Reverse Lens Macro Photography

Posted on April 30, 2013 by Wayne Rasku

Reverse Lens Macro is the really cheap way to get started with actual Macro Photography

This will be quick. You will discover how to take an actual macro shot with your kit lens (or any lens for that matter). It will work with any digital SLR camera, but I will be using a Canon Rebel T3i. Note that with a T3i you can use Live View in your LCD panel.

Make sure you read the whole article or watch the video all the way through to find out how you can greatly improve the quality of your reverse lens shots.

The picture on the right was taken with my Canon T3i and the Kit Lens. The camera was set on the Macro setting on the mode dial (the setting is the one that looks like a tulip flower). This is not a true macro photo, even though it was taken on the right setting. The Kit Lens just is not capable of taking a true macro.

I disconnected the lens and turned it around, holding it tightly against the lens opening and took this next shot. You can see a major difference in how much of the frame is filled with the flower. Now, this is a macro photograph.

So this can be done with any lens you have in your camera bag. The most common lens for reverse macro photography is the 50mm f1.8, but the kit lens works almost as well.

The down side is that you can’t adjust the aperture, which means there is very little depth of field (the picture will have an area in focus, but just a few millimeters in front or behind that focus area is blurry.

But, Fear not! Just watch the video and pay attention to the second half to find out how you can increase the depth of field.

I also recommend that you get a Reversal Ring for you camera. They are very cheap and they will allow you much more control and accuracy, since you don’t have to hold the lens and camera together and keep them steady at the same time.

Watch the video. As they say, “a picture is worth a thousand words.”

FYI, I learned this from Ben Long at Lynda.com. In fact, I have learned so much over the years, that I highly recommend Lynda. I recommend Lynda to YOU. Try it at no cost – Get 7 days of free unlimited access to lynda.com.

Of course, I would love to hear from you. Just leave a comment below, and let me know if there is anything you would like me to talk about on the blog.

Cheers!

Spring Is A Great Time For Flower Photographery

Posted on April 5, 2013 by Wayne Rasku

Flower Photography Is Easy In The Spring
(here are a few tips that I have found helpful)

This daffodil is growing in my front yard.

The first sign of spring for me is the daffodils.

Tip #1: Always have your camera handy.

I will never forget my first trip to visit the area where I now live. It was during Spring Break – April. I had to stop and take pictures of the daffodils by the side of the road even before we reached our destination. They were beautiful. I still love them.

Right along with the blooming of the daffodils comes the willow tree buds. It is truly amazing how one day there are a few tiny buds and the next day, the tree is practically covered with leaves. The color of the first leaves is quite different than later when the tree has settled into full leaf. It is more of a bright, lime green.. very refreshing.

I am trying to notice now the chronological order of spring blooms. As of today, April 6, here is what I have blooming around me:

Daffodils
Hyacinths
Bartlett pear trees
Cherry trees – all varieties
Poppies
Tulips
Creeping phlox
Azaleas (just starting)

I will update as more flowers and trees awaken.

Tip #2 – Get Out Early

They are called “the Golden Hours” for a very good reason. Your so-called ability as a photographer is sometimes no more than knowing and following through on what you know. Every nature photographer will tell you that the best hours for flower photography are early or late, but I prefer early.

I love the dew drops that form just before dawn. And the light is so different than when the sun makes its way high into the sky.

Set your alarm clock if you must, but get out early.

Tip #3 – Change Your Perspective

Even though the flowers look fantastic, a normal picture as you stand in front will just get mild appreciation, and you will be disappointed most of the time. With flower photography, or any other type of photography, you need to really practice the concept of thinking about the final image as you shoot, not after it’s too late and you are looking at the images on your computer. Here are a few ideas to change your perspective.

Get down on the level with your subject.
Get under the subject and shoot up.
Shoot through the foliage to capture the glint of sunlight.
Change your position to add or eliminate from the background.

Tip #4 – Shoot Macro (close-ups)

The details of flowers never cease to WOW me. Shoot a single blossom or even part of a flower. Make sure you steady your camera for this, possibly using a tripod or your camera bag as a tripod.

Tip #5 – Use Aperture Priority

This is a bit more techy, but it will pay off in spades. I usually go for a large aperture. Large apertures are the smaller numbers, like f/2.8 or f/4.

Using large apertures will give that nice blurry background that you desire. It sets the flower off as the star of your image.

I have written more about the subject of flower photography, especially Spring flowers at Squidoo. Here is the link: Photography Tips For Spring Flowers.

Boyscouts Would Make Good Bird Photographers

Posted on February 21, 2013 by Wayne Rasku

Their motto is “Be prepared.”

