Just for Beginners, post your questions, ask for help, get opinions...
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I have been trying to take some macro pictures and more often than not the flower i want the picture of is out of focus and everything surrounding it is clear. The flower is what i wanted. Any ideas on what i could do the get my flower to be in focus?
Judy, does your PS camera have a macro setting??
suzi , yes it does and this is when i experience the above problem.
Hmmmmmm,

My Nikon P&S is just like big brother, when autofocus does its thing, a little green light flashes in upper left corner. Same whether I am in "regular" or in "macro" - no green dot, not in focus. Does your P&S have any kind of visual focus indicator like that?

Rusty

PS - added thought after rereading your post, when you say "everything around it is clear", do you mean clear = "in focus"? Could be that your autofocus point is pointed at the background and not at the flower. Or ..... it's not a focus problem, it's a movement problem --- could a slight breeze be moving the flower during exposure?
There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness" - Dave Barry

If your pictures aren't good enough, you're not close enough. - Robert Capa

www.prestophoto.com/photos/gallery/19932
Rusty, :oops: I think you hit the nail on the head i think it was a little windy. Just enough I will bet that was it. Yes i have a little green light also. Many thanks i will try when there is no movement.
smilie-brick-by judy w..gif
smilie-brick-by judy w..gif (9.56 KiB) Viewed 1783 times
Hi Judy,

You could be too close. If the background is clear, but your main subject is out of focus, then you could be too close for your camera's macro range.

Can you change your camera's metering to spot metering or center weighted metering? I have a hunch that if you do that, your focus will follow. Of course metering and focus are 2 completely different things, but in the p&s world, the camera usually figures out that what you're metering on is what it should focus on (as long as you put that spot on your flower.) Or your camera may be completely different than mine and you might have a better way of setting your focus point.

Courtney
Major rule in doing macro of flowers outside, not even the slightest breeze. Learned that from lots of failed attempts.
Courtney i will confess i have no idea what metering is. :?
Suzi i will remember that rule. I do think that was the issue.
I will test it if they decide to ever give me more than 1 day off work. Hopefully soon. I need to play!
Like Suzi, my failed attempts are too many to count.

If you don't want to pick the flower and bring it inside, block the wind. Some big pieces of cardboard, posterboard, whatever will all work. Just prop them up around 2 or 3 sides of the flower; the open side will be your background.

Rusty
There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness" - Dave Barry

If your pictures aren't good enough, you're not close enough. - Robert Capa

www.prestophoto.com/photos/gallery/19932
what a great idea. You all are so helpful. I cant wait to try it.
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