second attempt at macro

They look OK to me,
Just one suggestion for #1,
For macro, pick a flower, or a much smaller group, and get in closer.
 
As with most things in photography you need work a bit on the composition and focusing the viewers to the subject. For example your pictures have cluttered backgrounds which is distracting.
Hope that helps.
 
Thank you both for your suggestions. Im still learning how to compose the macro shot so i will take your advice on board Cobra. Do you think I need to raise the fstop nandbytes to get more of a bokeh for background?
All advice is gratefully received.
 
I agree with the guys, get in, isolate a bug or flower, think about the angle.

What settings and lens are you using?
Are you still stacking?
These will all affect the Bokeh/BG, but I think the most important bit is the distance to the BG the more room behind, the better the Bokeh and BG will look. (Depending what is behind, you'll never lose a house).

Look the insects or flowers at the top of the flower margins and shoot into a open space if possible, if you're shooting down & low use the lowest f# you have on the lens and if stacking just use 2 or 3 frames. I should add if you get really close the lowest f# will slice through a fly/flower with razor thin DOF.

I've just looked at some of mine in hedges, 100mm f3.5 - 4 with one shot.

Keep chipping away (y)

If you have cut flowers in the house, play with those to see how this all affects the image.
Use fabric or card to remove BG if needed.
 
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ADragon said:
Do you think I need to raise the fstop nandbytes to get more of a bokeh for background?
Click to expand...

As mentioned by Gav its not just about the fstop, its also to do with the distance of the background from the subject.

And when I talk about the background I don't even mean its needs to be blown out of focus. It just needs to work with your subject.
in your 3rd shot you do have a fairly well defocussed background but it still feels cluttered, the light is harsh, and all round not quite drawing attention towards the flowers themselves or rather drawing attention away from the flowers.

As suggested keep experimenting and trying angles. I personally find it hard myself to shoot macro and compose out in the open. It take a lot of skill and patience to get it right. Keep persevering. :)
 
Gav. said:
I agree with the guys, get in, isolate a bug or flower, think about the angle.

What settings and lens are you using?
Are you still stacking?
These will all affect the Bokeh/BG, but I think the most important bit is the distance to the BG the more room behind, the better the Bokeh and BG will look. (Depending what is behind, you'll never lose a house).

Look the insects or flowers at the top of the flower margins and shoot into a open space if possible, if you're shooting down & low use the lowest f# you have on the lens and if stacking just use 2 or 3 frames. I should add if you get really close the lowest f# will slice through a fly/flower with razor thin DOF.

I've just looked at some of mine in hedges, 100mm f3.5 - 4 with one shot.

Keep chipping away (y)

If you have cut flowers in the house, play with those to see how this all affects the image.
Use fabric or card to remove BG if needed.
Click to expand...
Great advice Gav.
One thing I'd add, try to pick a "still" day, wind, even a light breeze, will play havoc with the focusing.
You think you have it, and it moves just as you press the shutter, giving blurry images.
 
I like all the pictures but I think maybe there's a loss of detail in the yellows in the first, on my screen anyway, maybe back the exposure off a bit? Maybe use spot metering?

All good pictures though, well done :D
 
following this thread with interest, some great advice, try to get basics right and the rest will follow ,don't over complicate things with stacking etc

your off to a cracking start, practice practice and a bit more, looking forward to more shots
 
Cobra said:
Great advice Gav.
One thing I'd add, try to pick a "still" day, wind, even a light breeze, will play havoc with the focusing.
You think you have it, and it moves just as you press the shutter, giving blurry images.
Click to expand...
If you're able too, on windy days, I hold the plant with my left hand, rest the lens on my left wrist :)
Good wrist strap on the right arm ;)

Or drag someone along for the walk :p
 
Gav. said:
If you're able too, on windy days, I hold the plant with my left hand, rest the lens on my left wrist :)
Good wrist strap on the right arm ;)

Or drag someone along for the walk :p
Click to expand...
Now you are just showing off :D
 
I am just getting into macro, I will use a flash on most shots, and I vary the strength of the flash depending on the fstop, then take the pic check it and adjust if needed.

