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Cheryl Flory
05-27-2010, 01:17 PM
Canon 40D
Tamron 90mm
f2.8
1/2500"
ISO 400
EC +1.0

I stopped at the greenhouse with my brand new macro lens, but didn't have a tripod so I went for an image with a low depth of field. some cropping from the top and left.

C&C would be most appreciated!

Cheryl Flory
05-27-2010, 01:22 PM
how do you focus with your macros? I got lucky on this shot, unfortunately, the majority of my images where I was focusing on a very narrow point are not sharp. I was on manual focus and it looked sharp in camera, but when I opened it on the computer I could see it was far from sharp.

So how do you do that pin point focusing??? :confused:

Steve Adkins
05-27-2010, 02:25 PM
Hi Cheryl, It's nice to be lucky :D
Congratulations on the new lens!
As far as focus goes, you may want to try a static subject with a tripod to see if there is any back or front focus issues with your lens. As you are using manual focus, it's probably fine. As far as hand holding goes... it's tough and I'd like to hear what others do too. I try and find any support I can, even resting in a squatting position with elbows on knees... and then prefocus and gently rock forward and back and try to Sqqueeeeeze as object comes into focus. Takes a bit of trial an error. ;)

It seems you are off to a good start with this image, since you were trying for a shallow DOF. You only had a few mm to play with.

Julie Kenward
05-28-2010, 07:15 AM
Lovely soft lighting Cheryl! I love the curve of the petal and the way the light is falling. You've also done a good job of controlling the noise in this image - it's not unlikely to have a lot of noise on the underside of the leaf but this looks smooth and clean to me. Nice work! Keep practicing! There's always a "break in" period with any new lens and camera and a macro lens is not like any other - it really does take some getting used to. Keep creating images and you'll find your mind will know what to do from experience in a very short period of time. ;)

Roman Kurywczak
05-28-2010, 11:28 AM
Hi Cheryl,
Well....you nailed the focus point well on this one....nice flow so the shallow DOF works!
Now to try and answer some of the HH questions.....I try to use the same techniques I use for hand holding BIF.....elbow tucked and braced to body.....kneeling or having a wide stance also helps. is the 1/2500 a typo?....was it 1/250?....In either case....plenty enough speed for HH macro with VG technique. In the case of focusing HH....I always manually focus....it does help that I'm a pretty big guy but even I take the image just B4 I think I'm in critical focus or as soon as I hear the focus beep.....BIF photography does come into play and helps.....so just more practice once you rule out a front or rear focus issue! Remember.....I use flash often when HH'ing and Max DOF.....saves me many times!

OvidiuCavasdan
05-28-2010, 01:50 PM
I like the composition, good focus and very nice colors, bg works well.
Focusing...I prefer to use the tripod (I'm not good at HH, I need lot of more practice), usualy AF, but sometimes manual focus. Also try to look carefully at subject and focus plane before shooting.
And...yes...we need practice and ...some more practice...:)

Ken Childs
05-28-2010, 04:45 PM
Cheryl, whatever you did to get this shot worked great! It's definitely a keeper.

Whenever possible I use a tripod for this type of shallow DOF shot and use the live view function of my camera. If I'm shooting indoors, sometimes it's easier to manually focus and then move the subject until it's in focus. I usually put the subject on something that slides easily so it's easy to have lots of control over it. Using mirror lockup and a remote control helps reduce camera shake. I should add that I have a cheapo tripod that isn't really sturdy which is why moving the subject sometimes works better for me than trying to focus manually.

For general HH outdoor bug macro shooting, it's usually comes down to taking lots of shots so hopefully some of them will be in focus. Unless your hands are incredibly steady, do what you can to increase the shutter speed.

Cheryl Flory
05-28-2010, 06:09 PM
Thanks, everyone. I really appreciate you taking the time to comment! :)