Need some tips..

So for the first time with my camera, I began practicing my macro photography with a stock canon zoom lens for the T3I 18-55mm 1:3.5-5.6 lens. Its a stock lens came with the camera, but I thought it did a good macro shot of the pictures below.

Make:Canon
Model:Canon EOS REBEL T3i
Shutter Speed:1/2048 second
Aperture:F/5.0
Focal Length:41 mm
ISO Speed:100
Date Taken:Mar 28, 2013, 2:27:06 AM
Lens:EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II
Software:Picasa
Sensor Size:23mm

your watermark makes looking at the focus difficult. Your EXIF data is also not available. Based on your description, you were probably just shooting with a too wide of an aperture.

Corrected. Try looking again. Hope it helps.

Is you concern that the focus of the images are soft or the depth of field is too shallow?

That the focus is too soft. I know how to increase and decrease dof.

is your focus generally soft in all the pictures you take? Have you tried focus tests? something like: http://photographylife​.com …dslr-for-autofocus-issues

Hopefully that helps.

It will be helpful if you could just leave the exif intact. What shutter speed? Handheld or tripod? Was it windy?

i think he posted it above the pictures

Shots look good to me, think you are just not used to the narrow DOF you get with closeups/macro shots. For more DOF I would have dropped the shutter speed to say 1/200th and increased the aperture to say F11.
Brian V.

I really like these, particularly number 1.

Nice. I like #3

what brian said

LordV wrote in post #15771515
Shots look good to me, think you are just not used to the narrow DOF you get with closeups/macro shots. For more DOF I would have dropped the shutter speed to say 1/200th and increased the aperture to say F11.
Brian V.

Great advice to take note of.

It was barely windy out, and even then I blocked the wind with my body as much as I could. I was right on the lake so it was difficult but I had to wait for the wind to quiet down enough. I haven't done the focus test yet, but I will as soon as I get it printed and see.

And thanks for the comments and likes on my photos! I am beginning at this, so taking pictures, I just take a picture of what looks nice, and go from there. Or at least what I like. I have no background of doing this before, so I find this very fun.

I intended to use a shallow depth of field to create more of an 'interesting'... I think.. sort of view, especially with number 3, to kinda make the mind use its creative eye to think of what the others would look like, in a sense, if that makes any sense at all. I will try the more depth of field to see what that might do too.

Here are the results of the auto focus test:

Normal Zoom 18-58mm
Shutter: 15-20
Aperture: 4.0
Iso: 100
On tripod, using remote.

http://i1256.photobuck​et.com …/IMG_1128_zps19​ec13d3.jpg

Telephoto 55-250mm
Shutter: 20
Aperture: 4.5
ISO: 100
On tripod using remote

http://i1256.photobuck​et.com …/IMG_1133_zps7f​c940c0.jpg

And the other forced auto focus (where it has you turn your lens so its blurry, and force it to focus) came out just as sharp.

I also noticed I had it on evaluate metering.. could that be why as well, instead of spot metering? Could it also be because these are kit lenses, and not high end? I remember not using a tripod on the daisies with just a little bit of wind. Could that be my factor?