It's a Small World (share your macros!)

Wow, Geoff! I've only been here since the beginning of this autumn and didn't know this about you. :) Your album is wonderful!!! In general, I'm not too fond of bugs but, with macro, a whole new beautiful world opens up - even house flies are beautiful. However, I'm only vaguely interested in insects - although, I really like to look at what others have done, for sure! If i see one, in real life, I'm not afraid to creep up on it. And I've had mild success that way - if only I had known what I was doing with my settings - you know, back when it was warm and we actually had bugs. Actually, I think that you would love it, here, in Vermont. It is insect heaven - there's a kazillion billion jillion of them, here. It's just this thing about the East Coast of the States, I think.

I think that the 60mm will, also, be pleasant for portraits and, well, for landscapes, too. I'm usually at a pretty far distance, when I get to take a landscape and I'm always wishing that I could bring those hills together just a titch more. I'm, also, interested in taking "macro" of jewelry and shtuff like that. As a matter of fact, I'm always just wishing that i could focus a tiny bit closer and pull in just a little bit more on everything. Also, the 60mm has a nice f2.8 (as opposed to the f5.6 that is the widest I can get at 55mm with my kit lens - sigh.) Add to that the lovely clarity that this prime lens is supposed to have. I am thinking that if I'm going to shell out money - I might as well not go halfway and almost get what i want. If I'm at $200, I might as well go to the $400 - I'm almost there, after all - and get what i REALLY want.

However, you've made me think of moths. I do love moths! This is a photo that I took a few days after the bees. I was really surprised that he wasn't all in focus. I mean I was completely in love with a wide aperture - it was totally new to me but it didn't seem to work the same way when I was close. I didn't understand about a higher DOF when so close. Actually, thinking back, I don't think that I knew about shutter speed, yet, either. Nor, metering and I think that I was standing in the light - oops! I think that he's kinda artistic though. :o

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1033/...f75845f1_z.jpg

1/13 f5.6 EV -1.oo AV priority 55mm Pattern metering ISO100

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Originally Posted by mythlady

:o Oh, sorry -- yes, I kind of do have a thing for Donald, but it was your picture I thought was good. Rob.

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Yeah! Isn't he cute? ;) (Compliment) AND, he plays the accordian! (er, I think.)

Thanks for the advice on the lenses - I'll check it out. Tom has some lenses and tubes with adaptors but they're manual focus and I just haven't had the pip to get into them, yet. (It could, also, have something to do with the high security lockup that he has them in. sigh.) I talked about why I'm angling for the 60mm in my post just previous to this one.

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Originally Posted by Katy Noelle

Yeah! Isn't he cute? ;) (Compliment) AND, he plays the accordian! (er, I think.)

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Ladies,

You may wish to partake of this feast again?

http://www.bareham-net.co.uk/DSC_0448_2-Edit.jpg

D2Xs, Sigma 150mm 2.8 macro

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Originally Posted by Katy Noelle

I am such a macro wannabe. I only have the kit lens (Canon 18-55mm); so, when I attempt a macro, I look closely, make an educated guess and, then, I crop in. It's kind of pitiful. :rolleyes: I've learned a lot, though, about DOF, lighting and the need for exactitude in composition when you get this tiny. I'm still trying to apply it, though. :o There is a faint hope for that 60mm macro for Christmas. We'll see..... (if only things would stop breaking down, around here!!

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Hi Katy

I have the Canon 60mm macro and I love up. All of my flower shots are taken with it and this one I did in October of a bee. I nearly always use the tripod and shutter release cable.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1368/...0342e9d0_b.jpg

It is a wonderfully sharp lens. It has been used a lot since I bought it - a great purchase. When I was shopping for it, I looked at the 65mm which does 1x to 5x magnification. Does anyone have experience of that lens?

I also have the Kenko extension tubes but I find I need to be very precise with the focus. I think I'll get some macro rails at some stage and experiment more with the extension tubes then. If that works well, then maybe the 65mm.

Macro is a lot of fun. One day I hope to photograph a dragonfly (sigh).

Katy
I have absolutely no experience of the lenses under discussion....HOWEVER
I will share with you my adaptation of the adage "the way to man's heart...
a possible way to assist you with the lens purchase of your choice is........(block your ears chaps)
show some degree of interest in his hobby of choice, and if possible better still, photograph him doing it :)

I would really like to 1 day catch 2 of them as they pass in opposite directions with the sails looking like Butterfly wings.


http://i55.tinypic.com/2nkhv2u.jpg

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Katy Noelle

I am such a macro wannabe. I only have the kit lens (Canon 18-55mm); so, when I attempt a macro, I look closely, make an educated guess and, then, I crop in. It's kind of pitiful. :rolleyes: I've learned a lot, though, about DOF, lighting and the need for exactitude in composition when you get this tiny. I'm still trying to apply it, though. :o There is a faint hope for that 60mm macro for Christmas. We'll see..... (if only things would stop breaking down, around here!!

Anyway, here are a couple of bees that I took back in July when I'd first gotten my camera. I had no idea what I was doing and those dudes don't hold still - just like you said, Elise! I had fun trying, though.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4086/...ea80c0d7_z.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4110/...bab0ea8c_z.jpg

You know, comments and criticism are ALWAYS welcome with me! Although, on these.... well, I think I'd be too embarrassed to tell you what settings I shot these with.

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These are fine Katy, nothing to make excuses for, (I have posted worse) - unless you want that lens ;)

There's nothing obvious beyond the 'to be expected' small DoF that suggest you used inappropriate settings, so your secret is safe (especially as you "lost" the EXIF)

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Originally Posted by Camellia

One day I hope to photograph a dragonfly (sigh).

