Cameras-n- Stuff

Find the Macro mode button on your camera

If there is one thing that I can identify as the motivating factor for becoming a photo-nut, it is macro, or close-up, photography.

Do you remember the times in school or just playing around outside as a kid when you used a magnifying glass to examine bugs and small objects? It is very fascinating to zoom in on things that you don’t normally see.

Then, getting older, we kind of get distracted with the cares of life and forget about the magnifying glass and exploring. That is pretty much what happened to me.

But something magical happened one day when I switched my little 3-megapixel Olympus camera to macro mode. It was like I was traveling back in time to my childhood. The flowers I photographed revealed detail and secrets I had not noticed before taking the picture. It brought back memories of the crazy movie “Honey, I shrunk the kids.”

I started photographing everything in macro mode. And I was not disappointed with any of the shots. I took pictures of nuts and bolts, flowers, bugs (when they stayed put long enough), spider webs, belt buckles, finger nails, eyeballs… you name it, and I took a pictures of it. My wife and kids got really annoyed with the camera that was always snapping shots of some body part or piece of clothing.

I have since moved up a couple of notches to a digital SLR, and I have a special Canon lens for macro. However, it is not mandatory that you have a macro lens. In fact, a digital SLR camera is not necessary either.

As I mentioned earlier, every compact digital camera has a close-up function. On you mode dial it looks like a little tulip flower. With your camera set to that setting, you can focus as close as an inch or two and get amazing results. You can fill the frame with a flower or bug, then be astounded at the intricacy of creation as you study the details on your big screen computer.

There is one caution you must be aware of when using a compact digital camera with macro images. It is not as common as in the past because of the advance in camera technology, but here it is. If your compact is equipped with an optical viewfinder and a live view LCD screen, be sure to use the LCD to compose your macro photo. The reason for this is that the optical viewfinder on compact cameras does not see the exact image that will be recorded when you press the shutter button. Compact cameras do not see the image through the lens like a digital SLR camera does, so what you see is not what you get, especially when viewing extremely close images. Using the LCD screen solves this problem. The thing is, most newer compact cameras don’t even offer an optical viewfinder anymore, so this issue will be obsolete soon. And if you have purchased a camera recently, you are probably saying, “What is he talking about?” The bottom line is this, if you have an LCD that shows the picture you are about to take, you are covered.. no problem-o.

Digital SLRs already have this problem covered simply because of the way the image is seen and focused using the “through the lens” technology. However, many newer digital SLRs are also now offering the live view feature in which you see the image on the LCD screen.

Lighting Up Your Macro or Close-Up Photography Pictures

When taking close-ups, you will have different situations with lighting than you do with normal photographs for a couple of reasons. One of those is simply because of how close you are to the subject. The second is due to the small size of the objects that are the subjects of macro photos.

Think about it. When the shadows change by a yard or so in a landscape photograph, you will barely notice it, but if the shadow moves an inch on a flower that you are about to photograph, it changes everything about the composition. Then, too, light changes are more intense as you get closer to the subject. You really need to be aware of what is happening to the light as you get ready to shoot the picture. Waiting a few seconds for a cloud to move one way or the other could make a major difference in the outcome.

Another thing to watch is the quality of the light. Bright sunlight can be your worst enemy because of the harsh shadows it creates up close. On the other hand, while shade or overcast skies make it easier to get a more evenly lit image, the colors are not as intense.
The direction of the light also has a huge effect on the results. Make sure you are aware of the where the light is coming from. Many photographers like to shoot with the sun at their back, but using side lighting or back lighting can give really nice results, too. If you choose your position with light direction in mind, you can get some very dramatic effects. The hint here is that you should take control rather than letting the light control you.

I am always looking at what buyers think about their camera. In the case of Canon 60D owners, I was pleasantly surprised at some of the remarks I found at B & H Photo Online.

People are so thrilled with their Canon 60D that they put pictures of it on Flickr as if it was a famous celebrity.

As it turns out, getting a Canon 60D will certainly put you in one of the happiest groups of photography enthusiasts ever. Who would have imagined this probable when this camera was initially released? There appeared to be such an abundance of debate about its style and design.

The main focus in the dissent was how the 60D was not an upgrade of the 50D because of a pair of aspects. First of all, it is actually manufactured from high quality plastic material instead of magnesium similar to the 50D. And the second cause is that there is no cutting edge sensor and processor inside.

However, the debate is now forgotten, and people are snatching the newest Canon mid-range Dslr off of the display units and proclaiming their compliments as well as full satisfaction. The evidence about this can be seen located at online stores which include Amazon dot com where consumers have announced their own feelings.

Here are the top 5 benefits which make recent Canon 60D users very happy with their buy:

1. Excellent Image Quality – It’s legitimate, the processor and image sensor just weren’t improved. But these two components are so well designed that they’re also included in the 7d and T3i. All of these cameras are turning out remarkable quality images that help to make photography enthusiasts pleased with their digital SLRs.

2. Ease of use – You will find many adjustments are actually made easier when compared to the ones on the 50D, and most buttons now have one single functionality rather than multiple uses. Additionally there is a Quick Control dial at the backside of the camera to make choosing popular options less of a challenge.

3. LCD With Full Swivel – The brand new fully articulated LCD is probably the single thing that every authority agreed upon as a major plus at the time this camera was launched. We all love it.

4. LCD is Big and Very clear – The LCD clarity and resolution has been enhanced above the 50D. One of the best uses for this LCD is when in Live View. Anyone can see clearly in order to manual focus and adjust your focus with the 5x or 10x zoom function.

5. Fast/Reliable Auto-focus – Buyers appreciate the immediate response of this camera. It is particularly good for action photographs for instance athletics and nature pictures. The quick continuous shooting rate of 5.3 frames per second is excellent for getting difficult to shoot or unpredictable adventure photos.

The average user rating is 4.8 out of 5 (you can see this rating on the B & H Photo website). And that is quite extraordinary and absolutely not typical at all for digital cameras. And maybe even more convincing is the fact that 99% of folks that took the effort to record their opinions definitely recommend this DSLR to a friend or family member.

The Canon 60D is recognized as an entry-level prosumer digital SLR. It is focused towards the advanced hobbyist class of photographers.

Pondering your own Canon 60D? Who could blame you. You can become a member of the throngs of joyful photographers? Examine the complete set of features at http://digital-photographic-resources.com.

I discovered something really neat on YouTube a couple of days ago. You can find “sleeping” critters in the early morning who are oblivious to your presence as you photograph them to your heart’s delight.

Canon Rebel T3i equipped with Canon 70-200mm f/4.0 lens

So this morning I was out looking for napping bees or butterflies. I found a pretty nice looking bee on my butterfly bush, so I set about moving him to a position that would be best for a full body photo. What happened was not what I expected. The little fella was more alert than I thought, and with the jostling, he awoke from his nighttime stupor and flew off.

Above is actually a picture from a couple of days ago. This guy was quite alert, so not as much detail as I wanted from this morning’s shoot. Alas, tomorrow is another day.

Rebel T3i and Sigma 105mm f/2.8 macro lens

No other critters were in sight, so I took the opportunity to take a couple of pictures of some Butterfly Weed and cucumbers. The butterfly weed is just blooming, so I got some nice buds and flowers to cooperate.

The cucumbers, on the other hand, are just about done. I have had some really good-tasting salads using my first-ever crop of cucumbers. What is left does not look very edible, but they are good enough for photos.

I lined these guys up and put toothpicks in them to keep them steady.