Options for macro lenses do not necessarily involve buying macro lenses. An adaptor ring enables a normal lens to be turned around so that the light flows backwards and the lens focuses on a very close subject. Extension tubes push the lens further away from the camera's focal plane, again decreasing the distance between subject and lens. Neither of these worked for me and my antediluvian camera, so I ended up going more expensive.
I now own a nifty fifty F2.8 with a macro facility. Two birds crushed to death under the same oversized boulder.
So this morning I wandered around the back garden, snapping at anything that didn't fly or run away.
FlowerSigma 50mm macro
F/4
1/3000s
The shallow depth of field on a macro lens means that it's impossible to get the entire surface of one of these flowers in focus without aiming straight down at it, or else stopping down the aperture and having a long blurring shutter speed. So I shot from further away and got some bokeh background.
FruitSigma 50mm macro
F6.7
1/180s
Shot looking upwards at these mysterious fruit. The tree is in the back garden, but I haven't the foggiest idea of its species. Regarding the photo, this one is the best of several attempts. Sign of the amateur: confessing to getting duff pics!
Mini mallNikkor 18-200 at 32mm
F4.2
1/45s
Heavily photoshopped with successive bands of Gaussian blur to fake the minuscule depth of field normally provided by macro lenses. The effect is, I hope, to make this aisle in the Mall of the Emirates look like a detailed model.
Posts
Congratulations on the new toy, I just love Macro's :-)
ReplyDelete- Flower.
Nice use of f4, not 2.8 by default, allowed a controled amount of bokeh so still a hint of the flowers in background not just amorfus blobs.
Composition is not bad, but would have preffer the in focus flower to be just a tad to the right so closer to thirds.
As you did if your struggling with to shallow a DOF only way is to stop down, but think you've hit a lovely balance.
- Tomatoes.
Nice symetery.
Are there some shadows going on or is it foreground leaves ? Maye a bit of fill flash, on or off camera.
As for what fruit, I thought there were only two fruits in the crumbling vila ;-)
As for best of several attempts :-
Snapper, Shoots 100 photos, happy that 1 or 2 came out well.
Amatuer, Shoots 100 photos, mad that only 1 or 2 came out well.
Profesional, Shoots 100 photos, 1 or 2 come out okay and then deletes the rest so you don’t see them.
- Mini Maul
Very Very nicely done, you've really got this style nailed.
I like all these three but this is the strongest.
Cheers,
Richard B.
I really like the flowers: nice composition and visual balance with the dark background and splotches of pink.
ReplyDeleteThe tomatoes don't float my boat as there is not enough contrast in there. With all that green, I think you really need a contrasting colour like red. It looks a bit washed out, almost, as a result. (There's probably a better terminology than that.)
Nice work with the mall, it does look like a mini model. You have to look hard to tell it's not.