Hello,

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.

Derek

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 =)

No question, this is an intimidating group. Whenever I think I have the perfect shot, I look at recent posts on this site and am just humbled. Still, macro photography is something I really enjoy, both to look at and attempt to do.

Posting a couple pics here. All my macro shots are taken with a 30d or 40d and 100mm 2.8 macro. Almost all are hand-held because I am usually chasing bees and the like. I try to get as tight an apeture and low iso as I can get away with (but I guess that's kind of obvious). I have been taking macro shots for almost a year, shortly after I bought the 100mm lens (as a portrait lens!, which it is also good at) 2 months into my dSLR "career".

I think macro world is the best group on a great site. Keep 'em coming and thanks for looking at my pics.

My flickr site macro pics are here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/timdollear/sets/72157603770300739/
and here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/timdollear/sets/72157606011829974/

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.

Noted wrt image size.

Thanks, Tom!

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?

thank you for your answers.

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

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.

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.

mike

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.

Mike

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.

Well that's about all.

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 ...

these are the first one's i've put in FM ..
http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/674800

Edited by rozdesign on Aug 10, 2008 at 09:12 PM GMT

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!

anyways, i have a few shots here

http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/675727

I have been a lurker for quite some time. I have been doing photography professionaly for a few years and have always been intrigued by macro work but just never done any. It was basically just spend the money on lenses and such that would make me money in return. With what I do that just didn't include a macro lens. Well about a week ago I had some extra cash and got an amazing deal on a Canon 100mm f/2.8. I have been having a blast taking photos of anything that looks interesting. Here are a few I have done in the last week since I got the lens.

C&C Encouraged....I'm very new to Macro and it has proven a lot more difficult than I imagined. I am always up for tips and critique.

RMD some good work there in the macro's - you have a good grasp of the fiddly depths of field and you use it well to get some interesting looks to your photos! The fly - whilst well shot - is clearly facing the wrong way -- of often a trail with macro - would I also be right in thinking these are handheld shots?


And in answer to the OP of this thread - you ask why I float, well mostly my reason is that I find myself on quite a few forums and I simply run out of time to post in them all and also have time left over to take photos -- though this place is now in my sights for a bit so I shall be around here more
I often tend to fall short on commenting on photos in some sites because I hate just posting "Great shot" it feels so empty to just say that and yet that is what I find is all I can say for many - and a brief look around here shows that the average quality is very high indeed!

Expect to see me - if you do - in the macro and wildlife areas!
See you all around the place!

overrerad wrote:
RMD some good work there in the macro's - you have a good grasp of the fiddly depths of field and you use it well to get some interesting looks to your photos! The fly - whilst well shot - is clearly facing the wrong way -- of often a trail with macro - would I also be right in thinking these are handheld shots?


And in answer to the OP of this thread - you ask why I float, well mostly my reason is that I find myself on quite a few forums and I simply run out of time to post in them all and also have time left over to take photos -- though this place is now in my sights for a bit so I shall be around here more
I often tend to fall short on commenting on photos in some sites because I hate just posting "Great shot" it feels so empty to just say that and yet that is what I find is all I can say for many - and a brief look around here shows that the average quality is very high indeed!

Expect to see me - if you do - in the macro and wildlife areas!
See you all around the place!

Thanks! And yes, all of my macro's so far have been hand held. I just picked up a Bower e-ttl ringlight and have been pretty impressed with the results from it so far so I am sure I'll be posting more soon.

Hi to all,
I am a noob (less than a year into DSLRs) and a lurker (not shots uploaded yet). I have discovered macro through FM, and purchased a Canon 100 f:2.8 to go on my 40D. I am only now getting my feet wet with flower and insect shots, my first target being to get my pics impeccably sharp (not as obvious as it might seem). Also need to get into post-production, as it really helps develop a picture's full potential.
At this stage, I have 3 limits; One is time, as photography is "only" my hobby, the second is that I want to enjoy myself and cannot spend hours producing shots one by one, and the third, of course, is that the spectacular level of what is posted here is totally intimidating.
Congrats to all of you, who post so many inspiring shots, and to Tom for his contribution and this thread in particular

Hi folks! Another noob, checking in. As you probably hear a lot, it's pretty intimidating to post up anything with so much talent in here. I was hoping that you could share some of your knowledge though.

And I thought I'd post up my first impressions as someone that JUST got into macro photography a few days ago (thanks to SteadyHand for the 100mm macro), in case any of you are interested.

1) Macro photography is pretty easy IMO for stationary objects. Set up the tripod, focus, set the aperture, and fire away. All sorts of creative options.

A 430 or 580 is a good flash head which will work well with macro photography - I would go for a 580M2 for the added power and also for the ability (in the future) to add additional flash units to the setup and use the 580 to triggor them (as teh 580 is a master flash whilst the 430 can only be slaves). Also get a off camera cord and shoe so you can have the flash positioned where you want it - I have not tried this, but it does open up a lot of creative lighting options.
For the light with any flash if you get some white tioilet paper and fold it a few times and then hold that infront of a flash using some elastic bands - this will act as a cheap diffuser and break up the harsh nature of the light - though I would highly recomend a Lumiquest Softbox for a flashead.
As for the flash brackets there are a lot of guides online, but if you don't have the tools/skills to hand then it might be simpler to get a proper flashhead - though you can certainly do a lot of macro with just a normal flash head such as a 430 or 580 (and they have the added bonus of working with a whole host of subjects past macro).

As for you shots were the insect ones taken from tripod? If so were you using a focusing rail?
I tend to take my macro handheld at the moment - mostly as I find insects move around too much for tripod work (a good monopod is what I really need) - turn on manual focusing, set the macro lens to 1:1 magnification on the focusing ring - and then move back and forth - usually concentrating to make sure the focus is on the eyes (far from easy).
Settings I tend to use:
f13
ISO 200
1/160sec
flash on -- though you might find with the popup flash that you need ISO 400 due to its lesser power

hope this helps a bit

Hi All ,

New as well on this forum . My name is Chris and i live in Greece.
Of course i love photography and of course i love macros. I have recently bought myself my first dSLR and slowly equip my Canon 450D with lenses and stuff. It is an expensive hobby after all. I have found this forum browsing in the Internet and i was really stunned by the work and quality of the macro photos posted here. I decided to sign up and i am trying to visit the forum as often as i can .
I must say i am sometimes dissapointed by my work after i've seen all these amazing macro posted here .....i guess i have a ton of things to learn......well thats why i'm here !!!

cheers

Hi all,
New here. Enjoy macro/birds/wildlife photography. Using Canon and Olympus cameras. Am semi-retired and try to spend a lot of my time on photography
and my computer.
Olivia

Noob to macro, but to photography though. Looking to purchase macro lens soon.