Hi dr,

I wondered what you'd think of that angle......now I know!

But I stopped at 5 minutes!

Well done, Darlene.

La "Grande" Blourde!





Nov 1st, 2011
Pentax k-r
ISO 200
focal length 100mm
aperture f/25
shutter speed 10 secs

Well, if I can't find anything for this comp then I might as well give up.

I hope you are ready for a few photos, Dr!!

Well done folks.

I agree with Dr O that these assignment type comps are more interesting. In fact, I treat the weekly comp like an assignment most of the time too.

I have entered the comps for a while due to this and that but I will be entering more from now on. Please don't stop any of them!

ds

Hi AmCam, and welcome.

Charotte and I both!!

We've all started where you are, so don't be shy.

ds

Ah! That's handy. I haven't got a K5.

What's happenin'? :

Yes, I do intend to build a home made diffuser at some time. It's certainly a technique which I want to try and learn because, as Dr O says, good macro photographers have flash in their armoury. It's learning when to have it and use it is something I have to get my head around.

After about 4 months using a macro lens I find I'm still learning the basic techniques.

Perhaps the very best macro photographers do use flash all the time. I wouldn't know. I'm sure I couldn't afford their lighting set ups.

This thread started with someone who is attempting to start on the macro path. I started on that just a few months ago.

I would, personally, suggest learning about the lens, learning how to get the correct focus, which includes, if my experience is anything to go by, training the eye, and to start by shooting almost still subjects. There's no doubt that flash can be a very useful tool, but it's not essential for a beginner, especially if shooting in bright sunlight (although this can also produce the same sort of reflections as flash).

Of course, I'm really just a novice in this game, and there are plenty of ways to skin a cat. Some people may say that it's best to start using flash right at the beginning. I don't think that's necessary.

Today I produced my first image using focus stacking. Now that does increase the dof! Try doing that without a tripod.

I'm with you on that one, dr. If I can see obvious reflections caused by flash it turns me off.

While I agree that, for some subjects, such as those on michaelmas daisies which are generally moving about during the day, a tripod is useless. But I find that, as Dr O says, there are times where almost any bug is still. You just have to learn when and where that is. In those cases I'll use a tripod and get a better shot as a result of it. That's been my experience, anyway. I can use mirror-up, a longer exposure resulting in a greater dof, and ensure better focussing than hand held.

Not all of the above is right all the time, but I feel it helps me get better shots. If the insect or whatever moves, that's bad luck. There'll always be another.