Tag: Macro

AtoZ Challenge: The Glossary

The AtoZ Challenge has already come to an end for the second time, and as a result, now a glossary of the terms can be made. I believe this shall come handy for future references!

A – Aperture, Artificial Horizon

B – Bulb Mode, Bokeh

C – Colour Temperature, Composition

D – Double Exposure , Depth of Field

E – EXIF Data, Exposure Bracketing

F – Forced Perspective, Focus Stacking

G – Ghosting, Grain

H – Hot Shoe, Hyperfocal Distance

I – Infinity Focus, ISO

J – Juxtapose, JPEG vs RAW

K – Keylight, Kelvin

L – Latitude, Lens Distortion

M – Manual Mode, Macro

N – Normal Lens, Noise Reduction

O – Optical Zoom, Overexposure

P – Panning, Post Processing

Q – Quality, Quiet Release

R – Red Eye Reduction, Rear Curtain

S – Spot Metering, Shutter Speed

T – Tonal Range, TTL Metering

U – Urban Landscape, Underexposure

V – Vignetting, Vibration Reduction

W – Watermark, White Balance

X – X Speed, X Process

Y – Your Rapport, You

Z – Zoom (Digital), Zoom Burst

Have a look at these terms and let me know if I ought to add some to the list.

Cheers!!

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AtoZ Challenge: M – Manual Mode

Manual Mode

This is for the ones who want total control over the photo. You get to control your shutter speed, aperture and ISO. Based on the need, you can tweak whatever settings you need and you have complete set of settings right at your fingertips.
Often, we hear that pros shoot only in manual mode, believe me, its just a fad. Pros know when to shoot in what mode, that’s all. Getting a photo is much important that shooting at manual mode and screwing the photo altogether.
Personally I use manual mode in conditions where either I have control over on my subject, or if my subject is not going change abruptly.

Go out there and explore the other modes as well and let me know, what is your most used mode. Mine is Shutter Priority.

Last time, M was for Macro.

Cheers!!

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Macro Shots

Today, as I sit to type down this post, my bags are packed and ready to leave. I leave NICMAR, Pune in less than 6 hours and will be on my way to my home first, then to much bigger adventures. Last night while packing, I stumbled across two very prized possessions of mine, my self made reverse lens adapter and a pair o kerosene lighters.
Flipped it open, spun the wheel, the sparks erupted, felt good.
At around 0100h, I felt a tiny bit creative. So, here is what I did, past mid night, using the reverse lens adapter. Lens used, my trusted Nikon 50mm F1.8D, and the camera, Nikon D3100.

macro of tanks made on a zippo lighter

macro shot of a SDHC card

macro close up of a diamond ring

macro close up of the wick of a zippo lighter

macro close up of the striking wheel of a zippo lighter

macro close up of the hinge of a zippo lighter

The following images are shot using the Tamron 70-300mm F4-5.6 macro lens, in the macro mode as control shots.

macro close up of the stalk of a flower

macro close up of a stalk of a flower

I ll infer that unless one is dedicated to shooting macros, the need for a macro lens, is quite limited. Often, a reverse mounted lens shall do the trick. Adding on, it is always much easier to use a full manual lens for reverse mounting because you can control the aperture ring and decide on the depth of field.

With this, I sign off from NICMAR, Pune. I shall be travelling for the next few days and shall also be visiting Delhi for almost a week, so that should make for a nice post.

Till then,
Cheers!!

by Categories: Photography, TechnicalTags: , , , , , , , , , 5 Comments

What type of photog am I?

A question has been often posed at me, what kind of photographer am I? Today, I ll try to answer it.

I am in pursuit of photography with some seriousness, for the past two and a half years now. My peers, who had started along at the similar time, have become specialized. Some shoot only portraits, some are landscape guys while some are wildlife fellows. They have expanded their arsenal with better bodies and lens…and then there is me.
I have not managed to settle down to just one genre yet.
I like shooting portraits.

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Also enjoy shooting landscapes.
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I am not averse to shooting macro

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And even the streets appeal to me just fine.

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And sometimes, I do shoot purely technical shots too.

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I guess, I am just not cut for the strict regime of just one type of photography. Some might say that I am straying and that I must stick to a certain genre, but I’d rather shoot things that appeal to me,even if they belong for different genre. It brings out the me in the photos. This my calling, whats yours?

If things go according to plan, as they rarely do, next week, I shall be travelling to Velas, Maharashtra, to visit the tiny turtles hatch and make their maiden journey to the sea. Stay tuned.

Cheers!!

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10 centimetres or less

I have tried out with close up filters and more recently with free lensing. The best close up, macro shots are by the dedicated macro lens, but these techniques get you pretty close too. Check the earlier works here.

Here are some of the reverse lensing shots which have got me close, less than 10 cms close to my subject.

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Silica Gel crystals
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Reflections on water droplets
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Cigarette!

Have a look at the other entries on macro shots here!

