Just got my new Marco lens and jumped straight into the deep end

J

James_digipics

Messages
26
Edit My Images
No
I got my hands on my new lens and had to start playing with it straight away, below is a couple of pictures from to days little spree. c&c is welcomed, but please be gentle.:sulk:
1,

2.

3.

4.


Cheers

Guys(y)
 
Gary-360 said:
Sorry for being blunt, but I'd practice a little more before posting any more macros.
Click to expand...

I'm sure you mean well, but that's not very helpful now, is it? :LOL:


James, if I'm honest I'm not keen on the processing on any of the shots. Putting that aside, I think one of the first things you could do to help improve your macro work is to use a narrower aperture - at the moment I think the main problem with the shots is that the DOF is just too small...
I think you'll find that most insect macros are, very generally speaking taken with an aperture setting of somewhere between f8-16. Also, if there's an eye in the shot, I'd try to get it in focus.
 
Gary-360 said:
Sorry for being blunt, but I'd practice a little more before posting any more macros.
Click to expand...

Ouch! That's not gentle. ;) However, is true IMHO. But don't be dis-couraged. Take a look at the Macro shots on this forum for inspiration and keep practising.

I'm not an expert at macro, but can tell you you get a shallow depth of field even with small appertures. So focus on the main part e.g. on an insect get the eye in focus, even if rest OOF it will look better than the other way round. Wouldn't rely on AF and find MF easier. Infact, set your lens to 1:1 and move ib and out until you get something sharp.

Sure more experience Macro takers can offer better advice than I with out being as blunt as Gary:LOL:
 
Well it seems I am sinking in the deep end:help:
Just have to give it another go, and resist the temptation of sharing it, until I know it's 100% correct and upto standards:bonk:
 
Welcome to Macro. It's a tough genre to get into but a very fun one all the same.

I respectfully disagree with the comment about not posting Macros until you've practiced because if you aren't told what you've done wrong then you're not going to improve quickly. Therefore, it's good to post even bad images. These aren't horrendous but you have missed the focus on them.

I'm not on my own PC at home and as such don't currently have the ability to view EXIF however it seems to me that you've used a wider aperture to let more light in.

Macro at high mag often suffers from lack of light. Therefore, lots of it is required. However due to the very narrow DoF at high mag, you need a smaller aperture in order to gain more DoF bit again, the trade off of that is more light required.

You could use tripod, set it to aperture priority, dial in F8 or F11 and let the camera set the shutter speed. This is fine if your subject is static and not going to move in the slightest. No good if your subject IS likely to move and the camera has set a slower shutter.

Therefore, try and provide as much light as you can. Either natural sunlight (even that isn't always enough) or a nice bright lamp if you're not going to use flash. Then you could use either the popup flash (which to be honest isn't brilliant) or an external flash gun. I shoot most of my macros at 1/200th, F8 to F11 with my Speedlite set at varying power levels dependant on ambient lighting.

Good advice has indeed already been given. Use Manual Focus and move back and forwards very slowly. Regulate your breathing and use the natural movement of your body to help you focus. Press your shutter button very carefully because doing this often moves the camera out of the focus point and gives you a blurry image.
 
Last edited:
Good on you for sharing your first attempts. Mine were too poor to air in public. The one thing I felt helped was good light. Be aware of how the sun is in relation to your subject. Consider using flash. Though some subjects with shiny surfaces don't seem to work too well with the on camera flash. Also try different metering modes. And as many have said before focus on the EYES whether its people, cats butterflies or whatever etc etc.. then just practice..practice...practice. That's where I am on this score. Good luck. Look forward to seeing your progress.
 
They all look underexposed to me.

But don't worry because parctice makes (almost) perfect.

I say that because although I have been into macro shots for almost 5 years now I stillook at some shots taken by others on here and just marvel at their expertise and the brilliant shots they produce.

So good luck - macro is a thoroughly absorbing branch of photography.

So what camera and lens do you have?

.
 
James_digipics said:
Well it seems I am sinking in the deep end:help:
Just have to give it another go, and resist the temptation of sharing it, until I know it's 100% correct and upto standards:bonk:
Click to expand...

I did say don't be discouraged. Dispite Gary being blunt, learn from it and have another go. If no one commeneted on your pics or they just said nice or rubbish you will not learn. It is hard taking critique, but if it's constructive you will learn from it. Even if you post another set of pics which ain't perfect, take on board any advice and critique so you can improve next time. Don't worry if you don't post perfect piccys all the time. If they are perfect in the first place then they will be for sharing rather than critique.
 
Good advice By Ian and others, I will just add my bit.
Try using reflectors to deflect light onto the subject if it is static.
Static subjects would be best suitable as you are starting out.
A4 white paper, aluminium foil and other surfaces that reflect good light.
A cheap bedside light is fine if you do not own a flash.
 
