A look at an ash tray

[FocusDave]

I know it's not "technically" a macro shot, but it is close-up photography. A little different than the usual bug and flower subjects.


Healthy Living by Focus Dave, on Flickr

 

[KenC]

Ashes and paper can have a lot of texture and tonal range, but this is not lit well enough to bring that out - most of it is just too dark. It also needs more DOF to work. You should be using a tripod and an aperture around f11. This doesn't look like it was done that way.

 

[FocusDave]

If I could have gone back and done it again I would have used a tripod, and therefore a smaller aperture, as well. I was just walking around campus with my camera and decided to take the photo. As for the lighting, the ash tray was underneath a shade of trees, so the light you do see is the light that poked through the leaves and branches.