Macro Bees: Ten Tips For Learning MacroPhotography On The Fly

After a few months with the very tight EFS 60mm f2.8 Macro USM from Canon, quality photos are few and far between.

But lately, some of my shots of early bee activity, are showing signs of life, like a bee emerging from a long, cold, snowy winter. If anything, I have learned to expect failure, and be grateful for success. Another aspect of macro, is that depth of field will test your nerve. Applying what we have learned about photography in general, will help us adjust to the difficulties of macro photography.

Here are some tips to help you out, if macro shooting is your thing...

1:
For macro shots that are stilllife photos, such as a flower or a diamond ring, a good eye for manually focusing, is worth gold. I tend to use manual focus in these spots, to achieve the right focus points. Meaning, if the ring is the subject, I will manually focus so I get crisp diamonds. When I get the focus I want, I then engage the remote shutter.

2:
Moving subjects, such as bees, beckons us to use the Servo AF. Servo will continually track the bee, and help you get the focus on the bee, rather than say a tree in the background.

3:
Macro lenses tend to have very thin Depth Of Fields(DOF), so try and maintain a pinhole fstop. F14 will still have a thin DOF, but will focus the subject.

4:
ISO is also important for getting a desirable DOF. I will shoot at ISO 640 in broad daylight to achieve this.

5:
Wind will mess with your mind. Try not to shoot handheld in windy conditions, as the lens will change DOF and focus frequently. I tend to use Center-Weighted metering mostly, but Spot and Partial could be used in these shots as well. It is personal preference. I use CW because I generally tend to put bees(and other critters) in the center of the viewfinder, and compose from there. Cropping can move the subject left or right. Sometimes, I meter the bee, and then frame the scene with the exposure locked. Even if only by maintaining the half-shutter after metering.

6:
Step back. In macro terms, it is not much of a step. Many photographers will push that macro lens right up on the subject, but I think moving back an inch or two, will help get the frame sharper across the subject.

7:
Combining a fast shutter and deep depth of field can prove problematic. Shoot in Manual and adjust "on the fly."

8:
Shoot from a tripod. This will help with static subjects, and will help maintain AF points. The lack of the hand movement, helps the lens keep the focus point where you want it. Even indoors, without a breeze, a tripod and a macro lens can get up close and still have a deep DOF.

9:
Flash. Use it. It will help light up textures.

10:
Just Do It! Get out and shoot. Learning is humbling. And incredibly satisfying.

Photos COPYRIGHT Ronald Borst

Spring Equinox and Some Poems and Photos

The Bee    -   3-20-14

A moment
perhaps less than a second
frozen
yet it is liquid
still
yet it is alive
motion
in a moment
captured
forever
A digital camera.

Spring   -   3-20-14

She is Old Man Winter's sister
and She brings daffodils,
cherry blossoms.
She carries
blue skies.
She summons
sounds of lawnmowers
and playground shrieks.
She is the older sister,
older than dirt,
flighty as a bee.
She leads
choruses
of birds.
When She is cranky,
She brings reminders of winter.
Whipping wind,
whips the face,
dark clouds
imposing
their will,
and their rain.
She can be hot,
almost summerlike.
Mostly,
She is Spring.

 

CARS - a March 18, 2014, Ronald Borst Photo Gallery

March 18, 2014
Canon 7D
Canon XTi
Canon EF 50mm USM f1.4
Sigma EX 10-20mm HSM
Canon EFS 60mm Macro USM f2.8

Man At A Bus Stop On St. Patrick's Day

March 17, 2014
Albany, Oregon
Canon 7D & Sigma EX 10-20mm
ISO  400
Shutter 1/640 second
Aperture f13 at 15mm
Center Weighted metering
Shutter Priority with Auto White Balance
Standard Scene mode shot in JPEG Large

Overshooting: Lessons In Beginner Photography

It was always an interest. Photography has been an appreciation for most of my life. I have never had nice cameras, but I have had cameras. A few of the "auto" cameras from the late 1980s produced some nice 4 X 6 prints. Even a disposable Kodak camera got me nice shots of the Cape Blanco Lighthouse, on the southern Oregon coast.

But until now, I had never thought about advanced techniques for taking photographs. I am sure that lack of photo thought, was due to never being able to afford a nice camera.

Things change.

Nowadays, I own a DSLR. A few, as a matter of fact. The venerable 7D from Canon, as well as a Nikon D70 and an older Canon, the very capable Canon XTi. I have a few second-rate lenses, like the versatile Canon EF 50mm f1.4, and the awesome Nikkor VR 18-70mm.

