• Why not take a moment to introduce yourself to our members?

investigator1

Advanced Reefer
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I just got my camera today,. So here's my first macros ever.
 

Attachments

  • featherduster m.jpg
    featherduster m.jpg
    18.7 KB · Views: 3,077
  • fungia macro.jpg
    fungia macro.jpg
    19.3 KB · Views: 3,088
  • torchm2.jpg
    torchm2.jpg
    17.3 KB · Views: 3,085
A

Anonymous

Guest
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Nice closeups, Investigator, which camera did you settle on?
 

NKT

Junior Member
Rating - 100%
3   0   0
Wow great images Piero and investigator! Let's keep em coming!
Piero, I've seen your wonderful work on another website...feel free to post some of your gems here for all of us to go ga-ga over ;)
 

Len

Advanced Reefer
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
There's something so supremely exotic about macros ..... I'm gonna try some later this week, after I fix the stupid X-10 modules for my halides.
 

investigator1

Advanced Reefer
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Here's some more from today:
 

Attachments

  • psuedomacro.jpg
    psuedomacro.jpg
    11.3 KB · Views: 3,008
  • xenia macro.jpg
    xenia macro.jpg
    21.3 KB · Views: 3,010
  • galaxymacro.jpg
    galaxymacro.jpg
    18.9 KB · Views: 3,009

Len

Advanced Reefer
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Hey investigator,

Thanks for the compliments. I really do credit a lot of it to my camera, but there are certain techniques that might help.

Looking at your pics, there is a possibilty to me that you're using digital zoom, which is always a no-no. Digital zoom is a really digital cropping within the cam, and images will come out pixellated.

You should consider using a tripod if you're not, especially if you're shooting with ambient light and no flash. It makes a huge difference. A camera is only as sharp as it's support, professionals will tell you. The sharpest lens and highest megapixel count is immediately ruined by vibrations.

Shoot with the lens as parallel to the glass as possible. Shooting at off-angles will reduce contrast and resolution, as well as altering perception. With on-camera flash, you'll have to shoot at an angle to avoid the bounce flash, but without flash, shoot dead ahead when possible.

Avoid shooting objects that are located more then a foot into the tank. Cameras have a tough enough time shooting through glass/acrylic, and the additional few inches of water makes it that much harder for the camera to AF and meter correctly. It also reduces contrast and dynamic range. I "cheat" by shooting mostly what's close to the glass.

Post processing tips:
WHen you sharpen, use Unsharp Mask (USM), and only do sharpening once at the very end of your post processing workflow. In other words, don't sharpen first and then do other stuff. Do it last, and prefereably once. Sometimes it's necessary to do it twice, but less is better. If only a select part needs sharpening, just sharpen that part and not the rest of the frame. FYI: I usually use USM at 0.2 - 0.3 at 500%.

I'm sure there's more stuff I left out, and I'll fill in tips as I remember them :P Hope that helps a bit.
 

Sponsor Reefs

We're a FREE website, and we exist because of hobbyists like YOU who help us run this community.

Click here to sponsor $10:


Top