[Proxima]

My first macro attempt. Can we have some advice on how to shoot macro please?

rjstyles - great shot! Which lens? EXIF?

[shajufx]

Riju, great shot. Hope the apartment is not full of spideys all over !

Proxima, you are inspiring me to get a macro lens soon !!

[clevermax]

@Proxima: which is the equipment used?
@rj: I think its a signature spider.

[rjstyles69]

proxima shot with the el-cheapo 50mm 1.8 lens pal.
shaju we have a canopy of trees on 2 sides of our apartment block and I have regular visitors. Early mornings its squirrels and pigeons at our dining room window. Post 8pm its grass hoppers who find their way home.
clever_max thanks for that info.
Here's another one had posted this before.



clever_max nice capture of the sunset. Would have preferred something softer.

[jkdas]

wohoo! more nice pix !

Proxima! first shot if great! bit unfocused?

rj: loved the latest shot. Maybe the colors in it. This spidey looks better

shajufx; nice shot but can't beat cleverdude's snap of similar theme. I tried to but junior wont allow me to.

[Proxima]

Originally Posted by jkdas

Proxima! first shot if great! bit unfocused?

Thanks JK. Actually the closer half of the spider is in focus, the farther half is not.

Originally Posted by rjstyles69

proxima shot with the el-cheapo 50mm 1.8 lens pal.

Originally Posted by clevermax

@Proxima: which is the equipment used?

I used the 18-55 IS kit lens with a cheap macro filter (Opteka).
Clever, nice shot. EXIF?

Originally Posted by shajufx

Proxima, you are inspiring me to get a macro lens soon !!

I suggest you just get a cheap Macro lens (filter type) to start of with. It cost me around 2000 bucks (from the US).

Actually as I get to use other lenses (I have the 50 mm 1.8 and the 55-250 IS now), I am seeing how versatile the kit lens is. Highly underestimated lens.

Here's one more. Notice the extremely shallow depth of focus. And the fly's huge tongue!!! Only half the fly is in focus again, don't know why. Any pointers on how to shoot macro from the experts?

[HellwratH]

Proxima,

Two choices. Increase the F stop to like f11 or f16 or move farther away and shoot. Crop in Post processing.

Since, we are discussing insects and macro, here are some from my side. I lost some details in the shadow side (fly photo) and dust on sensor :(.

My favorite being the bee and water lily (?). I still have to get the hang of getting the DOF right.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

One from my side. (Left wing got clipped, big mistake!)

Originally Posted by Proxima

Any pointers on how to shoot macro from the experts?

Thats because of the very shallow DOF involved in macro photography.

Try focus stacking, with multiple images.
Focus stacking - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[shajufx]

Originally Posted by rjstyles69

Here's another one had posted this before.

Wow, this looks very colourful, I never realised mere spiders could look so beautiful !!

Originally Posted by jkdas

shajufx; nice shot but can't beat cleverdude's snap of similar theme. I tried to but junior wont allow me to.

I am honoured if you even dare to compare mine to clever's. You should try when they are sleeping which they do almost 70% of 24 hours !!

Yet to get the aperture calculation recorded into my brain !! I dont know why these things are made so complicated ? Why couldnt the F32 be a wider aperture instead of 1.4 being the widest ?

Originally Posted by HellwratH

Since, we are discussing insects and macro, here are some from my side..

HW, your fly is like ready to jump and attack anytime !! All your shots are begging for its exif data. Waterlilly (I have no clue if thats the right name) looks perfect !

So all you guys are proudly showing off your macro lenses here !! I am not even able to get my 35mm 1.8 prime yet, still trying my luck. I am gradually shifting my interest from birding (telephoto) to macro. I think thats economical !!

[HellwratH]

Shaju,

My bad again. From now on I will remember to post the EXIF data as well . Here it goes,

(i) Fly away
Exposure: 0.005 sec (1/200)
Aperture: f/11.0
Focal Length: 105 mm
Exposure Bias: -1 EV
ISO Speed: 800

(ii) Don't give it up
Exposure: 0.033 sec (1/30)
Aperture: f/9.0
Focal Length: 105 mm
Exposure Bias: -2/3 EV
ISO Speed: 800

(iii) The lily bee
Exposure: 0.01 sec (1/100)
Aperture: f/8.0
Focal Length: 105 mm
Exposure Bias: -2/3 EV
ISO Speed: 100


I have no clue about "birding" but macro photography sure is tough. :(

[mobike008]

@hellwrath, the first picture of the spider is superb. While sharing the exif date, do also share the program mode used? I notice most people dont share this info, is it because you all guys click in Manual Program mode?

