On the path to Macros

Thought I should play around a bit more today with macros.
I could do with a bit more of light though, pretty gloomy and I think more natural light would have helped.

Comments are welcome, on any aspects of the image. Your advice comments and suggestions are really helping me out improve on this.

I am not too keen on the juxtaposition of a very natural object against such an unnatural background.

Good point Hyram. Will have to check that aspect too. You are right, it gives an unnatural feel to it. There was something bugging me but couldn't put a finger on it. Now you mention it I realise I was just too immersed in just getting the subject sharpened.

As I was told a few times when I first started macro shooting, it's not just about how close or sharp you can get .. the subject/background has got to be interesting as well.

Fully agree with that point Mike. Implementing the principles as a newbie on all those aspects put together is the challenge for me.
But that's where your experience and advice become extremely helpful to me. And they have helped me in confidence too.

Thanks again

I must admit I do like your stacking shots though.
I had a play a few months ago and just couldn't get on with it .. I seem to get on better using a lower aperture.

I may have another crack at it as I really didnt give it enough time.

I am still getting to grips with it. It just has quite a few variables to take into account. But seems the more I practice the more I am getting the hang of it. Hence just forgetting the other parameters like background and choice of subject into the second plan, for the moment.

I am just scavanging the house for anything that is worth snapping .

The technique seems to really enhance subjects that are more three dimensional in shape and aparently there is a way of getting a 3D model enhanced view out of the subject. I will be thrilled if I can get it to work . It will give a totally different perspective to objects with that appearence.

Off to scavange the house again

I think if you are going to get into stacking then a macro rail may be the way to go.

Mike,

Excuse my ignorance , but hey, if I dont ask I won't learn, and you all here have been extremely kind, helpful and very patient, and I have mentioned this several times before and will keep on saying it.

I had to google to find out what a macro rail is , so saving your effort in trying to explain what it is, besides, the name is more or less self explanatory. But my question is, in what way would one be more useful compared to for example the way I have been focusing? By manually moving and focusing on each plane?

A brief explanation from you would definitely enlighten me more on this.

I definitely love macro and getting to like it more as time goes. Would love to keep on improving it so anything that is reasonable within the budget and won't get me having cold dinners from the wife for a long period of time I would want to consider it .

thanks

Amin

I don't like the dark background. With some flowers a black, and I mean really black, background is great, but somehow this background doesn't work here.
I also don't much care for the composition tbh. It is a bit square on and boring. I would either have gone for a more macro photo and concentrated just on the centre of the flower, so you have more emphasis on the brighter pink bleeding into the pale pink, and on the stamens, or I would have turned the flower to get more movement in it. Maybe even turned the camera to get the photo more on the diagonal too. That you won't get it all sharp that way (without stacking that is), doesn't bother me. It just makes for a livelier picture of the total flower.
Just my opinion.

It wouldn't make much difference with the amount of shots you are presently taking but having seen stacked macros taken with 30 exposures and upwards then I should think you would have need of a rail.

If you are happy with just 3 or 4 shots per stack then no, you probably dont need one.

Black backgrounds are OK Amin.... just make the foreground a bit more interesting.

Look at the pictures of the White Lotus Flower and leaf at the bottom of the page here

shim

Shim

That lotus does look enhanced with that black background, in my very limited experienced opinion I have to admit it.

When I decided to try the black background was more encouraged by this link

That's very good Amin. Another advantage with the black background and stacked shots
is that any dust on the sensor (which gets magnified) shouldn't show up. Helicon Focus
can map the dust and remove it, see this.

It's a pity that Pentax cameras can't take the shots automatically like Canon can see here

Posts about using a focus rail are here

shim