One of my first few macro attempts

[krzkrzkrz]

Macro is one amazing world. I find it hard to get the right focus expecially at 1:1 magnification. I dont know if its just me, my lens or if this is normal in macro photography. So I try and after several attempts came out with this one.

C&C welcome.


PS. If you want to complain (bit*h) about the signature / watermark on the photo, dont leave a comment. The signature stays whether you like it or not. Sorry for the attitude, but a signature is just a signature. Its the photo that counts. :eek::):D

[AdamW]

Very nicely done. Yes, focus is tough with macro. Depth of field is very narrow, and even tiny camera movement can throw things off. I've found that I need to stop way down and thus need lots of light to still get a high enough shutter speed to compensate for years of caffeine abuse.

[michaelb]

Very cool image; nicely done.

[krzkrzkrz]

Thanks Adam, michaelb.

During a bright sunny day, its not so hard to obtain the right focus for a 1:1 magnification at ISO 100. The problem are the environment conditions that one is unable to control. i.e. wind, rain, heat, etc.

Macro can be hot and sweaty, especially if you are directly under the sun, moving back and forth with the lens for 20 minutes trying to get the "best" focus.

In the end of the day, I guess this pays off with photos like this.

Im wondering if the Macro Ring Lite MR-14EX flash is worth it and if itll make my macro photography a lot easier.

[Rooz]

its not the lens, that lens is a cracker i've used it a few times. i's just hard to focus on small stuff sometimes, (especially at wide apertures), which is why i shoot MF so much. the only macro lens i've used that had noticeably more reliable AF was the nikkor 105VR.

there's nothing wrong with that image at all, it's a nicely composed shot. the main reason you had a hard time focussing is that with that front on angle you have barely anything in focus at all. if you took it from a slight angle on either side the distances are less amplified so you would have had an easier time focussing and the shot would have more DOF.

btw: i think your signature on the photo is one of the classiest of seen. i really like it.

[krzkrzkrz]

Thanks Rooz.

I agree with the composition of the shot. For a minute, I think the little guy was staring right at me

[nqjudo]

Im wondering if the Macro Ring Lite MR-14EX flash is worth it and if itll make my macro photography a lot easier.

krz - I think that I may have mentioned this to you before. If you are going to be serious about macro photography, you will definitely have to look at lighting. Focusing that close requires very small apertures to get maximum depth of field, resulting in slow shutter speeds. If you are not shooting completely stationary subjects with a tripod, you are going to need flash. The MR-14EX is one option. Some people manage with flash brackets that lift a hot-shoe flash high enough to light something very close to the front of the lens. Some manage to work with the built in flash and diffuser depending on what they are shooting. It may take a bit of experimenting to find out what works for you. I have the MR-14EX and it's a great unit.

Check these out. They may give you some ideas:

http://www.dalantech.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/83636/

http://www.sayersweb.com/photography/html/article-easy-macro.htm