This is the Pileated Woodpecker – about 15 inches tall. Woody Woodpecker was modeled after this magnificent bird.

One of the most important tips I could give any beginner or would-be digital SLR photographer is to always be ready. Always have your camera with settings that will allow a quick photo when the opportunity arises.

Wondering why I am giving this advice right now? I was hoping you would ask

This past weekend was a monumental one in my life as a photographer. I captured the picture of my dreams!

It’s the Pileated Woodpecker pictured here.

And here’s how I got this amazing bird picture:

I have been getting ready for this photo for almost 7 years. Oh, it’s not like I have been consciously thinking about and preparing every day for that long. Nope, it’s just that I have done my due diligence to lure birds to my camera with purpose and diligence.

My feeder has given me many great shots of birds that look very natural.

I started with a bird feeder years ago. Then I got this idea that if I had a bird feeder that looked like a bird’s natural habitat, the images I got would be so much better. I found an branch on one of the trees in my yard, and I did some tree surgery, cutting it off at just the right spot so I could fashion some holes for bird food that had branches near them for the birds to perch on.

The project took me several hours, and I actually had to start over after botching it the first time. But in the end, I had a “natural” bird feeder.

I have taken many a bird photograph over the past 6+ years from the comfort of my back deck and my kitchen window.

It was a great day when I realized I did not have to go out in the cold for these pictures. I could take them through the kitchen window. The birds didn’t like me on the deck, but they could care less if I am inside looking out. Sometimes they come right up to the window and pose, or at least they look as if they are posing.

I usually keep my camera loaded and nearby.. like a boyscout, I am ready.

However, when the pileated woodpecker showed up on my suet feeder, I was so excited I froze. I could not bring myself to move and reach for the camera. It was there for only a few seconds before it flew off into the distant trees.

I was only a little disappointed that I did not get that picture. The feeder was not positioned well for a good shot. So I took the time to reload the feeder and reposition it so that I could get the best shot possible.

Then I waited… for two days.

I was able to get a pretty good shot of the pileated woodpecker in the tree next to my kitchen window.

Sunday morning, my patience paid off. The woodpecker flew in from the west and I calmly picked up my camera. It already had my most powerful lens, a Sigma 18-250mm zoom lens, attached with the lens cap off.

I snapped off several good shots, and then, instead of flying into the distant trees, the bird flew up into the tree next to the house, and I was able to get another shot of it there. This one was not quite as sharp as I would like, but it is definitely a more natural looking photo.

So, the “Tip of the Day” is: Be Prepared.

5 Photography Tips For Digital SLR Photography Beginners

Posted on February 7, 2013 by Wayne Rasku

chipmunk - photography tips for digital slr beginners

This is one of the first shots I got with my original Canon Rebel

If you are just starting out in Digital SLR photography, this one’s for you!

It’s hard for those of us who write about photography and are familiar with digital SLR cameras to put ourselves in an absolute beginner’s shoes. It’s been awhile since we were there where you are. And for that reason, we take some things for granted that just seem natural to us.

So, in an attempt to think back to the day I got my first Canon Rebel, here are some things that, while normal for me now, were totally foreign at the time.

Digital SLR Photography Beginner’s Tips:

Patience is a virtue for digital slr photography beginners

Read the Manual – This is not meant to be funny or demeaning. Some new camera owners will page through the manual step-by-step, but most of us are so anxious to start taking pictures, we never actually get this done. The manual contains the answers to all the questions, even the ones you don’t know enough to ask. Camera makers take pains to explain every facet of the camera in that manual, so spend some time with it.
Set the Picture Size and Quality – This setting is in the Menu. Nearly every digital SLR has a dedicated button that says “Menu”. Use it to find the area where you can set the size and quality of your photos. Set it to the largest and finest setting. (If you don’t know what RAW is, don’t use that one yet.) Do not make the mistake of setting your camera to a small photo format so you can continue to take pictures on the same storage card for a year. The simplest reason to take pictures at high quality is that you could get some good photos that you would want to decorate the walls of your house or office, and they will have to be high quality in order to get large prints.
Set the mode dial to either P or Auto – These dial settings will let the camera make all the important decisions about choosing the right aperture and shutter speed. Then, as you read through the manual and test how the other features and mode settings work, you can learn and change which dial settings you prefer to use. But using the Automatic camera settings will help you to get the most consistently good images without knowing what an aperture or shutter speed is. (But definitely learn these things because that is how you will really improve the quality of your photos.)
Get a large storage card (or two) – Back in the day, cameras came with a token storage card – one that would allow you to take a few pictures at a good quality and size setting. Now, new cameras require that you buy a storage card separately. Get a good quality card with at least 8MB of storage capacity (32MB is even better). You surely don’t want to be a some important event and run out of space on your camera.
Have Patience – You will not learn everything about digital SLR photography in one afternoon or even one month. So stay calm and stay with it. Also, have patience with each individual picture. Look at the view finder with a critical eye to see if the shot can be improved somehow. Do this, and you will improve the number of “keepers” you get right away.

