I know I’m asking for too much .

[BbTeo]

Hi to all Marco shooters (Sifu),

I am a complete newbie in photography and fall in love with macro and close up shots after seeing all those fantastic pictures posted by all you guys here. Simply Fantastic!!! Had been reading for the past one month in CS forum and learn some basics. I know I’m asking for too much…. Need help here…can your guys post pictures before any edits and after edits and give some advises as possible? So that a complete newbie’s like me can learn as much as possible from you guys….Thanks a million….

Have a nice day!
Ps: If you find this thread is stupid, you can choose to ignore…:kok:

 

[loboclerk]

To learn, get your hands dirty and go out to shoot. Avoid edits wherever possible. Getting the shot u want when u press the trigger!

 

[BbTeo]

Hi loboclerk,

Thanks and understand what you meant. Practices, practises and practises make perfect... I visit your blog and learned alot from you too.....Thanks for your sharing... I do not own a delicated macro lens or an external flash... All I have is a 50mm F1.8 and Raynox 250 on 1100D plus a diy snoot diffuser for internal flash... only can do some close up(not really macro).

During the past 3 weeks, I went 5 trips to the parks and at least spent 3 hrs on shooting.(I know as compare, not good enough). All my shoots are "Cannot Make It" before edit (even after edit oso CMI). I am curious on what a photo will look like directly from a camera before edit or cropped. Whether are there any differences? Btw, saw and commented your recent thread on your LHB shot, it this directly from your camera? Please help to enlighten me.

Thanks a millions.....

 

[orionmystery]

Yes, practice practice practice

If you don't mind, post a few of your images with exif intact so we can advise you better.

I shot with sp90 and popup flash for almost a year before saving up enough to buy a speedlight:

Edit: things for you to chew on:

1. 50mm + DCR250..that's about 0.4x only
2. the lower the magnification, the longer your working distance
3. your popup flash has only so much power, you can expect it to churn out as much power as say even a 270ex/RD2000
4. use lower f number...no more than F11
5. start with ISO100, if your images are still under, increase it to 200. If it's still under, then 400, so on and so forth..

 

[madmartian]

Hi bbteo,
Dun worry too much abt equipments or set up. What you have is pretty good enuff.

As to what you said in your cmi shots, ask yourself, what seems to be really the problem?
Is it focusing, lighting, composition, shutter speed, aperture, movements as in blur shots coz you handheld your shots or wind?
If its OOF shots, handshake shots & some others, how much editing work you do might not salvage the shot.

Editing is only basic, just to do minor touch up on the color, sharpness, contrast & such. You dun have to do a ton of editing work to have a real nice shots. A real nice shot is the first shot you took wifout much mistakes, & minimum editing as I mentioned is to slightly enhance the photo. Too much of it will render tour photo very artificial looking.

So dun get to suck up in the editing part & think that that will way to nice photos.

First learn & get to know how your gears work. Then learn the right settings for different shots as in different lighting situations. There are not many settings you need to set. Only just a few & you just play around wif it to suit the current shoot. Get a good sturdy tripod if you dun have steady hands. Use manual focusing if possible.

I might have missed out one or two other pointers, but if you can, join a macro outing & learn hands on.

Hope you enjoy this wonderful world of macro photography

btw, I'm not a sifu

 

[loboclerk]

Hi loboclerk,

Thanks and understand what you meant. Practices, practises and practises make perfect... I visit your blog and learned alot from you too.....Thanks for your sharing... I do not own a delicated macro lens or an external flash... All I have is a 50mm F1.8 and Raynox 250 on 1100D plus a diy snoot diffuser for internal flash... only can do some close up(not really macro).

During the past 3 weeks, I went 5 trips to the parks and at least spent 3 hrs on shooting.(I know as compare, not good enough). All my shoots are "Cannot Make It" before edit (even after edit oso CMI). I am curious on what a photo will look like directly from a camera before edit or cropped. Whether are there any differences? Btw, saw and commented your recent thread on your LHB shot, it this directly from your camera? Please help to enlighten me.

Thanks a millions.....

Don't be bothered that you are not using a dedicated macro lens. Your setup is more than enough to get good macro shots. (what constitutes a macro shot anyway?)

See what our resident Rojak man Victor produces with his 50mm+Raynox setup. He has 20mm extension tubes, but thats if u really want to go extremely close to the subject.

http://www.clubsnap.com/forums/threads/950502-Some-leftover-Rojak-shots-taken-during-these-four-days.

Maybe you could join some macro outings, and see what the rest has in their LCD screen after each shot. Keep shooting until you are entirely satisfied with the shot on the camera's preview. Some people can spend over an hour on a single subject. Thats not entirely necessary, but its just to show that you may do that sometimes.

 

[BbTeo]

Yes, practice practice practice

If you don't mind, post a few of your images with exif intact so we can advise you better.

I shot with sp90 and popup flash for almost a year before saving up enough to buy a speedlight:

Edit: things for you to chew on:

1. 50mm + DCR250..that's about 0.4x only
2. the lower the magnification, the longer your working distance
3. your popup flash has only so much power, you can expect it to churn out as much power as say even a 270ex/RD2000
4. use lower f number...no more than F11
5. start with ISO100, if your images are still under, increase it to 200. If it's still under, then 400, so on and so forth..

