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Cropping for macros


ubiquitous

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Want some macro shots of specific details of your watch?

Start with a larger resolution image (I tend to start with 3456x2304) and just crop away at the usual size that you would typically resize your larger images to...

IMG_2065a.jpg

IMG_2066a.jpg

IMG_2073a.jpg

IMG_1943a.jpg

IMG_2052a.jpg

IMG_3676a.jpg

IMG_3772a.jpg

IMG_5060a.jpg

IMG_5315.jpg

IMG_5556.jpg

IMG_5533.jpg

Not close enough?

IMG_5533a.jpg

IMG_5555.jpg

Closer...

IMG_5555a.jpg

IMG_5488a.jpg

IMG_5488b.jpg

I'm sure this isn't anything new to some of you, but I've had a few PMs asking how some of the closer shots are achieved. This is a good method without having to resort to using specialty equipment ;)

Hope this helps...

R

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B-

I use some freebie freeware app called Faststone Image Viewer. I utilize the application mostly to resize images, but it does have a crop tool as well. If you have something more sophisticated like Adobe Photoshop, Paintshop Pro, etc. you will certainly be able to crop down pics like this.

Here are some of my uncropped pics...

IMG_2065.jpg

IMG_2066.jpg

IMG_2073.jpg

IMG_1943.jpg

Lots of vignetting and shallow DoF on these as I used the reversed SLR lens method to grab some macros. But it provides a good example of what I started with :)

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thanks R -- seeing the 'before' pictures definitely helps give me a better idea of what you're talking about.

i'm a complete and utter beginner with photo editing software, so brace yourself for a nooblicious question -- when you start with a large resolution image and then crop, is the new cropped image lower resolution? i would assume that it is, but i guess if you start with a large enough file size, then even the cropped image should look good blown up (as yours clearly do above), right? :huh:

thanks again,

deltatahoe

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That's how I get this ...

orange-macro-02-640.jpg

From this:

orange-macro-01-640.jpg

Cropping from macro requires that your photo is very much in focus, though, so you want the tightest aperture you can get. This is tricky with a reverser ring, but it makes a cheaper, slower lens better than a more costly faster one as the default full-open for an f5.6 lens is much better than a default full-open on an f2.8.

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Guest HaloArchive
thanks R -- seeing the 'before' pictures definitely helps give me a better idea of what you're talking about.

i'm a complete and utter beginner with photo editing software, so brace yourself for a nooblicious question -- when you start with a large resolution image and then crop, is the new cropped image lower resolution? i would assume that it is, but i guess if you start with a large enough file size, then even the cropped image should look good blown up (as yours clearly do above), right? :huh:

thanks again,

deltatahoe

Yes, it is lower resolution.

Say your picture is 1000x1000.

The area that you want it 500x500.

You crop it down and down. Bingo, you have a small cropped picture thats 500x500 :)

H

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In simple terms, with modern mega megapixel cameras it is possible to shoot images that are in reality the size of the wall you're facing at the moment.

As the photo you ultimately want is in actuality no bigger than the computer monitor you're facing at the moment - what you're doing is selecting that 'cropped' segment out of the 'wall sized' image.

.

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Another example...

Here's the pic I'd start with (except this one is resized from 3456x2304 to 800x533 to fit the posting better).

IMG_5715a.jpg

And here's the cropped pic...

IMG_5715.jpg

Essentially, start with the 3456x2304 pic, and rather than resize, simply outline the section that you want to zoom in on with the resolution desired (in my case, 800x533). Crop it, and the zoomed in macro is what you get as a result :)

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