Bonus Tip – Take tons of shots. They cost nothing. The second or third shot, even if it is exactly the same, may be sharper than the first one or be better in some other way. Just keep shooting. You can always delete identical shots after you have examined them on the computer.

And if you take more blurry shots than you think should be normal, read this article about “The number one reason for blurry shots.”

Also, if you have not already taken advantage of the free e-book, fill in your email address on the right side of the page and download it. It has some excellent hints for improving your photos without spending another dime. And they also qualify as photography tips for digital SLR photography beginners.

Spray and Pray – Learn From The Good AND The Bad

Posted on January 20, 2013 by Wayne Rasku

How does a beginning Photographer take better pictures?

Have you ever heard the phrase, “spray and pray?” It means that you take tons of pictures and hope one or two will be worthy of keeping.

This is the first shot – no thought given to composition.. just point and shoot.

There was a comment recently on one of the camera forums that basically suggested we go back to film photography. The reason was that it will give the photographer reason to think before shooting.

“Spray and pray” is not a tactic that one would employ when doing film photography. It would be far too expensive and, indeed, a waste of time. Continue reading →

Easy Bird Photography

Posted on December 18, 2012 by Wayne Rasku

Bird Photography Might Be Much Easier Than You Imagined

Don’t think you need the most expensive camera or lens for bird photography.

I am a fan of easy, even when it comes to something that seems difficult like bird photography. Most of the birds I photograph are common, not exotic, and I don’t have to travel to the depths of the Amazon River Basin where no civilized man has gone before to get the pictures. Rather, I simply take them from the comfort of my own home.. right outside the kitchen window. Continue reading →

What Do I Photograph When I Don’t Know What To Photograph?

Posted on November 12, 2012 by Wayne Rasku

What do I photograph?

Now that I have my new camera, what do I photograph? I mean, after I have photographed everything around me?

Have you ever come to a place that you just look around for something to shoot but can’t think of anything? It’s kind of like “writer’s block.” In fact, it happens to me quite often. The way I get past this problem is by visiting a few different web sites that have photographer’s challenges. Continue reading →

Photography Tip – Using The Self-Timer

Posted on November 6, 2012 by Wayne Rasku

Self-timers.. most cameras have them.

What is the Self-Timer good for?

Excellent question.

Get really sharp pictures using your camera’s self-timer.

We are all familiar with this scenario: group shot and we all want to be in it. Put the camera on a ledge or table. Press the shutter button and run around to get into the shot. Self-timer gives us 10 seconds to get into position, and… Bam! We got the shot!

Well, contrary to the popular belief that the self-timer is only good for taking a group shot like this or a self portrait, this handy little feature is good for much more. Continue reading →

Take Sharp Pictures – Discover THE #1 Reason For Blurry Photos

Posted on October 30, 2012 by Wayne Rasku

Great Discovery – Why Many Pictures End Up In The Trash Bin

My goal for this post is to reveal what I consider to be the #1 Reason for Blurry Photos.

Have I mentioned yet that I teach photography? To kids.

That’s right. I get paid to do what I love.

Welcome to Moe’s
Once I taught my granddaughter the “secret” about blurry photos, she started getting sharp photos nearly every time. This one was taken in a rather dark restaurant. Notice the nice, sharp foreground in the picture.

In my experience, I have found there is one mistake that is made WAY more than any other, and when I show my young proteges this little secret, they immediately do two things.

First, they have an “aha” moment when the lightbulb goes off in their brain. It’s the lightbulb of photography knowledge and understanding. Continue reading →

Capture Fall Photography Color

Posted on October 15, 2012 by Wayne Rasku

Fall photography opportunities abound with a wonderful array of color and creative ideas for photographers. The rich reds, oranges, and yellows are quick to bring a “WOW” from your viewers.

Here are a few ideas about how to use this time of year to get more out of your photographic experiences.

Use your kids and your imagination.

We sometimes get so involved with the beautiful color, we forget to include people. They will add so much interest to your work.

Taking pictures of your kids and grandkids reaches a new level when you can add the interest of fall.

In the picture above, I asked the kids to imagine there was something mysterious above them. Continue reading →

WayneRasku

Photographer * Teacher * Coach