Macro flower photographs

Thank you John for the kind comment, appreciate it. Thought the image can be sharper if a little flash is used.

As spring starts here in Texas, the bridal wreath bush is always among the first to bloom. I had to take a lot of pics to get a few sharp ones. This on I like very well. The B/W treatment seems to give these flowers a lushness. C&C appreciated.

http://i42.tinypic.com/15yzwhg.jpg

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Originally Posted by johnbharle

As spring starts here in Texas, the bridal wreath bush is always among the first to bloom. I had to take a lot of pics to get a few sharp ones. This on I like very well. The B/W treatment seems to give these flowers a lushness. C&C appreciated.

http://i42.tinypic.com/15yzwhg.jpg

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I like it a lot John. My guess is that the photo actually improved by doing it in B&W. Otherwise it would have been just a nice shot, now it stands out a bit more.

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Originally Posted by Letrow

I like it a lot John. My guess is that the photo actually improved by doing it in B&W. Otherwise it would have been just a nice shot, now it stands out a bit more.

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Thank you Peter. You're right. It wasn't much in color. Just a nice flower. It pops more to me in b/w.

We had a breeze-less day yesterday. I took this right before sunset using the sunset sky as a backdrop. I also tried using a flash. Not sure I like it all that much, but it has a certain Je ne sais quois. C&C?
john

http://i43.tinypic.com/20ge82a.jpg

They are, for the most part (90%) out of focus.

Another tree lichen. Again, no breeze yesterday, so I had an easier time of capturing it. C&C welcome.

http://i44.tinypic.com/2462yl0.jpg

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Originally Posted by johnbharle

Another tree lichen. Again, no breeze yesterday, so I had an easier time of capturing it. C&C welcome.

http://i44.tinypic.com/2462yl0.jpg

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The lichen looks good in itself John, but I think the positioning could have been different maybe. Now, the background is distracting. It is bokeh, but there is clearly something there. If that had been more uniform it would have looked better I feel. That is the problem with macro though, sometimes you can't do it any other way.

The garden is preparing for spring it seems

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7039/6...b1620fcb_b.jpg

One of the early ones, a crocus

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Originally Posted by Letrow

The lichen looks good in itself John, but I think the positioning could have been different maybe. Now, the background is distracting. It is bokeh, but there is clearly something there. If that had been more uniform it would have looked better I feel. That is the problem with macro though, sometimes you can't do it any other way.

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It didn't look so bad when I edited it, but now that I see it with your eyes, you're right! Thanks, Peter. Maybe I can get a different shot today.

...well I tried a different shot, but I think with that particular lichen, that's the only way to shoot it...

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Originally Posted by Letrow

The garden is preparing for spring it seems

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7039/6...b1620fcb_b.jpg

One of the early ones, a crocus

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I apparently have a long way to go in macro photography. How do you get these so crisp over the whole photo? Maybe I'm coming in too close?

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Originally Posted by johnbharle

It didn't look so bad when I edited it, but now that I see it with your eyes, you're right! Thanks, Peter. Maybe I can get a different shot today.

...well I tried a different shot, but I think with that particular lichen, that's the only way to shoot it...

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Since a different shot wouldn't work, I tried a different crop. I think this might actually look better!

http://i39.tinypic.com/a10ck.jpg

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Originally Posted by jeechu1970

I took this photo with Nikon D90 - 70 300 mm lens VR at 300 mm with F22 and 1/13s exposure

[IMG]http://i40.tinypic.com/o92vqc.jpg[/IMG]

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Beautiful lighting on this rose!

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Originally Posted by Letrow

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6017/...cd1c85c4_b.jpg
millepertius


http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6004/...5c773065_b.jpg
chicory

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Both are quite beautiful, but I like the chicory best. It has an ethereal quality about it.

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Originally Posted by johnbharle

I apparently have a long way to go in macro photography. How do you get these so crisp over the whole photo? Maybe I'm coming in too close?

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Close shouldn't be the problem, but you might be using a different lens of course. This is shot with a 105mm macro lens and then there is some PP work to be done in Gimp. Most of the time just looking at Levels, contrast enhancement with layers and finally some sharpening. You do use sharpening, don't you?

By the way, I think your new crop of the lichen works better.

Not sure what I think of this photo, I guess the focus isn't what I expected it to be (my fault in all probability)

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7185/6...eeebe3f6_b.jpg

Anyway, it is a helleborus

On the next one the focus is better, but the photo could just as well have been shot inside. There should have been a bit of green in it I feel.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7194/6...80d2b908_b.jpg

And they don't seem to attract many insects yet. Too cold probably.

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Originally Posted by johnbharle

Another tree lichen. Again, no breeze yesterday, so I had an easier time of capturing it. C&C welcome.

http://i44.tinypic.com/2462yl0.jpg

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John, Am I reading your data properly? Did you use ISO 3200? This might be a problem, as at that ISO, my D90 isn't going to get as crisp as I would like. I take it you are in poor light. Try a much lower ISO, and f/8 to let more light in, and a slower speed if there was little or no wind.....just a suggestion. It was expensive, but I bought a ring flash, and you can adjust the flash amount, so you can add just a tiny bit of fill flash with it. Then you can use a smaller ISO. I love this lichen, with the burst of orange....In this original shot, maybe if you just blurred the background a bit using Photoshop or similar. and darkened the lightest of the background with burn slightly? I don't know what software you have. So my suggestions might not work for you. I also like your second cropped shot.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7064/6...84a298dd_b.jpg

Hamamelis or witch-hazel

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7067/6...c52f936f_b.jpg

A simple crocus

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7204/6...d659ec0b_b.jpg

Crocus