frosty flower
 

[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/alexharrison101/8085363148/][img]http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8047/8085363148_c7ba4c686a.jpg[/img][/url]
[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/alexharrison101/8085363148/]frosty flower 1[/url] by [url=http://www.flickr.com/people/alexharrison101/]alexharrison101[/url], on Flickr

Hi Alex

Love the beads of ice but there are a couple of things that are stopping me from loving the whole shot , the first is the distracting background and the second is the slightly soft focus . Not sure if the focus is down to the lens or movement , what kit and settings are you using .

Mark

lens is just my 18-55 IS kit lens, with raynox DCR250 macro attachment. focus is probably my camera shake to be honest - this is handheld and it was pretty cold so i fear my hands were shaking(!).

settings:
mode - Av
f13
1/80
ISO 1250 (auto)
auto white balance

i can't have it wide open with the raynox, or i'm left with a tiny DOF and can't get [I]anything [/I]in focus...! background is distracting, i agree, but i'm not sure what i can do with that after the fact - but i'll bear it in mind for the future :)

One thing that you could try is a tip I picked up from posting my macros on here and that is to use your pop up flash , it helps in a couple of ways , first you can use a much narrower aperture ( f/29 ) to increase the DOF and secondly it tends to under expose the background to give you a less distracting shot . You will probably be limited to 1/60 sec but if you shoot in dull light the camera will only record what it see's while the flash is on ( just a few 1/1000's ) that way camera shake is less of a problem .
It took me quite a few attempts to get the balance of f/stop , ISO and flash compensation just right but the results are starting to look really good , the flash comp is needed because my pop up can be rather harsh so close up .

If you're anything like me it doesn't matter how many time people tell you to watch your backgrounds when I get down to the shot there are so many other things I'm trying to remember that the background tends to get forgotten , but it is amazing how much of a difference a good background can make to your shots .

Mark

i like it but one thing i would say is use a tripod and remote release or a 2 second delay you will see a big difference

thanks for feedback guys - next time i'll get my tripod and release out...i was just in a bit of a rush to get the shots before everything melted(!). and i'll try the flash thing too, mark - it never occured to me to use my flash (i forget the effect it can have on aperture etc and only think to use it when it's dark!).

Really nice idea and good shot, I agree with Mark on this it is a tad soft as wave suggested a tripod and cable release/timer would have made it a much sharper shot. I know a tripod is hasle but when you are cold and battling with slow shutter speeds it really is worth the effort.

When I do close up work I will always try to shoot with and without flash, also a selection of coloured card is handy which can be held or placed behind the subject can deal with the backround issue, I read an article by a pro who prints various textures onto paper which he glues either side of card.

Another tip is if you shoot a closeup indoors is to light the subject with a desk lamp or two at the sides this will cause the subject to be lit and result in a darker background as the exposure will be set to the lit subject.