I have just bought a gorgeous Canon 100mm USM Lens, and a lovely little beast it is too! However macro photography seems to be much trickier than I anticipated. Initial findings so far are:
1. Having the camera on the auto setting isn't really an option!
2. I really need a tripod
3. You need to make tiny little adjustments to position yourself and the camera to get a sharp focus (auto focus is not the best option, switch to mf).
4. Natural daylight is best
5. A homemade flash diffuser will be investigated
6. You need to get used to working with a small depth of field. Flowers are particularly tricky because the leaves and petals go off in all directions which means some are always going to be out of focus. I've been told that f11 works best with this lens to get the most sharpness, but I haven't managed to get this working hand holding the camera.
7. I'm glad I figuered out what all the numbers on the dial mean (the distance you are from the subject to get focus)
8. I need to go insect stalking
9. I need to come up with something a bit more creative than insects, flowers and waterdrops!
10. But I also want to take photos like this!
Non of my "getting to know the lens" photos are great, I haven't really tried yet or composed anything, but I think they do show how amazing this lens is (despite my blurry bits and boring subject matter!). Hopefully I'll have some more time over the next few weeks to improve my technique. I've found some useful websites to help me!
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2 comments:
Hey! I have indeed enjoyed reading your blog and your pics are great. I'm particularly interested in that flash diffuser as I love a bit o' macro - have you tried it? Does it work?
Wow google throws up some randoms finds from time to time, a 3 year old blog!
Hope you've managed to get a home made diffuser working - I've got a 100mm USM and yes, unless you can use a lot of direct sunlight you need a flash!
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