08 August 2011

Missing the forest for the trees!

Or actually... missing the trees for the forest. Most of the times I'm to concerned with the big picture (after all it's what landscape photography is all about, right?). But a few weeks ago I've decided to go to my cherished mountains with the Nikon D300 and just two lenses: the trusty Tamron SP 90mm Macro AF and my new Sigma 18-50mm EX DC. I have to tell you that my first true attempt to macro photography ended in complete frustration. I was expecting that things were easier. But I guess in photography, as much as in everything, if we don't feel the pain we'll not experience any gain. So, I devoted an entire afternoon to a single drop of water. I can hear you, macro-pros, already, crying: A whole afternoon????
Yep. Give it or take it a few minutes. But I'm a newbie. So I guess I deserve a little slack. First I had to find the right background. Then... the bloody wind was refusing to stop. Finally I had to deal with tripod vibration. It can actually be huge with that lens focused half'n inch from the famous drop. Focus. That, I think, is the major problem. To make it perfect requires... surgical eyes. Forget auto-focus. I'm not sure if it works for the demanded sharpness. And the best way seems to be pre-focusing the lens and then moving the whole rig using  a macro/micro plate connecting the camera to the tripod head. I've tried the old method: let's call it focus bracketing. Several pictures in a row, from front focus to rear focus. One of them would, hopefully, be on focus. This was the best result. Nevertheless, sharpness in the picture is somewhat still compromised.
I guess the wind was too much for that afternoon attempt. And the pine limb wasn't stopping for a second.
Nikon D300
Tamron SP AF 90mm f2.8
Manfrotto 190XDB tripod
Manfrotto 490 RC4 ballhead


Already on the descent, I've noticed this kind Chrysanthemum (in portuguese: Malmequer) flourishing in a rock crack. I shifted lens and snapped this one:
Nikon D300
Sigma DC 18-50mm f2.8 EX Macro HSM
Manfrotto 190XDB tripod
Manfrotto 490 RC4 ballhead