CnC Some of my Photos (Caterpillar pics)

[wheelhot]

Hi, well I would like to hear some of the members comments about the set of 4 photos and which one you like or don't like and how it could be improved. and yea, I know that these photos are nothing extraordinary but I would still like to hear some of you guys comments
All shots is taken from Oly FE-320, no zoom, ISO 64 (the lowest in my cam to avoid noise)

Photo 1

Photo 2

Photo 3

Photo 4

 

[Doylem]

CnC... creepy 'n' crawly?

The pix seem OK... but the compositions are too 'busy': ie too many background details that distract and draw the eye away from the subject.

The easiest ways to improve this kind of shot?

Move in closer...

Throw background out of focus (big aperture, small number)...

Try to shoot against a plainer backdrop...

 

[timmyb]

but the compositions are too 'busy': ie too many background details that distract and draw the eye away from the subject.

I agree - it's quite hard to see what's going on.

It looks like the plants are in pots so could you move them around without disturbing the caterpillars to get some cleaner backgrounds?

 

[Edge100]

I agree with the others. Besides not being particularly sharp, these pics suffer from having too much to focus on; you need to throw that backgorund completely out of focus. For this, you'll need to (a) use as wide an aperture (i.e. low f-stop number) as possible and/or (b) get closer to the subject. Getting rid of some of the distracting non-essential background elements would help too.

 

[wheelhot]

Aaah thanks for the tip guys, well I would like to get a closer photo to the subject but I can't really cause:
1. the plant is blocking me from moving in too close.
2. somehow if I use the optical zoom on my camera, image quality will suffer.

I'll try to get some cleaner backgrounds and I'll try moving the pot around, hopefully the caterpillar won't drop off, yikes!

Well I won't be able to change my aperture (my PnS cannot do that) so I need to get closer to the image , yeah and I agree with you guys comment, I should try and get the background image completely blurred out (any other to achieve this besides changing aperture?).

 

[Roy Hobbs]

Aaah thanks for the tip guys, well I would like to get a closer photo to the subject but I can't really cause:
1. the plant is blocking me from moving in too close.
2. somehow if I use the optical zoom on my camera, image quality will suffer.

I'll try to get some cleaner backgrounds and I'll try moving the pot around, hopefully the caterpillar won't drop off, yikes!

Well I won't be able to change my aperture (my PnS cannot do that) so I need to get closer to the image , yeah and I agree with you guys comment, I should try and get the background image completely blurred out (any other to achieve this besides changing aperture?).

Optical zoom DOES NOT reduce image quality. You are thinking of digital zoom.

 

[Doylem]

1. the plant is blocking me from moving in too close.).

You're gonna let a plant tell you what to do?

 

[wheelhot]

Optical zoom DOES NOT reduce image quality. You are thinking of digital zoom.

Actually no, I know that optical zoom does not reduce image quality and digital zoom reduce the image quality but I once took a photo (from the basketball match) and the zoomed photo image look very bad compared to the non zoom version. I also wondered why does the zoomed photo look that bad, I'm very sure I did not pass the optical zoom range into the digital zoom range.

You're gonna let a plant tell you what to do?

Haha, well no, but I'm not taking the risk breaking a branch from a plant that my mom take care for 5 years+

Oh well, I'll try again tomorrow morning, so its get closer to the subject and find a different background

 

[anubis]

Optical zoom DOES NOT reduce image quality. You are thinking of digital zoom.

False. All lenses almost universally have poorer image quality when you zoom in. Just look at the lenses tested on photozone.de. Almost every single one (including thousand-dollar L-series lenses) has a lower modulation transfer function the more you zoom in.

Second, to the OP... I think your macro photos look busy beacuse the depth of focus is waaaaay too large. Standing closer and zooming out reduces the depth of focus. Just use this depth of focus calculator to learn about the relationship between aperture, distance, and sensor size on depth of focus.

Effective macro photography requires a very large maximum aperture lens or a macro lens with a long focal length and short minimum focal distance, and a large sensor size, none of which a point-and-shoot has. If you want to get into macro photography, you kind of have to get an SLR

 

[wheelhot]

Thanks for the link anubis, that was a great site.

Well my birthday is nearby so............

 

[compuwar]

While you're making adjustments, try some fill flash. You'll have to turn the flash power down, but it'll help a lot with the shadows and bright backgrounds.

 

[wheelhot]

Thanks for the tip, compuwar

I guess for my needs (if I'm going to play a lot with a beginner DSLR) a 1000D/Rebel XS is the safest bet?

 

[Phrasikleia]

Thanks for the tip, compuwar

I guess for my needs (if I'm going to play a lot with a beginner DSLR) a 1000D/Rebel XS is the safest bet?

That's a good one, but there are many good starter DSLRs these days. If you like shooting bugs, I'd also recommend a macro lens. The Canon 50mm f/2.5 Macro is one of the less expensive options, if you decide to go with that camera.

 

[compuwar]

Thanks for the tip, compuwar

I guess for my needs (if I'm going to play a lot with a beginner DSLR) a 1000D/Rebel XS is the safest bet?

Honestly, there are no "bad" DSLR choices. There are good and great ones, but don't assume "beginner" is a necessary term (you could take great shots with any DLSR without much of a learning curve.)

The big thing for macro is how to do it-

Macro lenses and "almost macro" lenses: Expensive, but great quality- though you'll typically be stuck at a single reproduction rate (true macros go 1:1, but many "macro" lenses are almost macro and work well enough.) Lenses with longer focal distances give more "working distance" but cost more (personally, I'd want to be at around 90mm or better for most of what I shoot.)

Reversing rings: you need two lenses with similar diameters at the front, and it's easier to make a mistake that costs you a messed up lens element.

Diopters: Not as good quality as a lens, but significantly cheaper (though the good ones aren't cheap- I like the B+W ones, but they cost real money) and you have to match it to a lens diameter for good results- but not a bad place to start.

Extension tubes: Not as cheap as they should be, but a set will give you excellent results and flexibility.

Good macro also requires a good tripod and a good tripod head- also not inexpensive.

If you want to really get into it, a ring flash is a very expensive, but very helpful item- photography is all about light, so the better you can light the subject, the better your results. Built in flash for fill is a good start, off-camera flash is better- and for most macro subjects ring flash is really good- not that you have to start with everything, but that should give you an idea of what you'll end up with if you persue it seriously.

 

[wheelhot]

That's a good one, but there are many good starter DSLRs these days. If you like shooting bugs, I'd also recommend a macro lens. The Canon 50mm f/2.5 Macro is one of the less expensive options, if you decide to go with that camera.

Thanks, well I'm considering either the D60 or 1000D (can't decide which, one has more functions that I can grow and learn and the other one seem to take "punchier" pictures (sometime thats a drawback), not to mention it also seem to be better build), and thanks for the tip compuwar, I already have a Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM lens and a Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Macro for Nikon models (thanks from my dad lens experiment), so which camera? Hmmm....

p.s: I like to shoot a lot of stuffs but I usually shot in macro because I can take a lot of shots around my house rather then having to go somewhere just to take a few nice pictures (I'll be going on a field trip/holiday if I want to do that) .