My New--and Hopefully Improved--Macro Thread for C&C

[sm4him]

Just got a Tokina 100mm macro lens, not quite two weeks ago. Played around with it a bit, just close-ups first, then a few actual macros. That thread is here: http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/macro-photography/283894-finally-some-real-macro.html if you just happen to find yourself bored silly on a Monday afternoon, and there is no wet paint you could watch dry instead.

So...here's a few I've taken in the last couple of days. I think they are improving.
I used my Yongnuo flash with a DIY diffuser on all of these, and they all have approximately the same settings:
1/200, f/22, ISO 400 (500 on a couple of them).

C&C welcome, as always!


1. Tiny grasshopper

hopper_0122 by sm4him, on Flickr

2. Spider


3. Ladybug


4. Intimate hoverflies:

 

[cgipson1]

Sweet... you are rocking that lens! For the amount of time you have been using it, you are doing very well!!!!!

 

[HughGuessWho99 14]

Very nice. #3 is amazing. You just purchased a 100mm, if I remember correctly. I'm gonna have to take a look at some lenses. I have a 70mm Sigma macro and cant get anything near that nice.

 

[BlueMeanieTSi]

3 and 4 are great, 2 could be a little closer, 1 needs some sharpening or better focus.

LOVE The ladybug!

 

[Dillard]

1 is a little soft. I'm digging 4!

 

[sm4him]

Sweet... you are rocking that lens! For the amount of time you have been using it, you are doing very well!!!!!

Thanks, Charlie! That's like getting at least a B+ from the teacher!

 

[sm4him]

Very nice. #3 is amazing. You just purchased a 100mm, if I remember correctly. I'm gonna have to take a look at some lenses. I have a 70mm Sigma macro and cant get anything near that nice.

Thanks Hugh, and yeah, I got the Tokina 100mm f/2.8 not quite two weeks ago, and I absolutely love it! Definitely the best lens purchase I've made so far. Learning how to use it, especially having to manually focus on my D5100, has been quite the challenge. But as Charlie has pointed out, many times, you really have to use manual focus on macros anyway.

 

[sm4him]

3 and 4 are great, 2 could be a little closer, 1 needs some sharpening or better focus.

LOVE The ladybug!

1 is a little soft. I'm digging 4!

Thanks, both of you! I agree, #1 is soft; I was a bit disappointed in it, because I had high hopes for it, but I just missed the focus. I took several of it, and this one had the best compositional possibilities, but perhaps I'll have another look and see if any of the others are any sharper. On the plus side, this was my first successful black background photo using flash.

The spider probably COULD have been a little more of a close-up, but in the end I decided I wanted to keep more of the web in the photo.

 

[AndySplash]

Awesome shots especially 2 & 4!

 

[2WheelPhoto]

Nice

 

[480sparky41 40]

 

[kyrontf]

Very nice shots! #2 is my favourite - really like the composition and the decision to include some of the web. I like #4 a lot too.

 

[RichardsTPF]

Ladybug is a beautiful shoot.

 

[IByte]

Lol I'm liking the Sparky seal of approval. Sm4him very nice set, though that grasshopper looks like it wanted to bite you. I'm saving up for the Nikon 105mm 2.8, hopefully I can join you soon .

 

[480sparky41 40]

........... I'm saving up for the Nikon 105mm 2.8, hopefully I can join you soon .

You'll not be sorry.