A rose is but a rose...

[Granite]

I took this in my back garden this evening. I'm most curious in what people think about the framing of the picture but all feedback is welcome and wanted. (I think I also need to clean my lens.)

Techinically I had the camera in Macro mode, but I felt the framing of this really wasn't what I go for in macro shots (I'm too far away) and I probably could have almost done this with a manual focus. I have found using the macro focus to be the lazy person's focus when the auto won't cooperate. (Hopefully I posted this in the right place).

Camera: Canon PowerShot S5 IS
Exposure: 0.005 sec (1/200)
Aperture: f/2.7
Focal Length: 6 mm
ISO Speed: 400
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Flash: Off
Exposure Mode: Auto
Macro Mode: Macro
Camera ISO: Auto High
Long Focal: 72 mm
Short Focal: 6 mm

[jiminyClickit]

Granite, Welcome

Starting now, you'll be more likely to get focussed Macro if you use your viewfinder and manually adjust your distance/focus. Sometimes you may need to steady the subject (fishing line, hand, whatever it takes) and move forward and back several times to see the differences and find that one spot where what you want to be sharp, is.

The dirty lens may be simple Sun flare, as the two spots (upper left and lower right) suggest. Just move yourself over (to your left in this shot) until the angle to the Sun eliminates those.

The tilt to the rose is fine - I would move it over to the right, though, so it tilts into the composition. That keeps a viewer's attention inside the frame better. Here it also would do away with the bright plant in the background. Fewer distractions, even blurred ones, will improve overall interest in your rose.

Try a lower ISO or higher speed or -.9 EV just to see what difference it makes. Or all three. Experiment at different times of the day, change your camera-to-Sun angle, anything at all that will show you something new. Practice is key.