A sharp(ish) macro shot!

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After a run of bad macro shots, this is my first macro to turn out sharp (or really close to it) in a few months!

All day yesterday I watched the snow fall from my office and all the plows and salt they were dumping on the road simply weren't making a dent. I dreaded the drive home. When the whistle blew I got in my Jeep, put in 4WD, and gingerly left the office parking lot. Once I got to the first stop light, however, I sat there watching the snowflakes fall and stick to the (cold) windshield. They were all so beautiful!

I pulled into the first gas station I saw and parked infront of a green gate that lead to the dumpster. (I thought the green would make a nice background if it was thrown out of focus.) Then I pulled out my camera and tried taking some photos of the snowflakes on the windshield (through the glass).

Just like with the previous bug shot, I was having problems getting the shutter speed high enough to hand-hold the camera and get a sharp shot. I didn't have my tripod, so I piled a bunch of stuff up to try to set the camera on, but that didn't work. Apparently I learned some lessons from the bug photo, though -I upped the ISO (first to 400 then to 800), put the camera on manual, chose a large aperture (to get more light so I could get a faster shutter speed), exposed for appx -1 and took some shots. It was kinda working, but none came out as sharp as I had hoped. As I continued the windshield got more and more foggy. It was clear that I'd soon have to make a choice: sacrifice my comfort for this photo opportunity or fire the Jeep back up to get warm?

Another glance at the snowflakes and it was clear I had no choice. I went outside. I took pictures of any single snowflake that stood out from the piles on my Jeep, the trees, or the nearby lamp post supports. This particular shot was off the hood/fender flare of my Jeep with that green gate in the background. When I parked infront of it, I intended it to look green in my photos, but with my exposure set to about -1, it turned out looking black. I don't mind, though. I like it this way too.

After about 15 minutes outside my hands were numb (it was like -4*F out!), so I had to call it quits. I jumped back in the Jeep, took a couple more shots through the windshield, then fired the engine up hoping it'd get warm quick. Before heading back out into traffic, I hesitantly turned my windshield wipers on and smeared those beautiful snowflakes all over the windshield so I wouldn't hit the cars that remained infront of me for the next 2 hours as I inched my way home.

This morning, I went through the photos and there are only a few of any interest, this one being the best of them. I cropped it in Gimp, used "levels" on it to make the snow a little whiter and then did a very slight unsharp mask to crispen it up a bit.

It's not perfect. If the depth of field were deeper it'd be much better, but it seems I'm learning... This success has increased my confidence, although I did get some sharp macros of bugs outside this fall when I first got this lens (Canon 100mm f/2.8). In fact, I think that being outside has a lot to do with it -more available light means it's possible to use higher shutter speeds which eliminates motion blur, leaving you with the simple yet monumental task of getting the focus right. Practice. I'm sure it's just a matter of practice. (Although I'm not sure I'll be heading back out into the 0 degree weather to practice. -Let's hope it warms up!).