The "Post your pictures here" thread.

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James J said:
You need to stop down macro lenses vastly more than normal ones due to the hyperfocal range being so damn small. Due to that, they are probably tripod shots, or using a flash if the aperture is at the levels I think it is!
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I never use flash or a tripod for my shots...my Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM is a great lens and that helps...oh and the D7000 helps to!

 
Busa said:
I never use flash or a tripod for my shots...my Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM is a great lens and that helps...oh and the D7000 helps to!
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Guess you are shooting at around midday each time then? I just checked out the exif on two of your shots at they had F7.1 and F8.0, which is what I meant by using smaller apertures (compared to the F2.8 that most people mistakenly stick to because they are used to fast primes and wafer thing DOF). The closer you get to the focus point, the smaller the aperture needs to be to capture the entire subject. Luckily all of your shots are out in the open, meaning no leaves or dense bushes are obscuring your light.
 
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James J said:
Guess you are shooting at around midday each time then? I just checked out the exif on two of your shots at they had F7.1 and F8.0, which is what I meant by using smaller apertures (compared to the F2.8 that most people mistakenly stick to because they are used to fast primes and wafer thing DOF). The closer you get to the focus point, the smaller the aperture needs to be to capture the entire subject. Luckily all of your shots are out in the open, meaning no leaves or dense bushes are obscuring your light.
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But then i would just crank up the ISO and PP in light room...i have plenty of shots in the middle of woodland but luckily most insect and flowers prefer not to do their thing in dense woodland...you just got to know the software....and no i dont shoot at midday and you dont see the shots that i bin....there are lots of them
 
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Busa said:
But then i would just crank up the ISO and PP in light room...i have plenty of shots in the middle of woodland...you just got to know the software....and no i dont shoot at midday and you dont see the shots that i bin....there are lots of them
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I'm not having a go mate, just a friendly discussion incase anyone reading wants to know more about macro :P

Iso only goes so far though and is useless on the canon 65mm MP-E macro lens, which is the best that money can buy at the moment, regardless of brand. Your exifs even suggest you never really need to raise the ISO so the shooting conditions on the ones you've posted are optimal for handheld shots.

Sadly a proper macro flash with TTL is around £330 so I guess we all have to make do with what we have unless we have deep pockets lol.

I've been eyeing up the Nikon 200mm macro lens which is nigh on £1000, yet I might just get the new sigma 180 (F2.8 now I believe instead of 3.5, plus OS!) as I've become very familiar with the 150mm version.
 
James J said:
I'm not having a go mate, just a friendly discussion incase anyone reading wants to know more about macro :P

Iso only goes so far though and is useless on the canon 65mm MP-E macro lens, which is the best that money can buy at the moment, regardless of brand. Your exifs even suggest you never really need to raise the ISO so the shooting conditions on the ones you've posted are optimal for handheld shots.

Sadly a proper macro flash with TTL is around £330 so I guess we all have to make do with what we have unless we have deep pockets lol.

I've been eyeing up the Nikon 200mm macro lens which is nigh on £1000, yet I might just get the new sigma 180 (F2.8 now I believe instead of 3.5, plus OS!) as I've become very familiar with the 150mm version.
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I am so impressed by my Sigma..took some getting used to but i am comfortable with it now...i am on a limited budget so TTL flash is a no no!...i do chose my weather conditions though as you say but this lens is used for many different situations...just wish the bloody subjects would stay still:D
 
Busa said:
I am so impressed by my Sigma..took some getting used to but i am comfortable with it now...i am on a limited budget so TTL flash is a no no!...i do chose my weather conditions though as you say but this lens is used for many different situations...just wish the bloody subjects would stay still:D
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Aye the lenses are lovely. Possibly the best sigma have ever produced, especially seen as the 150 and 180 cover focal ranges that no other manufacturer does at the moment. Yeah the learning curve on them is fairly steep, especially when using the autofocus at 1:1 ratios. The manual focus is nice and smooth though so minor adjustments are pretty damn easy on the 105, 150 and 180 I've had experience with so far. Yeah I also picked the weather conditions to have favourable light before I went out looking for something to aim at. Sadly with that approach, we limit ourselves to specific species after a few outings as things like worms and some insects only come out when its raining :(
 
Guitarman0 said:
Nicely lit, I like it.
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Thanks

James J said:
Sadly not a fan of it myself as the shadows look too harsh on the gents face. On my screen he also looks sunburnt and I can't quite make out the detail in the drumkit either. Also not a fan of the drumkit being cut in half :(
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I can see detail in the drumkit and he looks fairly natural on my screen?

Yea it is quite harsh, but i was explicitly asked for to be very harsh so they've gotten what they asked for. Such as the photo below that i dont actually personally like but is EXACTLY what the client asked for so can't complain:

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I actually much prefer that Tom :D The light is positioned well and the harsh none diffused light separates the sides of the face perfectly.

As for the first shot, if your hands are tied though, suppose you just have to make the best out of a situation but its a shame the guy wasn't more accommodating as you are the one taking the shots after all!
 
Busa said:
I am so impressed by my Sigma..took some getting used to but i am comfortable with it now...i am on a limited budget so TTL flash is a no no!...i do chose my weather conditions though as you say but this lens is used for many different situations...just wish the bloody subjects would stay still:D
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First thing in the morning is always good for creepy crawlies. They haven't warmed up and you can usually get within millimeters of them, particularly Butterflies. The light is also very nice as well, particularly if it is slightly cloudy, since you get a nice diffused light. Last thing in the evening is also a good time since the insects are getting ready to sleep - again the light can be much nicer, warm and golden, rather than the harsh light of midday.

A really nice book on Macro photography is by Ross Hoddinot, it is called "Digital Macro Photography" the ISBN number is 978-1-86108-530-6

It covers all sorts of equipment and techniques.
 
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