macro help

[Anonymous]

This pic, obviously not of an aquarium resident is the best of 7 that I took before it flew away.

Do you notice how everything is in focus except the end of the wings?

its a Canon Powershot G4 and I had it set on macro with the camera focusing it itself.

If I set the focus manually, its so hard to see when its actually in focus that I end up shooting a series and focusing out in each step.


How do you get a shot like this that is focused everywhere on the subject? I realize that I am trying to get extreme closeups, but that is what I enjoy shooting the most.


For a bit of reference, the white powder under the moth is dust from a sander and the hole under the front of the moth is just over 3/4 inch in diameter

Thanks

Bryan

 

[Anonymous]

and the pic is where?

In macro mode you have VERY short Depth of Field (distance front-back from the lens that's in focus.) Just a characteristic of Macro lenses. The only way o get i is to take a few pics with the cam on a tripod and photoshop them ogether.

B

 

[Anonymous]

Sorry

Forgot the pic

The biggest problem with shooting something like that is that the camera is normally right smack over the bug

makes it hard to use a tripod

 

[Anonymous]

it looks to me like your camera was pointed at an oblique angle to the subject of focus.

 

[Anonymous]

How do you get a shot like this that is focused everywhere on the subject?

Difficult. But if you close the aperature more (F-Stop) the depth of field will allow more area to be in focus.

 

[Anonymous]

It was at an oblique angle, it was the closest I could get to the dang thing and have a corner of the camera actually sitting on something to keep it still. The silly bug was in a pretty inacessable place.

I will try a few of some flowers or something and mess with the f-stop

 

[Mihai]

Smaller aperture and parallel to the bug is the key. Of course, smaller aperture usually means more exposure time, and here is where the tripod comes in handy...

M.

 

[TTrout]

definately need a tripod. your depth of field is going to be adjusted by your setting both your apperture and your shutter speed. The aperture is like the pupil of your eye, the wider it is the more light comes in; which is reference by a small f/stop like f/2.8 for example. Your shutter speed will determine at that apperture how much light will enter in a given amount of time. Typically, the smaller the apperature, the higher the shutter speed will give you a small DOF. In your case, if you can't use a tripod to slow down the shutter speed, then raise your aperture a stop or so...

Not sure if the G4 has AI servo mode for autofocus but that could help if it is moving.

Hope that helps...
-- Travis