my name's crystal, hence the username, haha, and i'm from the bay area. I heard about this forum through many sources, im glad i finally joined, some of the work here is pretty amazing.
I'm an amateur photographer, right now, im shooting with a canon 40d 17-85mm lens, got it as graduation gift. pretty sweet huh?
yeah, i think for now im just going to shoot around with the settings on the camera, and later im going to invest into a macro lens.
Hopefully I learn lots form this site, and becoming more active and posting pictures once im confident enough.
The keeper rate when shooting macro is quite low compared to other forms of photography. The focusing is so critical and the DOF so thin. You often swear you nailed the focus when you press the shutter to only later realize that it's not as sharp as you thought. I often take 20 - 30 shots of a single insect in the hopes of getting one that's a "keeper". One really good shot per week will give you 52 in a year (about 30 for those that take off the cold months). That's not too bad.
Hopefully knowing that you're not alone will prevent you from getting discouraged The reason that macro is so rewarding is that it is very difficult. Many people give-up.
There are a couple recent threads in the first couple pages of this forum that have some useful information for people just getting started. Check those out, then ask a lot of questions.
Longtime lurker (3 years) and figured it was time to say hello. Was quite active posting on various forums several years ago and recenty became active again after picking up a new camera and having a bit more free time. I know at least one person will recognize me from other photo forums/sites, looking forward to meeting and learning from everyone else.
I'm new here, around 1 week now since I found this forum and registered.
I usually lurk a while before making any posts, but the work here is SOOO good I believe I will be able to learn much. I'm just starting out in macro, and doing it on a budget. So far I only have a set of screw on lenses and a cheap ring light. I did just purchase, and am eagerly awaiting the delivery of a set of extension tubes.
I've been lurking around for a while (entire forum) and just recently began to post photos here in the macro section. I've started to feel like I'm getting results worthy of being posted. The only gripe (if I may, being new to posting here) is that not many people post their actual shooting data. I.E. camera, lens, flash, shutter speed, aperture. Not owned equipment in signatures, but what was used for the actual photo being posted. Everyone post awesome photos and it would be nice to learn a little more about them. Thanks for providing a wonderful site for photographers to get together and display and discuss their work.
This is a great idea for a thread - thanks for starting that Tom.
I'm 33 years myself, and a total newbie - and often awestruck by some of the talent in here.
It's not long ago I got my very first DSLR - an EOS 40D which was supplemented by a 24-70 f/2.8L lens.
I'm also a "photographer" who hasn't found his niche yet... meaning - I dont think I got a style.. a favorite photographer style yet.. let me correct that.. I KNOW I havent.
I'm trying to learn how to SEE the motive.. SEE the picture, and then experiment with my post processing skills, mainly using bibble and gimp under linux.
I'm visiting the states in 2 weeks, and will be buying a Sigma 150mm macro and getting into the macro shooting, because this is one of those areas where I find myself most excited when I see other people's photo's..
Looking forward to getting to know you all better - and sorry I havent been that active in the forum.. normally I'm very chatty.. but so far I've mainly been looking =)
Tim excellent shot , I down sized your image so we could see it all without having to scroll around , try to keep them at 700 on the long side . Welcome and post more we never get tired of looking at Dragons.
18 years old, got a used Minolta film body from a friend, January 2008. Used it for photography class too, shooting Ilford HP-5. Then I bought a used 350D last June, and recently tried making a hackjob macro setup by taping an EF 50mm f/1.8 II backwards onto the EF-S 18-55mm kit lens. It worked, but the macro pictures I've shot so far leave much to be desired so I'll be lurking some more.
Next piece of photography gear I'm planning to acquire is a Sigma 180mm f/3.5, looking forward to it
hey everyone,
ok I was not sure where I should ask this so I figured I would just go to the ones that use them the most.
I have been wanting to get a ring flash for a while but I don't have the money to buy a nice one, so I was going to look at some used ones for sale. What brands should I stay away from and which ones should I look for?
Joe C.: I just saw an interesting LED gizmo that is designed for putting in a tent, around a tent pole. About 7 to 8 bucks at Walmart and at Amazon. A bit of cutting out the middle for your lens ring, some epoxy --onto an adaptor ring (or the metal ring of a scratched filter??) and some minor soldering to get the batteries back into the circuit and bingo. (OK, some milk carton diffusers and some other tweaks but what da ya expect for 8 bucks?)
