First Attempts

[sharpcroft]

Just received a Sigma 105 bought 2nd hand on here, first 4 shots below.
All from a tripod, manual focus via live view (as close to 1:1 as i could get), minor PP (level tweaks) with the onboard popup flash of a 7d.
Comments and tips please.

1#

2#

3#

4#

Any tips on photographing little critters, i had a bash at a spider but with such shallow DOF I struggled to get anything 1/2 way decent, im used to big hairy critters chasing a pigs bladder round a muddy field!

Cheers

Darren

 

[iainfm]

Good test shots. Been out trying to photograph little critters as well. Only tip I can give really is to find ones that stay still for as long as possible, and have plenty of patience!

I really want a nice picture of a bee, but they've got better things to do than pose for me at the moment...

 

[sharpcroft]

Managaed to get a few critters to sit still long enough to take a few more, all hand held with the aid of resting hands against logs etc, onboard fill flash.

1# (cropped)

2# (cropped and minimal sharpening)

3# (cropped and rotated as was at a jaunty angle)

 

[LASTOLITE]

Well done - You have some great shots there......better then my attempts so far, there are some secrets to this lark - using lots of light and very small F stop is the key to the DOF

Enticing the bugs is the hard bit......lots of tricks used....and lots of time spent, it seems

 

[sharpcroft]

I struck lucky with the bugs, went into the garden to have a mooch and they obliged by posing for me.
The ladybird and head on flies where shot at f9 iso200 1/200 with onboard flash, the fly from above was f5, hence the need to sharpen, was shooting in TV mode selecting 1/200 to eliminate shake, may go for AV so i can stop down or even manual but i am new to strobing so the flash settings would be a complete guess?

Darren

 

[billybob99]

for first attempts there not bad, what will help is get a flashgun as light is your friend, and as said dof is tiny i normally do macro bugs etc f8-f16 and find a monopod helps continuous focus or manual and use the rocking method, ie rock back and forwards slightly until focus is good and fire

 

[sharpcroft]

I have a Canon 430exII so will give that a try next time, just never used it in manual so will need to learn how to drive it if im going to shoot in M.
I used a similar method to the rocking method, i leant against a wooden sleeper (the bugs home) and then moved back and forth till the eyes looked sharp then snapped of a few shots.
Thanks for all the input

Darren