Macro Photography Advice

Advice - pick a topic, and work through it - there are only so many pictures of flies any person can look at... Think out of the box - its a wonderful world - way bigger and better than taking pics of some critter that lives off *****!!!

Have fun and go EXPLORE!

Rog
 
RogWarham said:
Advice - pick a topic, and work through it - there are only so many pictures of flies any person can look at... Think out of the box - its a wonderful world - way bigger and better than taking pics of some critter that lives off *****!!!

Have fun and go EXPLORE!

Rog
Click to expand...

i believe that too but i thought if i could do what is already out there it gives me something to compare against. then i can look at other options

thanks
 
still not had chance to look at macro lens cos been mad busy tomorrow i am dedicating time to sussing it out, quick question what is the difference between "full" and "limit" on the lens?

just having a quick look at the lens, does it have a focus or is the zoom the focus? if that makes sense?

thanks
 
Nowt really to add to what's been said so far, apart from getting the bugs & insects to hang around long enough for you to line up the shot. I find that smearing a bit of honey or Lyons golden syrup on a few petals or other objects you want them to go to normally does the trick.

Pre-load some plants in your garden with honey or similar, set up your gear, then go make a cuppa. Voila, when you creep back to that area they'll be too busy lapping it up to notice your presence :thumbs:

These were done using that technique, they're not uber-sharp as they were shot using my Sigma 18-50mm (I'm still pondering what macro lens to buy).


DSC_0207.jpg


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DSC_0241.jpg
 
ok so just been out in the garden, quite sunny and managed to fit a spider just sat there so grabbed the camera and though whilst i has a subject i would give the macro lens a go, which led to more disappointment with the lens, here is what i came up with.

DSC00025.jpg

was quite happy with the first one, as i had started to get a close up image which i is what i intending to do although i now its not the greatest photo. but still thought with a macro i should be getting in closer. so i got the tripod out and set it up so to avoid any camera shake, not that it helped when looking at the next two photos.

DSC00061.jpg

Deciding to zoom in closer, and managed to fill more of the viewer with the spider but at this point the camera lens is nearly touching the spider, luckily when he did get disturbed he would return to the centre of the web again, so i didnt miss out.

DSC00073.jpg


The third one is slightly better but not the greatest exposure, but what i am wondering now is that, i thought with a 90mm macro lens that i would be able to stand further back so not to disturb the subject, but with the these the spider was practically pressed against the lens otherwise i would not have been able to get in close enough, if this had been a fly or something it would have been well gone. so not sure where i am still going wrong.

anymore suggestions?

thanks
 
you may need a tube so you can back off and keep the magnification
all my macro lenses came with tubes or i bought sets to do the job
getting too close can get smudges and pollen on the lens
go for the tube idea
tube talk
 
It sounds like you need an extension tube or two if you can't get close enough. For insects you really need flash (and not on camera one). Get an external Sony top flash and get ringflash adapter from ebay (there are original ones and HK, both seem OK). The best setting then are 1/250s, f8-16 and ISO 100-400 and let the flash do the rest for you.

Also you may notice that if you cast a shadow over a fly, then it will escape. So the trick is to avoid shading the light (sun or window).
 
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