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DPChallenge Forums >> Current Challenge >> Most of the shots are not Macro
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Showing posts 1 - 19 of 19, (reverse)
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03/01/2002 04:59:46 AM · #1
Maybe I dont know what I am talking about but I do not think that most of these pictures are macro shots. They are close ups.

I just registered as a photographer about 1 week ago. I went out with my cheap Kodak 240 or Kodak 260 and noticed it did not have a macro shot. I could only get close ups but no macros. For that reason I did not submit a picture this month.

Then I noticed that everyone else submitted 'CLOSE UPS' instead of '
MACRO'

I hope no one takes my voting personal.

peace

-roderick-
03/01/2002 05:09:36 AM · #2
Yeah, I've noticed that too, but I bet that most of the people that vote will notice also. I guess someday they will need someone to make a quick judgement call as they come in on weather they fit. The final say is with the votes. That's what counts.

Good luck with the next one 'Red'.. Hmmm what to do?

Legion
03/01/2002 05:15:37 AM · #3
"Then I noticed that everyone else submitted 'CLOSE UPS' instead of 'MACRO'"
I don't have a nice macro lens to take shots with. So what I did, and I suspect many of the others, was to use my macro setting on my camera and take the closest shot I could.

The rules stated that you must use the macro function on your camera, it did not say "you must be within 1mm of your subject" :)

I feel your '1' votes are a little harsh.

But, after saying that, there were a couple of shots which didn't seem like macro, I just assumed it was because of the limitation of the macro function on their cameras... but, I would say that most of the photographers made a real effort to go macro...
03/01/2002 09:15:17 AM · #4
Im sorry, was this a kinda close up challenge or a macro challenge? I wish i could go back and submit my better not macro pictures.

* This message has been edited by the author on 3/1/2002 9:17:06 AM.
03/01/2002 10:27:14 AM · #5
Your macro function on your camera will ONLY focus in certain ranges. My camera (G2), for example, will focus between 6cm (2.4in) and 70cm (27.6in). That gives people a little bit of slack on whether the subject is a close-up or not, but there are still a couple questionable submissions. If you feel strongly that a photo does not meet the challenge criteria, recommend it for disqualification using the link under the photo on the vote page.

I posted a reply in the forums to the question about cameras not featuring the macro feature. In that post, I said, "The point is just to get a very detailed, close picture.. I hope that sheds a little light on the subject.

Andrew
03/01/2002 01:17:44 PM · #6
I remember reading that too about "ok to be close".

I regret not sending in my close up. I have a cheap camera that does not have macro. I spent at least an hour trying to get 'very' close but I just got blurs. When I pulled back to focus it was just too far to be considered macro.

oh....well...

03/01/2002 01:37:42 PM · #7
Roderick -- please remember that macro is in most cases 7cm plus and often up to a foot or slightly more. We're not talking micro ;)
03/01/2002 02:25:28 PM · #8
I notice that you left a comment about my picture and said that it wasn't a macro shot. But you are wrong - although I didn't use any of my macro lenses on the shot that I took, the macro function on my camera was on as the rules stated.

I understand that this is a community-based site (and a wonderful one at that), but don't think you're seeing things the way they should be seen here. If the rules stated that I had to submit a picture using a macro lens, I would've - but they didn't.
03/01/2002 04:05:55 PM · #9
I too have a less than macro shot! And I have to confess--the "blurring" of the pic is actually deliberate! I had recently completed a grueling film production class, so this shot was really my attempt at a close up with a rack focus! I realize that my little FD-73 (no macro function!) doesn't hold a candle to the XL1, but it was more the challenge that was fun. I wish I could remember what 'shortredneck' said last week (or so)---essentially that beauty is in the eye of the beholder?? Point is, sometimes it is hard for me to step away from my work and view it from an unbiased point of view, so please keep those (constructive) comments coming-how else will we learn?
03/01/2002 04:31:23 PM · #10
My camera doesn't do a great job with macro shots. I can't get closer than 11" at full telephoto, and an image 4" across is the absolute minimum at full wide-angle... the macro button actually means a focal depth of 11" to 2.5 feet! Curse you PowerShot S40! Yet I still tried my best to get as close as possible to my subject, even abandoning a lot of pictures I would have liked to use, but were not tight enough to meet my definition of macro. I don't want to fan the flames, but I am kinda disapponted with a lot of the 'close up' shots in this challenge, and am going to submit a few for disqualification.

