikon Capture software - extra cost as it doesn't come bundled with the camera.
Score #1 to Cannot - sorry - Can-can...

[CriPPle]

There's a surprise Nikon wanting you to pay extra to use certain functions of the camera you bought ;)

[Arkady]

We-eeel - it's not so much the camera functions as the PC/Mac connectivity. It's only really useful if you're a studio-based photographer - can't see myself running around, tethered to a laptop in Iraq, can you?

[DJW]

Make a good caption shot though ;)