Macro Photo thread

[DibblyDobbler]

sicarumba said:

There are some truly astonishing photos on here.

I've recently been gifted a 100mm F2.8L macro lens and I intend to learn how to use it (along with all the other gear that goes with it) properly. This was my first attempt at something different, it is not in the same league as the other contributions on here but I was pleased with how it turned out for a first go.

fly by sicarumba, on Flickr

Nice shot! It's personal preference but most macro shooters will shoot at a very small aperture (eg f16) for extra depth of field and this generally means a flash is needed (otherwise your shutter speeds get too slow). Then the trick is to get or build a diffuser to soften the light from the flash which can otherwise be harsh. If you want to get a bit closer then try a Raynox clip on adapter which are good and cheap. Happy shooting

[sicarumba]

DibblyDobbler said:

Nice shot! It's personal preference but most macro shooters will shoot at a very small aperture (eg f16) for extra depth of field and this generally means a flash is needed (otherwise your shutter speeds get too slow). Then the trick is to get or build a diffuser to soften the light from the flash which can otherwise be harsh. If you want to get a bit closer then try a Raynox clip on adapter which are good and cheap. Happy shooting

Thank you. Yes, it's going to take some time learning the best combination of settings combined with the right distance to be from the subject. Your photos are on another level, do you tend to get as close as the camera will allow or do you step back a bit and crop in?

[DibblyDobbler]

sicarumba said:

DibblyDobbler said:

Nice shot! It's personal preference but most macro shooters will shoot at a very small aperture (eg f16) for extra depth of field and this generally means a flash is needed (otherwise your shutter speeds get too slow). Then the trick is to get or build a diffuser to soften the light from the flash which can otherwise be harsh. If you want to get a bit closer then try a Raynox clip on adapter which are good and cheap. Happy shooting

Thank you. Yes, it's going to take some time learning the best combination of settings combined with the right distance to be from the subject. Your photos are on another level, do you tend to get as close as the camera will allow or do you step back a bit and crop in?

Thanks Well it's horses for courses really ref the distance to the subject - the closer you get, the more detail you'll have but the shallower the depth of field will be In general I don't go to the minimum focus distance (I would guess around 6 inches for your 100mm) but then crop in a bit in post. You can do fancy stuff like focus stacking etc but that's maybe for further down the line (I have tried it but found it a bit of a faff tbh)

[sicarumba]

DibblyDobbler said:

Thanks Well it's horses for courses really ref the distance to the subject - the closer you get, the more detail you'll have but the shallower the depth of field will be In general I don't go to the minimum focus distance (I would guess around 6 inches for your 100mm) but then crop in a bit in post. You can do fancy stuff like focus stacking etc but that's maybe for further down the line (I have tried it but found it a bit of a faff tbh)

Thank you, I'll try F16 when (if) the sun comes back here and see what happens!

[DibblyDobbler]

Plasterer Bee by Mike Smith, on Flickr

[Fullook]

[DibblyDobbler]

Fullook said:

Great shot

[DibblyDobbler]

White-Tailed Bumblebee by Mike Smith, on Flickr

[Smollet]

Common Darter.