[clevermax]

@shaju: I didn't notice your pic yesterday while browsing over my slow gprs connection, image failed to load, BTW it's a sweet picture, brings more emotions than a kid's face portrait, IMO.

Originally Posted by shajufx

Yet to get the aperture calculation recorded into my brain !! I dont know why these things are made so complicated ? Why couldnt the F32 be a wider aperture instead of 1.4 being the widest ?

It is not really F32 and F1.4, they are f/32 and f/1.4, so larger the denominator, lesser the result right? Doesn't that make sense now!

@Proxima: I tried to get a Raynox macro converter through my co-brother while he was in the UK, but wasn't lucky enough to get one. Your results seem to be good, I want to buy one!

My beach picture exif was something like

ISO-200, f/8, 18mm. Don't remember the shutter speed as I click such shots in Aperture prio mode - shutter speed doesn't matter much as long as you have enough light and proper metering mode set and if required use AEL. This was processed mainly in Adobe camera RAW and less in PS - Pseudo exposure blending in my terms

@rjstyles: I still like your first spider shot as the second one seem a bit oversaturated...

@Hw: Very neat images!

[shajufx]

Originally Posted by HellwratH

I have no clue about "birding" but macro photography sure is tough. :(

Birding is interesting if you have atleast a 400m lens (to start with), nothing less would be of much use. Macro is fun, you see too many things in life that go unnoticed ! So, you are making the best use of your 105mm macro ? Is it nikon ? (sorry if you mentioned it already and I am repeating the question).

Originally Posted by mobike008

@hellwrath, the first picture of the spider is superb. .......I notice most people dont share this info, is it because you all guys click in Manual Program mode?

First picture was a fly mobike, may be you felt it like a spider because of the macro lens ! If you are very sure of the spider, then its from the 'house of riju' !! Manual is used by majority except people like me who are babies in this line.

[HellwratH]

Mobike,

It was in Aperture priority mode. Most of my shots except the ones where I use Off Camera Flash are shot in Av mode. The OCF shots are always done in manual, as I need to control the light on my subject as well as the background.


Thank you Clevermax. I have some questions about post processing, I'll PM you about them.

Originally Posted by shajufx

Birding is interesting if you have atleast a 400m lens (to start with), nothing less would be of much use. Macro is fun, you see too many things in life that go unnoticed ! So, you are making the best use of your 105mm macro ? Is it nikon ? (sorry if you mentioned it already and I am repeating the question).


First picture was a fly mobike, may be you felt it like a spider because of the macro lens ! If you are very sure of the spider, then its from the 'house of riju' !! Manual is used by majority except people like me who are babies in this line.

Yeah, good 400mm lenses cost an arm and a leg :(. That's why birding is on hold as of now. I use Canon 350D + Sigma 105mm macro. The reason why I love macro is for the same reason that so many things in nature go un-noticed and are hardly visible to us. Here's one of my favorite shots ever (had posted it sometime back). I love the transition of colors here and was amazed and happy to have noticed this . If I tried taking the flower close to my eyes, it would go Out of Focus and hence macro is one way of getting "closer". BTW, the flower is morning glory.

AFAIK, majority is Av and not manual.


EXIF:

Exposure: 0.01 sec (1/100)
Aperture: f/8.0
Focal Length: 105 mm
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
ISO Speed: 800
Mode: Av

[clevermax]

It is a wrong notion that everyone with DSLR is using Manual mode. I've seen event photographers using Auto mode and landscape mode, can you beat that.

One of my friend has a D60, he uses Auto mode but spends so much time focusing and zooming while looking through the VF, for that pro-look

When I got my DSLR camera, I made it a point that I won't shoot in Auto and use Manual mode whatsoever. It initially resulted in me clicking my worst pictures ever, that even made my wife angry on me for spending so much money on a camera that can't produce pictures as good as the old P&S. But slowly I could learn the settings well, and later I started using A, S modes as well. Mostly it's A or M.