Garden Plants...

[Dinsdale]

Had my first real go at close-up photography today with my new lens (AFS Micro Nikkor 85mm 1:3.5 G ED) and although I'm relatively pleased with the results I'd very much welcome some serious C&C please.
All shots were taken using manual focus with the camera mounted on a Giottos Vitruvian tripod in direct sunlight. Apart from resizing in MS Picture Manager no PP was carried out on these photos.

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6)

Many thanks for looking.

 

[swag72]

I think the first is the best of the bunch as there are no shadows and it's probably the sharpest of all. The others are either missing the focus a little or are suffering from significant shadows. Perhaps shield the sun a little and this will get you a more balanced shot with regards the light.

 

[Dinsdale]

Yes, thanks I see what you mean.
The sun was hellishly bright and I was wondering about the yellow flowers being a bit burnt out. The other problem I had was I'd get a focus on the plant then the wind would pick up and I had to wait until it settled before the shot... perhaps I should have re-focused or used the auto focus instead. We live and learn.

 

[18-270]

I like 1

With so much light around try shooting at about F22 and drop the ISO right down to Lo

You'll notice much greater edge sharpness and a more manageable DOF