NicoleB Photography

Some tips for shooting macros - feel free to add your own in the comments section.
Please also ask any questions you have - maybe I - or one of the others can help
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• Get down on your knees or lower. The bug’s eye few usually makes for more interesting shots than the ones shot from top


• Check out the options for macro shots in the menu of your camera. Some cameras have a macro focus. It helps a lot.

• If your camera allows it, get a macro lens. For low budget users I can suggest raynox lenses. They are not the greatest, but they did work fine for me (most of my posted macro shots are taken with my raynox macro lens and my Casio EX-P505). If you have a bigger budget and your camera allows their usage, check out reviews for lenses before you buy them.
  If you don’t know if they work for your camera, go to the camera brand’s website, check for info there. If you still don’t find it, send an email to customer support. That’s how I made sure, my lenses will work on my camera.

• Watch out for the zoom. Most “Point and Shoot” cameras have a Digital zoom. There’s a little barrier between the normal zoom and the Digital zoom. Your pictures might turn out very grainy if you zoom all the way.
  Best way to test it is to shoot more than one frame with different zoom lengths.


• Stay steady. Either lean on something or hold your shooting arm with the other arm. If you are very low, use a little bean sack to steady the camera.
  Depending on the camera you can also use a little, cheap table tripod, just to steady the camera.
• And like with everything else in taking good shots: watch out how you frame the pictures. What does the background look like? Is it cluttered or clean?
  Try different angles and different framings. Play with different crops on your Computer.

(Sorry for the picture quality, but like you can tell, I don’t have a macro lens for my Nikon yet )

Not the greatest eclipse shot ever, but hey, short notice and a camera which doesn’t like low light

Shot with a Casio EX-P505 and a Raynox Telephoto lens, using a chimney as a tripod and freezing my butt off

Here’s one from Hungary 2006, a tad better.

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February Lunar Eclipse around the world:

Winipeg, Mannitoba, Canada

Canada

Florida, USA

Texas, USA

Wisconsin, USA

I hope you all have a great day.
Mine was lazy on the Couch & in front of this virtual world .
Back to my rest of housework and maybe I can catch up with you all later.