Cheers!!

 

 

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Up Close…Encore

Today I got my 100th follower, and I was very happy. It made me think that today something special needs to be done, something innovative. So, I revisited an issue I had previously, how to take macro photos on a budget. The macro lens I am aiming for, is still pretty much out of my reach, but lens reversal, that can be done right…so lets try it.

I pulled out my body cap and hollowed it out, and stuck one of the UV filters to it, thread facing outward. IMG_20150703_175844124-1

I put a bit of sticking tape to reinforce the joint, and voila! my lens reversal system is ready. Now, does it manage to hold the lens?
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Oohhh yeeaahh!!! Works fine till here. Lets test!

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By the results, I am happy. No, they are not as nice as a macro lens, but surely a huge improvement than using the macro filters. Check the previous post here and see for yourself.

The DOF is incredibly small, maybe 2 or 3 millimeters deep, at a maximum, when the aperture is open wide. Keeping the aperture open is an issue, needs to be done manually. I wont lie, to take a photo, I needed to shoot at least 10, and it is tiresome. But the results are very much satisfying. Am working on some more close ups, hopefully will post them soon.

Cheers!!

by Categories: Photo Effeccts, Photography, TechnicalTags: , , , 14 Comments

Tiny black ants

Hi there,

When you are in a crunch for subjects, look in your own backyard, kitchen garden, or nearby plants, you ll find the tiny insects there busy at work. And as long as you dont disturb them, they wont mind giving you a few shots.

This post, should also show that why a macro lens, though serving the purpose, is a very good option. The photos here are taken using the 55-200 mm lens with a +4 Macro lens filter. The DOF is vastly reduced, thats fine, but clarity is absolutely missing, that is not too fine. The photos here may appear to be just fine, but they are grainy, and I would love to have a macro lens and shoot with it, rather than the filters.

In a desperate pinch, these get the work done, just though.

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Happy shooting!

Cheers!!

 

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AtoZ Challenge: PH – M: Macro

M for Macro

This is a pretty common term in the photography circuit. A photograph, where we take photos of small subjects, and the photos come out to be bigger than the subjects and in sharp details, that is a macro photograph. For achieving this, there are special lens available. Close up filters, extension tubes and lens reversal are also put to use. Each have their own pros and cons. Do note, while in Macro, the DOF offered is extremely shallow.
Check out a refreshing take on macro, here.

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This is a part of April AtoZ Challenge. Letters A to L can be found here.

Cheers!!

by Categories: AtoZ Challenge, PhotographyTags: , , 2 Comments

Up close

Heyy there all,

I had been planning to do a close up photo collection of everyday items for quite sometime now and then yesterday I was, enough planning, lets just do it. But hey, neither do I own a macro lens needed for these insane close ups, nor can I acquire one anytime soon (too costly to buy,yet). Should I let it stop me, hell no!

These are what I shot. Recognition should not be an issue and I hope you do like the photos. My set up, the last photo  in the group 🙂

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My set up consists of a table lamp, a lens hood, old hard disks and the lens I used was the 55-200mm zoom with a close up filter attached.

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The photos taken using a close up filter are not as sharp as we would love them to be, but then the filters cost almost 1/10th the price of a good macro lens. For an occasional close up shoot, I dont think investing in a macro lens is very fruitful, but if you want extreme close up and clarity, the close up filter is not your way out.

Have fun shooting!

Cheers!

by Categories: PhotographyTags: , , , , 1 Comment

8. Close Up!

We love the insanely close up photos of insects, showing their eyes, or a tiny ant holding a tinier grain and truly, we are amazed by these shots. These photos are termed as macro photos. Actual definition is a big complicated thing that simply means, photos where small objects look way bigger, magnified, thats all.
All lens have some bit of magnification factor in them, but the macro lens, they are dedicated ones which have very little focusing distance, extremely high sharpness and they are very very pricey. Well, they deserve to be too.
Anyway, since my blog is all about the way I have met up to these challenges, I have opted for the easier way out…screw on close up filters. These filters are simple magnifying glass lens adapted to be mounted as a filter on the lens. They reduce the focusing distance and magnify the image. Available normally in packs of 3 or 4, these filters come in strengths of +1, +2, +4 and a macro lens (+10).

+4 lens
+4 lens
Macro
Macro

Now, you might wonder, if these screw on lens, whole set costing within 2k INR are available, why should I go for a 20k macro lens? The reason is a single word, quality! The quality of the dedicated lens are incomparably and invariably better than the screw on filters. These filters cause light loss on the edges, distortions and also vignetting. Plus, these are not the sharpest of lens at all. So, if you plan to go pro about the macro shots, or have very deep pockets, buy the dedicated ones. The screw on ones are fine for occasional close up shots!

Macro(+10) f/1.8
Macro(+10) f/1.8
Macro (+10) f/11
Macro (+10) f/11
The +4 lens
The +4 lens

Cheers!

 

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