It’s a Small World

This week Anne Sandler is the host of Lens-Artists and has presented us a theme that I love. Even if I try to do different things, I always go back to closeup photography, I think that’s where I’m most comfortable.

Anne explains very well the difference between macro photography and closeup. In my case, over time, I have realized that mine is the approximation. Whenever I try to take a macro photograph, I usually take “a step back” to include something else in the image.

I started to get closer with my little Sony H-1. A very versatile camera, with macro function, compact, with a small sensor and a large zoom. In my first attempts, flowers were the object of my photography.

When I switched to a reflex camera, the Sony A350, I soon realized that with normal lenses, I wasn’t going to get that close, so I bought a macro lens, the Tamron 90. A lens that has given me a lot of fun. Flying bugs were a lot easier to catch with the Tamron.

Although I have not only approached nature…

When I left the reflex and went over to the “dark side” or should I say “light side”… mirrorless cameras. My dear little Fuji X100 also allowed me to get quite close. And with the X-E1 or the one I currently use the X-T1, I had to buy an adapter to be able to use the Tamron 90.

Over the years I have preferred to go “light in luggage”, so the Tamron leaves the house very little. I thought the closeup filters would allow me to keep making closeup pictures, but without having to carry a lot of weight.

I bought, to test, a package of several filters of different magnifications very cheap. With them I learned that, if I wanted some quality, I would have to spend some more money and then I bought a B+W (+4). I always carry it in my backpack and I use it a lot. It’s not like using the Tamron 90, but it allows me to get pretty close, with an acceptable result.

When I review my approximation photographs, I realize that, in general, I give more importance to the composition than to getting the detail more focused. That’s why I can’t consider myself a Macro fan.

Now I have to do tests, at a short distance, with my new photographic toy, a Lensbaby Composer Pro II with Sweet 35. It arrived a few days ago, I have to test it and see the result I get in closeup photography.

Posted as part of Lens-Artists: It’s a small word