As the others have said focus on one small area, your first shot I would put into the "close up" catergory whilst the 4th one "macro" have fun, it's turning in to be one of my favourite styles of photography. :)
 
for settings I was using 1/200 with f10 and iso 400 the lens is a ef 100mm L IS USM macro using the ef converter on my R7.
no I wasnt stacking this time and yes there was a slight wind but I did my best to shield what I was shooting with my body, but as mentioned everything was kinda clustered together so trying to get space around the stuff I was shooting was rarther difficult but will try to choose better subjects next time.
Im having loads of fun trying this out and much appreciative of all your help and advice!
 
ADragon said:
for settings I was using 1/200 with f10 and iso 400 the lens is a ef 100mm L IS USM macro using the ef converter on my R7.
no I wasnt stacking this time and yes there was a slight wind but I did my best to shield what I was shooting with my body, but as mentioned everything was kinda clustered together so trying to get space around the stuff I was shooting was rarther difficult but will try to choose better subjects next time.
Im having loads of fun trying this out and much appreciative of all your help and advice!
Click to expand...
1/200, were you using flash?
If not, I'd be temped to get the speed up a tad more the camera and software can handle higher than ISO 400.

Good luck (y)
 
I dont own a flash yet. still trying to decide on type of flash ie the normal speedlight or ring flash. so are we talking 1/250 or 300 perhaps?
 
ADragon said:
I dont own a flash yet. still trying to decide on type of flash ie the normal speedlight or ring flash. so are we talking 1/250 or 300 perhaps?
Click to expand...
If you've got nice light to play with, higher the better, it gives a 'safety net' against the wind and any movement :) I would imagine up to ISO 800 or 1000 with SS up to 1/800 you would still get quality.

All personal preferances (y)

Flashes are a mine field :LOL:
 
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ADragon said:
I dont own a flash yet. still trying to decide on type of flash ie the normal speedlight or ring flash. so are we talking 1/250 or 300 perhaps?
Click to expand...
you can see some impressive and creative rigs here especially for lighting
www.talkphotography.co.uk

Other Macro - Show us your macro rig

Here is my macro set ups. Left: Panasonic FZ8, Raynox MSN 202 + Gary Fong Puffer Diffuser. Centre: Canon 350d, Sigma 105 ex + Kenko extension tubes, Speedlite 580 mkII and lumiQuest Mini Softbox on a home made bracket and offshoe cord 2. Right: Canon 40d, Mp-e 65 1-5x lens, MT-24 ex...
www.talkphotography.co.uk www.talkphotography.co.uk

as mentioned above go as high as possible without blowing the ISO too much. At macro distances even the smallest movement in camera/lens or subject will be seen in the end results.
 
I use the built in flash on the camera and a round diffuser that slides over the lens, will upgrade when I get used to everything
 
Are these any better ? I took them today. I made sure NOT to use auto iso and used a iso of 250, and f8. I think I got the backgrounds better this time.


53062065425_1aee575995_b.jpg


53061860179_47a0144ec3_b.jpg

53062065430_8364425ef0_b.jpg
 
Your last three shots look okay but wondering if the flowers would look better fully open and perhaps get in a bit closer? Have a go at some stamen or a bug or petals of a bud.
 
They are getting there. The Bokeh is better, but still a large area in focus, I would try using f5.6 or f4 see what happens.

I took pics of the same flower with multiple iso, fstops, looked at the settings and decided from ther which worked better for me.

tI is reminding me of my own journey into macro. :)
 
a worthwhile exercise is to set your camera/lens set up on a tripod in the house and focus on a target housplant or other easy to use object then using the same ISO and focus point shoot multiple images from f2.8 to f16 and then look to see, if you can add a ruler to the image something along these lines it will allow you to see the depth of field with each f stop for the distance you are shooting at so give you an idea as to what you are looking for as a base setup - this is just a quick and dirty set up a few minutes ago to give you the idea - use a tripod and set the subject up better to get a better return on the images :)

Dof.jpg
 
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#3 looking good for detail and light, nice shot.
just a thought, could always move round to the left taking shots as you move, have a good look which you prefer, if your not already?.
 
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