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Old 11-11-08, 22:38
gordon g gordon g is offline  
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Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Barnsley
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To add to the very good advice above: you can use your tripod as a bipod by only extending 2 legs - this is a bit like using a monopod but stabalises the camera a bit more, allowing you to rock forwards and back to maintain focus where you want it on slowly moving subjects. Secondly, something a bit more specialist - if you have a static subject and placing the focal plane is critical, eg on a flower's stamem, a focussing rail, which slides the camera forward by small amounts on a screw driven thread, can be very useful. Just set the lens to the desired magnifaction, roughly position the tripod, then fine tune the position of sharpest focus with the rail - particularly good if using a shallow DOF to isolate the subject. Thirdly - lighting. High contrast often spoils macro shots, which are generally about detail. (A sweeping generalisation, I know) A screen of thin white cloth on bamboo canes can act as a diffuser and a very useful wind break.
I have found odd bits of kit like small scissors, string/cotton thread and tweezers all to be useful in the field, also my rocket blower, and a reflector (a piece of white card would do).
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