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In my experience, it'll need to be a long lens, I invariably shoot mine at 300mm and at about five feet/1.5m and then have to crop down. You won't normally get much closer than that, at least, not when they're active - you might first thing in the morning while they're still 'warming up' or dew covered. (I never get up that early :o )

Good luck with the hunt,

http://backup.cambridgeincolour.com/...40b887ca8c.jpg

http://backup.cambridgeincolour.com/...5794f9e1e0.jpg

Here are a few old ones - I don't think they are really macro, but they are as close as I care to get. :eek:

http://ftp.execulink.com/~wfsweb/Images/Lilies-1189.jpg
Nikon D3000: 18-200mm: 1/60s: f11: ISO 100: 200mm

http://ftp.execulink.com/~wfsweb/Images/Lilies-1190.jpg
Nikon D3000: 18-200mm: 1/60s: f11: ISO 100: 200mm

http://ftp.execulink.com/~wfsweb/Ima...ies-1191-2.jpg
Nikon D3000: 18-200mm: 1/60s: f11: ISO 100: 200mm

Wendy

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Originally Posted by Katy Noelle

Yeah! Isn't he cute? ;) (Compliment) AND, he plays the accordian! (er, I think.)

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All true! Women are very, very perceptive and fine judges of character (and looks).

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Originally Posted by Camellia

Hi Katy

I have the Canon 60mm macro and I love up. All of my flower shots are taken with it and this one I did in October of a bee. I nearly always use the tripod and shutter release cable. It is a wonderfully sharp lens. It has been used a lot since I bought it - a great purchase.

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That just, like, seals it for me!!! :)

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Originally Posted by Donald

All true! Women are very, very perceptive and fine judges of character (and looks).

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heh, heh. :)

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Originally Posted by ScoutR

Here are a few old ones - I don't think they are really macro, but they are as close as I care to get. :eek:

http://ftp.execulink.com/~wfsweb/Images/Lilies-1189.jpg
Nikon D3000: 18-200mm: 1/60s: f11: ISO 100: 200mm

http://ftp.execulink.com/~wfsweb/Images/Lilies-1190.jpg
Nikon D3000: 18-200mm: 1/60s: f11: ISO 100: 200mm

http://ftp.execulink.com/~wfsweb/Ima...ies-1191-2.jpg
Nikon D3000: 18-200mm: 1/60s: f11: ISO 100: 200mm

Wendy

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Wow! These are beautiful! Aaaaand, if these are those orange daylilies that grow EVERYWHERE, who cares if the slugs are eating them.

Welcome back, Wendy, I've missed you. :)

[IMG]http://i54.tinypic.com/v5bew3.jpg[/IMG]

I didn't know where to post this one - macro or flowers?

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4127/...9ba3e36d_b.jpg

I visited another butterfly conservatory while I was in St. Louis recently. They had some truly exotic butterflies. This one is a Malay Lacewing that happened to land on a purple flower.

https://www.cambridgeincolour.com/fo...achmentid=8193

Sony Alpha 350, 50mm f/2.8 macro, 1/80s, f/7.1, ISO 100, ringflash. I set the EV to -0.3 to compensate for the relatively small bright butterfly.

Here's 100% crop from a section of wing. The closer you get to these butterflies, the more amazing they get.

https://www.cambridgeincolour.com/fo...achmentid=8195

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Originally Posted by John C

The closer you get to these butterflies, the more amazing they get.

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Indeed and that's a rather nice one you have there :)

This one isn't an exotic species, at least not in the UK....
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3336/...f23047a7_o.jpg

It's a Small White that I found in a friend's garden as a caterpillar, brought it home and it made a cocoon so I kept an eye on it and photographed it as it was drying out after hatching and before it could take flight. They can be tricky to get anywhere near outside!

A few more from the local butterfly farm:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2218/...30ec9aaf_o.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1309/...57e75bbe_o.jpg

Sometimes they let you get really close....
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3149/...979013e5_o.jpg

Here is more of that Japanese Anemone that I was working on so hard, this past summer. If only I'd known, then, what I know, now. I feel really impatient for next year and another chance at it. It just falls short, doesn't it. Is it the bland background? Any feedback?

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5046/...6be8738d_z.jpg

AV 55mm 1/100 -0.33ev f5.6 ISO100 and pattern metering because I didn't know anything else, at the time.

I try to ration my questions out and not flood the forums with them. ;) However, two of these photos bring up a question that I've had for a while.

I love this but the dof isn't too deep. I LIKE that about it.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3336/...f23047a7_o.jpg

I love this too. It seems pretty sharp to me and, maybe, does it have a really great control of dof?
http://i54.tinypic.com/v5bew3.jpg

Which is better? Is it up to the intent of the photographer? Maybe, the purpose of the photo - cataloging of and insect, for example, would dictate a clearer shot? I don't know what I'm talking about - just wading through my perceptions.

Here are two that I took when I was experimenting and discovering what dof does on a macro level:

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5001/...b9c46d62_z.jpg
AV f5.6 1/13 55mm ISO100 center weighted average metering (don't ask me how I got that, I'd never, at that time, to my knowledge, touched that button)

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4084/...7fe1e128_z.jpg
AV f16 55mm 0.6 ISO100 same metering.

Is one more correct? I, personally, like the smaller dof on the jewelry. However, in discussions of macro and dof, I've seen some photos where the dof was so narrow, all one could really see was the eyes - sometimes, I thought that this was VERY effective, sometimes, well, I thought it was ridiculous (like, just the sliver of that coiled snake being in focus - weird!)