File :-(, x, )
Macro photos Anonymous
What am I doing wrong here? How close does one generally get to a stinging creature, is there a way to take a macro photo from about 6" away or so? I find that some of my images are still too blurry, but it could have been that the subject was moving.
On another note, is there a better lens I could be using on my camera? I heard it doesn't have much to choose from. Any other pointers would be greatly appreciated.

In b4 "Put text on it."
EXIF data available. Clickhereto show/hide.
Camera-Specific Properties:Equipment MakeCanonCamera ModelCanon PowerShot S3 ISCamera SoftwareAdobe Photoshop 7.0Maximum Lens Aperturef/3.5Sensing MethodOne-Chip Color AreaImage-Specific Properties:Image OrientationTop, Left-HandHorizontal Resolution180 dpiVertical Resolution180 dpiImage Created2007:04:06 14:43:24Exposure Time0.4 secF-Numberf/3.5Lens Aperturef/3.5Exposure Bias0 EVMetering ModePatternFlashNo Flash, Compulsory, Red-Eye ReduceFocal Length18.60 mmColor Space InformationsRGBImage Width1348Image Height1011RenderingNormalExposure ModeAutoWhite BalanceManualScene Capture TypeStandard
>> ac
You have an S3IS. Your lens options are "The lens I have on my camera" or "Giving up and going home".

Your blurriness comes from the slow shutter speed. .4s is extremely pokey for macrophotography--the only thing that keeps this from being a complete blur is your camera's image stabilization. Additionally, f/3.5 is a pretty wide aperture for something as close to the lens as the bug probably is, so you're probably working with a very small depth of field.
>> Anonymous
If I use a higher shutter speed, I have to turn on the flash, though. And that makes all kinds of glare off of the bug. I am really ignorant about photography in general, but I'd like to know moar. Should I just use a higher shutter speed and deal with the flash?
>> ac
>>45163
Nope. Get a tripod or figure out some way to get more light on it without flash. If you were to take a shot like this outside in full sunlight, you should be able to have a nice fast speed.

(Another idea would be to get a ring flash, which is specifically designed for macrophotography like this, but I'm guessing that's out of your price range)
>> Anonymous
>>45165
I kinda just came across it in my shop, and I turned on all of the lights I could. I figured that was the problem, unfortunately it still wasn't enough. How much does a ring flash run?
>> elf_man
http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/09/super-cheap-diy-ring-flash.html
Here's a diy ring flash for off-camera flash. Looks it might be possible to adapt to in-camera flash.
>> Anonymous
Stability could be an issue. I am not a pro photographer (far from it) but I do a lot of macro photography for my business. I have found that a stable tripod works wonders!
>> doofus
Try bumping your exposure value up a notch, is this being taken in daylight? Check your WB, your picture seems to orange?