Day 1. To start the challenge, I decided to take a macro the way I might if I just passed by something on the trail that caught my eye -- quickly, using my 50 mm macro lens, handheld, with a tradeoff between speed and f-stop hoping to keep it reasonably sharp. I wanted a baseline shot that I could refer back to during the challenge, to see how much my vision and technique improves (if at all!) during the challenge, especially as I add more time consuming techniques to the mix (tripds, extension tubes, etc.)
This is a plant in my backyard. Don't know what it is, but this is fairly close to 1:1.
What a great idea to take a sample shot to gauge your progress - I wish I'd thought of that! I think this is pretty good, bokeh and all but the shape of the plant seems to scream for a vertical composition so that the "bud" (?) isn't cropped at the bottom.
I think your baseline to finish idea is great. Hopefully we will all learn to take better macros throughout the month. You have a good start here. I look forward to seeing you progress through the month.
Nice green colors and background. Can't help you with the name of this plant. The sunlight gives a special effect to this, but it takes a lot of attention.
Great first day and great idea. At the end of the month, you should take all that you have learned, return to this plant with tripod, extender tubes, reflectors and a reversed lens macro ring and get really close up. I would have thought those were spider legs without the wide angle of reference.
An interesting plant. You did a good job of holding the camera steady for a macro of this size. That I think will be your real test - how steady you can hold it, what shutter speed you can use for the handhelds, how to hold the camera steady for these shots. The trade off between shutter speed and DOF if a little more difficult as even with a tripod there are time where you won't want great DOF for the shot you are taking.
Neat plant... I like how the tips are a different color. The lighting looks like it wasn't really on your side with this one since you have that darker section in the middle, but I do like the backlighting which helps to bring out the fresh green colors. I don't have any fancy reflectors, but I have used a sheet of aluminum foil wrapped around something to help reflect light back on my subject sometimes. Maybe something like that would help to brighten up that middle spot here? Great start to the challenge.. looking forward to more! :)
Add photograph to your favorites
Add photographer to your favorites
Photographer found comment helpful.
