Am I headed in the right direction?

My first attempt at S Macro. This is my first camera (three weeks), as it was a birthday present from the wife. S5 IS. I can't tell if these guys are phquen or fightin', but whatever it was it was serious.
My aperture was only 2.7 on this as I didn't notice it before as you may be able to tell all hell was breaking loose with these two guys and I was scramblin' while laying in the grass.
Please comment and critique or edit if you like and let me know if I am headed the right direction.


Blast-I hope my colorful metaphors don't offend anyone, but I was even talkin' to the bugs, "be still you lil' basterds"

HOSTED PHOTO
please log in to view hosted photos in full size.

You got the eyes just about there which is one of the basics so you're in the right ballpark. But I'm guessing that as well as shooting with the lens wide open you were also using quite a high ISO as there's a bit of noise there. So that's two problems. A third is there's a lot of clutter. The latter, you can't really do a lot about as the bugs do what a bug's gotta do. To fix the high ISO, try to avoid shooting 'auto'. The 'P' mode gives you a little more control and you can set the ISO manually at 80 when light is good, and 200 when it's not so good, but try not to go above that as that's when the S5's pictures will start to suffer. For a little more control, and to avoid shooting at wide apertures use Av mode. Set the camera as small an aperture (higher F numbers are smaller) as you can while maintaining a reasonable shutter speed. You can work out what you can get away with by trial and error but I usually shoot close ups at F6.3 or higher.
Unfortunately you probably won't be able to use the flash with super macro mode because the lens obscures the flash when you get very close. If you get the macro bug, you may find the addon adapter and the Canon 500D close up lens to be worthwhile. This enables you to shoot at the telephoto end of the zoom from further away, so scaring the bugs less, and also means you can use the flashgun to help freeze the action.
HTH,
Eccles.

eccles wrote in post #3727781
You got the eyes just about there which is one of the basics so you're in the right ballpark. But I'm guessing that as well as shooting with the lens wide open you were also using quite a high ISO as there's a bit of noise there. So that's two problems. A third is there's a lot of clutter. The latter, you can't really do a lot about as the bugs do what a bug's gotta do. To fix the high ISO, try to avoid shooting 'auto'. The 'P' mode gives you a little more control and you can set the ISO manually at 80 when light is good, and 200 when it's not so good, but try not to go above that as that's when the S5's pictures will start to suffer. For a little more control, and to avoid shooting at wide apertures use Av mode. Set the camera as small an aperture (higher F numbers are smaller) as you can while maintaining a reasonable shutter speed. You can work out what you can get away with by trial and error but I usually shoot close ups at F6.3 or higher.
Unfortunately you probably won't be able to use the flash with super macro mode because the lens obscures the flash when you get very close. If you get the macro bug, you may find the addon adapter and the Canon 500D close up lens to be worthwhile. This enables you to shoot at the telephoto end of the zoom from further away, so scaring the bugs less, and also means you can use the flashgun to help freeze the action.
HTH,
Eccles.

Thanks my friend I appreciate the input

Harry

64 views and one comment? Did I post this in the wrong venue?

Blast-I can handle for, I can handle against, indifference is a tough one. thanks again Eccles for your time.

Think you are suffering from eccles summing it up very nicely - good start but some way to go - just keep at it and post some shots here.
Brian v.

I'll agree with Brian.

Eccles - you were too good in your critique...

Blast - Yes you are headed in the right direction. Macro work should show us something we do not normally see with the naked eye, be it an unusual angle, an extreme close-up or a study in insect activity.

By capturing this event, you have made an excellent start. Now take notice of Eccles' comments, get out there and take some more shots.

dreamline wrote in post #3730503
I'll agree with Brian.

Eccles - you were too good in your critique...

Blast - Yes you are headed in the right direction. Macro work should show us something we do not normally see with the naked eye, be it an unusual angle, an extreme close-up or a study in insect activity.

By capturing this event, you have made an excellent start. Now take notice of Eccles' comments, get out there and take some more shots.

Bernie, Brian,

Thank you both I appreciate you pausing to make a note. I will do a search but off hand, do you guys know if by adding the close up lens, is this camera, the S5 IS capable of producing nice macros that are worth me pursuing?
>I found in my search that Eccles shoots the S3 IS with the Raw hack and the close up lens, so it seems I have answered my own question and added eccles to my buddy list (hope you dont mind eccles). I will be his trained seal for a while.
Hey eccles can you add your exif data on a few of you future shots so I can take a few cheat notes please? *smile*.

Thanks folks, I "preeshate cha" as we say in Texas on occasion.

Harry