I also own a number of film cameras, including the 35 millimeter Canon EF(1973), and a 1937 Zeiss Ikon. All have produced high-quality images.

But many frames were unusable. What a waste, right? I mean, if I am shooting the gorgeous Zeiss Ikon, with its Telma shutter and Nettar lens, I know I have to be focused on getting a properly exposed frame. Film for the 120mm Ikon is expensive, as is developing film. Digital cameras in today's instantly connected and globally distributed world, are the gold standard in the consumer's mind, as the medium is somewhat cheap and convenient.

Digital cameras with amazing capabilities are becoming more common, and DSLR cameras lead the field. Today, most camera makers offer wireless and remote capabilities, as well as high quality images.

And DSLRs are affordable, with an entry level kit priced around $500. But these are complicated cameras, and one would be wise to do much research, before and after purchasing a new camera.

In this article, I want to discuss a common mistake, for many photographers, even established shooters. It is "overshooting." This is when multiple exposures are taken of the same thing. Many photographers, especially when starting in the field, tend to shoot too much.

This is common in photographing birds, where the shooter wants to make sure that he(or she), "gets the shot." By firing many frames in burst mode, a shot of the blue jay at the bird feeder is a sure thing.

Not so fast.

We may have many photos that are useless and maybe even boring.

Weddings are another example of overshooting possibilities. In the quest to get enough shots of everybody, to fill an album, a beginner shooter is prone to shooting everything in sight.

To avoid overshooting, while still getting enough frames to have a nice selection of quality images, follow these seven tips. Usually, I write "tips" articles in tens, but the Irish weekend has me feeling lucky...

Tip #1 for avoiding overshooting:
Prepare for your photoshoot. Whether you are shooting elk in a meadow, or a daughter's soccer game(At 9 a.m.? Really?), preparing for the shoot will help you compose shots on the fly. Thinking about settings, and framing, will help you understand when to press that shutter button. Knowing what photos you want is key. Know what to look for in advance. Do you want action? Portraits? Faces? Props? Know what scenes you want to capture, and then go get your shots.

Tip #2:
Learn to frame images correctly. Eliminate dead space and leave "framing" space. What this means, is if you are in Paris, and your wife wants you to portrait her in front of some neat park bench or bicycle, frame the photo so she is the subject. She should fill the frame, leaving nice edges for imagery and for wood framing later. If you have to squint to see your wife in the final image, you may regret it.

Tip #3:
Once you understand the correct way to frame your photo, now setting up the image should be a priority. Shooting a hummingbird and getting the critter to stay for seconds even, is rare. In that rare moment, shooting at say ISO 5000 from the night before, will blow photos out and ruin them. Set up the image before you capture it. Make sure, before you ever hit the shutter, that your ISO and White Balance are correct. Have a proper aperture and fast enough shutter speed. These things, you will not regret.

Tip #4:
Action. This is an essential element of some great photos. Especially sports and wildlife. Action shots freeze moments that are "re-livable." By freezing a boxer's punch, and the ensuing expression, one can feel like they experienced the action. Anticipation is the key here. If you are photographing your son's basketball game, and he has tendencies like being an active rebounder, then you can assume that when a shot goes up, your son may try and corral that basketball. Be ready to capture that scene. Anticipate it and even change position(if possible) for it.

Tip #5:
Emotion. Ahh, the great moments, saved forever in a photograph. A child running through a sprinkler and shrieking, is what we are after when we have the camera out on those hot and humid summer days. Look for these moments and be ready for them. Realize before a shot, that the scene will be there. If your daughter is off to her first prom, a hug from mom or a nervous boy holding open the car door, may be a photograph to cherish. Be ready.

Tip #6:
Cameras have come a long ways, and today, cameras are a technological wonder. Know your camera. Read the manual over and over, until every page is clear. I've gone back to the 7D's manual a half dozen times. In its entirety.

Tip #7:
Our last tip is about the realness of candid photographs. Faces. Capture faces. In every scene we have discussed, faces are the most important. Focus on capturing faces.

Enjoy photography and strive to take spectacular images. Have a great day everybody...

Skatepark Gallery - Games Kids Play

On the way to Albany's skatepark, a photo in oldtown. Canon 7D & EFS 60mm Macro USM

Reach...

Gear:
Canon 7D and EF 28-135mm, EFS 60mm

Location:
Albany Skatepark in Albany, Oregon

March 2014