Here's a suggestion for people with megapixel cameras without a decent macro setting... take a wider shot but *crop* your image to get the tight, focused framing that most people expect from macro shots. You've got pixels to spare, so get rid of them!
03/01/2002 09:47:34 PM · #11
Marco, smarco, what does it matter we are doing this for fun or so I thought? If it were not a macro it would be out of focus at a longer shot. Quit complaining and enjoy photography the way it should be.

* This message has been edited by the author on 3/1/2002 10:01:01 PM.
03/01/2002 10:24:34 PM · #12
I second that!
03/02/2002 01:29:12 AM · #13
what do you consider a macro shot 1 or 2 inch or less the 1 inch anybody know what is fair game?
03/02/2002 02:49:05 AM · #14
Marco, smarco, what does it matter we are doing this for fun or so I thought?

The point is to learn to better your photographic skills one piece at a time. Right now, we're working on our macro skills -- that shouldn't mean you take a self-portrait and submit it and should be happy because it's a great picture. The challenges are there for a reason! :)

And people are winning/losing competitions based on their understanding and ability to shoot a photo with a given criteria. If you're not going to follow the criteria of the challenge, may I suggest submitting your photos to photo.net or a similar site instead.

Just my thoughts...

what do you consider a macro shot 1 or 2 inch or less the 1 inch anybody know what is fair game?

There is no digital camera to my knowledge that can get that close without a macro lens. Macro usually starts at 2-3 inches. Don't forget that! :)

-Andrew

* This message has been edited by the author on 3/2/2002 2:50:07 AM.
03/02/2002 04:33:40 AM · #15
"And people are winning/losing competitions based on their understanding and ability to shoot a photo with a given criteria. If you're not going to follow the criteria of the challenge, may I suggest submitting your photos to photo.net or a similar site instead."


I don't really think that anyone is deliberately setting out to disobey the rules here! Judging from many of the pics, (even though MACRO says it all) a lot of people obviously had very different ideas of "up close and personal!" In my case, for example, I was trying to get a nice blurry background like you see in macros-that obviously didn't come even close to happening. But if I hadn't submitted it, I would not have gotten any input at all! I'm grateful for what I'm learning, I just think that perhaps we shouldn't be quite so harsh... Constructive yes, condescending, why? Are we all not learning together? I mean, we can't all be Langdons!:o)

But seriously, there were some great shots in this challenge--It took me two days to vote because I just couldn't narrow it down!

* This message has been edited by the author on 3/2/2002 4:35:32 AM.

* This message has been edited by the author on 3/2/2002 5:37:07 AM.
03/02/2002 07:21:51 AM · #16
I am not sure about this, so correct me if I am wrong, but doesn't the EXIF data tell you whether the macro function was enabled when the photograph was taken?
03/02/2002 12:58:08 PM · #17
Mine doesn't -- or at least it's not obvious how it's written. :(
03/02/2002 05:42:07 PM · #18
"A dictionary definition of "close-up" is: 1. a picture taken at close range or with a long focal length lens, on a relatively large scale. 2. an intimate view or presentation of anything. Typically these photos are taken with the special "macro" mode of the digital camera. Indeed, digital cameras in general are excellent for this application. Macro photos should be detail (extreme) close-ups of any size object or photos of very tiny objects that fill the frame. Try to avoid photos that have too wide a view. These may be more appropriate for the Still Life category"

-- I found that on the web. Maybe this will help?
03/04/2002 02:48:14 AM · #19
I've noticed a few folks have no concept of what "macro" means. If the shot was not of a foreground filling the screen they were quick to cry "not macro."

Macro is not limited to large scale photomicrography. Macro photos can have a fore ground and and a background (although the background will generally be greatly out of focus). While the typical macro photo does use the vast majority of the photo as the object image it is possible to take a macro photo of a small object that leaves a lot of negative space.

Macro is a setting on your camera or lens. Macro is taken at close range. Macro is NOT an image filled with one object (although it certainly can be and usually is).

Bryan
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