I love macro, but want to do it right!

[digeraghty]

I would love for some of you to take a look at my macros on my flicker site and give me an idea if I'm on the right track or what things I should be doing better. I LOVE looking at pictures of random items that, in the hands of a skilled photographer with a macro lens, become breathtaking works of art. Someday I would like to shoot those kinds of images.
Right now, there are just flowers because I'm not very brave!

Macro - a set on Flickr


Camera:Canon EOS REBEL T1i
Exposure:0.033 sec (1/30)
Aperture:f/4.0
Focal Length:27 mm
ISO Speed:1250
Flash:Off
Macro Lens

Thanks!

[Linda Fellion]

In looking at your flickr set, the only comment I have is that I think you can crop closer on the rosebud. Overall I think your flower shots are well composed and the exposure is good.

[daft_biker]

Originally Posted by digeraghty

ISO Speed:1250

I'm guessing you never used a tripod? If you don't have one maybe you could treat yourself to one and a bunch of flowers to play about with indoors.

Keep experimenting though - if something little catches your eye have a go at photographing it. Have some fun, go a little nuts if you like. Time flies when you're having fun and you could easily surprise yourself with some cracking shots along the way

[kawazu]

I looked through your macro shots on flickr and liked them a lot, and I agree with daft_biker - a tripod can always help out when shooting macro. I also use a canon t1i for my shots and the shutter button is sometimes fidgety. A tripod and a remote controlled or timed shot can help greatly with your results. Another way to get more crisp images if you can't invest in a good tripod now is to set the shooting mode on the t1i to continuous and leave the shutter button pressed through 3 pictures. Hold steady and the second one should be the clearest and most detailed.

I might also recommend on some shots to have more bokeh instead of such sharp backgrounds. I like the bokeh on the right of "Inner beauty", but not super crazy about the leaf and stem on the left. Also, I'd recommend lower ISO speeds for clarity and noise reduction. Cranking your aperture wide open and lengthening shutter times will allow you to get lower ISO (tripod definitely recommended for longer shutter times!).

For focus and bokeh with smaller aperture lenses, I generally follow what a lot of macro product photographers do with their camera slides by setting f-stop and focus, and then moving yourself and the camera+lens closer/farther until subject is the way you want. Add seasoning to taste and voila...

I really liked the "Buttery Soft" picture on your flickr set the best. I look forward to seeing more shots from you!

[digeraghty]

Thanks for the detailed advice! I guess i just assumed since I was getting so close to the subject a tripod wouldn't be that useful. I'm still learning that a great shot doesn't just happen, it takes patience and setup! Now that you mention it, I can see some of the blur from the shake. The idea of bokeh to provide depth and interest are great too. Glad it's the weekend so I can practice some of the techniques! Thanks again. So glad I joined DPS!