My first crack at Macro

anandonaqui · Aug 8, 2010

Okay, so these technically aren't macro in the 1:1 sense, but they are close-ups, so I figured I'd post them here anyways. All were taken with a Nikon 50mm f/1.8 with an extension tube (varying in length from shot to shot). C&C is greatly appreciated.

If the photos are too big, please let me know; I'll try to resize them.

50mm, 68mm extension (I think), f/5.6, 1/125 sec., ISO 200, Aperture priority mode

50mm, 68mm extension, f/8, 1/160 sec., ISO 100, Aperture priority mode

50mm, 68mm extension (I think), f/9, 1/8 sec., ISO 100, Aperture priority mode

50mm, 68mm extension (I think), f/1.8, 1/200., ISO 100, Shutter priority mode
This one is technically out of focus, but I associate dandelion seeds with "wispiness" (for lack of a better word) so I kind of like the effect.

EDIT: Oops, forgot the photo information.

Overread · Aug 8, 2010

Actually you do have true macro shots here - With extension tubes:

Tube length divided by focal length = x:1

So for your example its
68/50 = 1.36:1 magnification - when focused at the closest focus point.

I'm not too sure about the first shot but the latter 3 certainly look like they are around 1:1 or greater point to myself.

Shot 1: I like the composition o this and the flower has come out well - its just a shame that it looks like the insect has just missed being in focus. This is one shot where I would have tried for a smaller aperture (bigger f number) to get a little more depth into it. Of course if you were shooting without flash that would make it harder to expose for a moving subject, but it would also help keep minor blur from subject motion from being a major problem in shots.

Shot 2: After the smoother lighting in the first the light here appears more harsh, though waterdrops can be a pain to get looking sweet without harsh lighting I find. I do like the reflected textures in the drops though and again I find the overall composition pleasing to myself - though be carefull with blurred foreground it can be a distracting element.
Also if you look on the petal in this shot you can see a fair amount of black/dull grey spots which I am betting is dust in your sensor showing up. You can remove this from photos by using the spot heal tool (accessable in most editing software). You can also look into camera sensor cleaning to remove the dust from your sensor inside your camera body - you'll never get it all, but you can significantly reduce your time spend editing out the spots by having a clean sensor

Shot 3 and 4 - I do see what you like here and I do find that I can't quite decide if I like the first or the second - a rare occasion where a soft shot actually works well.

anandonaqui · Aug 8, 2010

Thanks for the critique. I actually uploaded the wrong photo of the first one. This one is slightly more in focus:

Unfortunately due to the glare on the bug, it's hard to make out individual features.

As for 3 and 4, I too can't decide which one I like more, so I figured I'd post them both