Thanks Master Kurt for your kind advise.... will work on that... As usual, very nice pics!!!!

 

[BbTeo]

Hi bbteo,
Dun worry too much abt equipments or set up. What you have is pretty good enuff.

As to what you said in your cmi shots, ask yourself, what seems to be really the problem?
Is it focusing, lighting, composition, shutter speed, aperture, movements as in blur shots coz you handheld your shots or wind?
If its OOF shots, handshake shots & some others, how much editing work you do might not salvage the shot.

Editing is only basic, just to do minor touch up on the color, sharpness, contrast & such. You dun have to do a ton of editing work to have a real nice shots. A real nice shot is the first shot you took wifout much mistakes, & minimum editing as I mentioned is to slightly enhance the photo. Too much of it will render tour photo very artificial looking.

So dun get to suck up in the editing part & think that that will way to nice photos.

First learn & get to know how your gears work. Then learn the right settings for different shots as in different lighting situations. There are not many settings you need to set. Only just a few & you just play around wif it to suit the current shoot. Get a good sturdy tripod if you dun have steady hands. Use manual focusing if possible.

I might have missed out one or two other pointers, but if you can, join a macro outing & learn hands on.

Hope you enjoy this wonderful world of macro photography

btw, I'm not a sifu

Thanks MM Sifu..:bsmilie: All of you are MASTER out there...:bsmilie:
Really enjoy macro photography... You guys are inspiring.....

 

[BbTeo]

Don't be bothered that you are not using a dedicated macro lens. Your setup is more than enough to get good macro shots. (what constitutes a macro shot anyway?)

See what our resident Rojak man Victor produces with his 50mm+Raynox setup. He has 20mm extension tubes, but thats if u really want to go extremely close to the subject.


Maybe you could join some macro outings, and see what the rest has in their LCD screen after each shot. Keep shooting until you are entirely satisfied with the shot on the camera's preview. Some people can spend over an hour on a single subject. Thats not entirely necessary, but its just to show that you may do that sometimes.

Thanks for your kind advises Master Nicky. Hope you dun mind me calling your real name...

Yes, had been reading threads posted by Victor also... very nice pics taken with simple setup...

Macro outings! Definitely.... anyone organising???

Maybe as what master Kurt said... I should post some pics for C&C..... Taken deep breath...:embrass:

 

[jameskkmok]

Step out & shoot more rather spend time on editing. Most of the 'sifu' here start off with a 50mm & a Raynox here, wait till you are sure what you want then get whatever macro lens. Listen to what the comments here said and you won't go wrong. I start off with a pns only then use raynox stack over kit lens, only very recent or after more then 3 yrs I got my macro lens. Happy shooting...

 

[BbTeo]

Step out & shoot more rather spend time on editing. Most of the 'sifu' here start off with a 50mm & a Raynox here, wait till you are sure what you want then get whatever macro lens. Listen to what the comments here said and you won't go wrong. I start off with a pns only then use raynox stack over kit lens, only very recent or after more then 3 yrs I got my macro lens. Happy shooting...

Thanks for you kind words and advise James... always like your works...... was fascinated by your "fire work" and was fearful by your "creepy shot":bigeyes: but very nice....:bsmilie:

 

[orbi69]

Hi Teo, myself is also a newbie in photography, i bought my DSLR cause of the same reason like you...am fascinated by macro photography.
As the Masters/Sifu above said, go out and shoot and enjoy, dun have to worry about your IQ...just shoot and post as much and the Masters/Sifu will guide you along the way. One thing for sure, never scare to get dirty, muddy, sweaty etc...this is part and parcel of macro photography but is fun My wife always complained to me after my shoots " you just went back for field camp training or what?" cause i always lay flat on the muddy ground just to stable my hands and try to get a good shot hence my jeans/ tee will all get dirty, sandy or muddy....lol. Go out and have fun, i never look back since i started.

***if you wana go group shooting, we can go together!! i do join up with some of the senior here!

 

[BbTeo]

Hi Teo, myself is also a newbie in photography, i bought my DSLR cause of the same reason like you...am fascinated by macro photography.
As the Masters/Sifu above said, go out and shoot and enjoy, dun have to worry about your IQ...just shoot and post as much and the Masters/Sifu will guide you along the way. One thing for sure, never scare to get dirty, muddy, sweaty etc...this is part and parcel of macro photography but is fun My wife always complained to me after my shoots " you just went back for field camp training or what?" cause i always lay flat on the muddy ground just to stable my hands and try to get a good shot hence my jeans/ tee will all get dirty, sandy or muddy....lol. Go out and have fun, i never look back since i started.

***if you wana go group shooting, we can go together!! i do join up with some of the senior here!

Hey orbi69, thanks for your advice. I saw your works. You have very nice shots too….

We have some similarity indeed. “Wife always Complained”.... hahaha!!! She always nagged at me, please watch out for snake; dun go near to the swampy area; watch out for crocodiles; don’t go into the bushes; shot only at the pavement…LOL. They really care for us isn’t it….hehe…

“Getting dirty, muddy, sweaty”... not a problem for me. I was a kampong kid…

Group shooting… definitely Great!!! Count me in……