I just got this lamp from B&Q for under £20.

It has an energy saver bulb but it is a superb brilliant white and gives off a seriously large amount of light. Perfect for indoor macro

http://preview.tinyurl.com/357v978
 
I've posted many links in the past to Bryan Peterson Youtube vids. He does a few macro ones, give them a look.

Not ever bought any of his books. Some say they are great, and some say they're not so great. However his videos on youtube are nice little learners. Google: Bryan Peterson Youtube and you get a list of around 20 plus 3min+/- vids, some including macro. Easy to follow stuff.
 
For some reason I like no2, but it's the composition I like, maybe the knife point needs to be sharper (no pun) but like the idea. Nice try (y)
 
As has been said you need to practice abit more, and i think your processing may need some work as well.... you've had some good advice allready , so keep trying.
But keep posting aswell... you will only learn by recieving good critisim.... this isn't just a forum for showing off perfect pictures, and all your efforts deserve an airing for comment and advice... good or bad.
If only the 'experts' posted we would all get despondent and give up.... your efforts are as valid as anyones and deserve the right to be shown.
Looking forward to your next go....

Dave
 
My first post in this thread is wrong, I apologise. Whilst I agree with Gary that the shots you have posted aren't great, please don't be put off in posting more. My view was to keep having a go and keep posting to recieve good constructive critique so you can learn to improve. Yes, the gist of Gary's post was you need to improve and his mistake was not to offer any advice on how. Please keep posting and learning and ignore unconstuctive comments.
 
I thought my post would get a reaction, please don't be deterred from trying ;)

The secret to any photography is light, light and more light; If you have it, you should get crisp sharp images, even hand held; if it's not there, you have a problem.

The DOF is a major issue in Macro, as stated above try shutting down a little to include more of the subject in the frame. It can be fun trying to throw a perspective on your subject using an aperture wide open, but it doesn't always benefit a macro.

Use a tripod, use plenty light, use a smaller aperture (bigger f#), use your imagination.

Gary
 
Thanks for the comments guys, its all been noted down ready for another go today. So get ready for this evenings gallery:LOL:
To answer the question
I am currently using a canon 450d, and a canon 100mm macro lens

cheers

James_digipics
 
very new to all this but i am also interested in macro , great replies as well , which will encourage .will watch this thread as ill be doing the same , good luck and keep trying
 
Hi James, I am just back to photography after many years before which I was into 35mm :)

Anyway, the area I want to get into is Macro and I have just today picked up a Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 L Macro IS USM Lens to fit to the front of the 7D. I was a bit taken aback by the first comment but see you are now getting constructive feedback that is helping many of us.

I think your moving in the right direction with your pen picture, I would have included something in the writing that would have made it part of the picture, i.e. “he stopped writing mid sente....” and yes I agree on the shadow, I would try and make it the same size and as sharp as the pen..

Keep the ideas coming though, I am learning from your feedback :)

Mark.
 
James_digipics said:
2nd attempt...
Click to expand...

Waaaaaaay better, in terms of composition, focus, and processing. (y)

I'm guessing you used a flash for this one? Or was it just a long exposure with natural light? If it's the first, then have a look at diffusing the light a little more to avoid 'hotspots', the plague of most of my macro efforts :D
 
Last edited:
A significant improvement James and I like the colour tone you have here.

A MUCH Sharper image not just in clarity but also in idea too. I agree with what Mark suggested above about the mid sentence trailling off. By doing that, there's a story to the image or more to the point an event which might leave people wondering what caused the interruption.

I agree the shadow is very heavy so the next step is to reduce the shadow. I would not look to totally eliminate it as the shadow adds to the atmosphere of the image. It just needs some reduction.


I now agree with what Gary stated. Include more of your subject in the frame. Either obtain lots more DoF so more is in focus, or pull back on the magnification. It's always tempting to try and magnify your subject as much as you can but often reducing mag provides for much nicer images.

As stated by Chris. diffusion is VERY important. you can buy diffusers such as sto-fen which to be honest, don't do a massive amount to help. They're put onto external flashguns. However, you can make home made diffusers using packaging foam sheeting, polystyrene bowls or milk cartons. The idea is to spread out the light. The other alternative is to use lots and lots of natural or lighting from a lamp (even that might need to be diffused using a nylon reflector) and then use flash with its power reduced.
 
Last edited:
1000% improvement, so well done. You've used your imagination which is a key factor. The image is sharp, well focused, nicely lit and has subject.
The shadow is a distraction but will always be there unless you use a soft box to diffuse the lighting, try altering the direction of the shadow by adjusting the light source, I'd personally recommend slightly above the pen and in line with it, this will cast the shadow toward the point.

Well done, Gary
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top