A discussion thread from a different forum (hope I don't break rules here) http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1039&message=28717696
So speaking for myself, after the creature flies away I tend to go where the interesting bug/bee used to be and hope that they fly back. It's surprising how often they do. I often walk like elmer fudd stalking buggs bunny in hopes it won't see me, or perhaps not feel threatened by something that looks so dorky.
WRT macro flash, I have had SOME success with a shoe cord and my diffused speedlite. This pic was with a gold diffuser of a spider that was deep in a fir tree. http://www.flickr.com/photos/timdollear/2706300277/
Obviously macro flash would be great, but I have trouble justifying the purchase ahead of lenses. I suspect I will get one, but it will probably be one of the two ones from canon (I guess I have drank the Canon Kool-Ade). If someone has one of the less expensive speedlites and like them, please post that info here. the Kit specified by Web52 looks good but it's more craft-y than my capabilities (know your limitations).
One other thing i do, and there are MUCH better macro photographers that frequent this forum so take it with a grain of sale, is start to shoot pretty far away and keep the camera focused as you step closer. That way, you at least get some kind of pic and you don't have to worry about the sudden movement of bringing the camera up to your face when you get close. Hope this helps.
mckenzy wrote:
You guys just get so close to your subjects!
All i do is lift my left foot up and they all fly away!
Intimidated?
yes.
Try to find bugs as they're doing things other than paying attention to you. Eating, mating, stalking prey, loading up on pollen, etc. If they are concentrating on something else. they're less likely to fly off.
You can try a drop of honey. The insects will be too busy eating to notice you.
If you try to approach an active insect as it flys from leaf to leaf, you'll likely get frustrated.
Move slowly. Keep your camera in a ready position, so you won't have to lift it in place. Also try to keep your eye against the viewfinder as you move in. If you take it away it will show in the lens. Try it in the mirror. It looks like a giant eye winking
Insects are less active in the early morning and late afternoon. There will be fewer around, but the ones that you do find will be easier to shoot. Dew will slow down or even ground many insects.
You can do everything right and the insect will still fly away. There is nothing you can do, but be patient. The difficulty level of macro is what makes it so rewarding.
Hello all,
I have been a lurker for about a year. I like everyone else who has posted here am totally blown away by the overall quality & sharpness of the images posted here. I have considered buying a macro (don't know which one) and or extension tubes. Also don't know what I would shoot with a macro, there are more than enough pics of bugs and flowers but I suppose I won't know unless I try.
My name is Robert Lynn, I go mainly by Rob though. I shoot with Canon cameras, and I've got a few lenses. Not one is a dedicated macro lens, so my "macro" will come from one of my lenses with an extension tube.
I've taken hundreds of thousands of snapshots, but I never really tried to become a photographer. After several years of this, I want something more out of it. I picked up a dSLR (or 2) and some lenses and I amaze myself at my ability to take a dSLR system, and make it seem like it came from a Samsung Digimax 130.
When I capture a good image, I typically post it for people to critique. The non-photographers ooooh and ahhhhh at my work, but a photographer with know how typically rips it apart.
I have been on FM for awhile before I signed up (lurker), and it has been a wealth of information.
Hello! My name is Allen. My current setup is a nikon d70, nikkor 50mm 1.8, sigma 70-300. i love taking pictures and wanting to improve. I have lurked around here for awhile. i decided to post some pictures today in the macro forum. They are huge!! need to learn to get them to the right size!
hi tom and everyone ..
my dentist recommended this site the other day and altho i've only been in it a couple of days i'm loving the presentation and looking at the work displayed here .. MACRO RULES .. !! .. lol ..
i've always loved looking at insects, even from a very young age .. but it wasnt until i got my canon 100mm 2.8 macro a year ago that i started REALLY seeing them ... some so incredibly tiny and yet so intricate .. amazing stuff .. !!
i've always been 'into' photography .. nearly 2 yrs ago i became a member of dpchallenge .. http://roz.dpchallenge.com/ .. i have learnt so much from competing with other photographers and doing side challenges where a group of ppl get together and take a photo a day on a particular 'subject' .. this month we're doing flowers ..
i love photography .. its my meditation, my passion and my life ..
i love to take my photographs a step further in photoshop ..
photoshop is like my other home .. !!
my equipment ..
Canon EOS-40D
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro
Speedlite 580EXII external flash
sometimes manfrotto tripod
Sigma 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 DC OS for Canon
roz ...
hey, I'm Steve. current setup is a 50mm 1.8 reverse stacked on a 28-80 tamron POS I managed to get some decent shots already, and i think macro is my "niche". im still shooting other things, but i love the idea of seeing an everyday object in a brand new way!
