mrova Loc: Chesterfield, VA

Had my 60d for about six months, practicing a lot and deleted a lot! Love the hog for all the help!
Here's an unknown spider but is the best shot I've gotten of one so far.
Handheld, ISO400, 100mm macro lens, f/2.8, 1/250 shutter. Used a canon 430 flash with a white index card to get a bit more 'down' light.

Mr. Spider

tinusbum Loc: east texas

good start,you should shoot at least f14 to f22.tom

Nikonian72 Loc: Chico CA

Your fist macro capture looks like a (relatively harmless) Wolf spider.

You have an excellent camera, excellent lens, and an excellent speedlight. Now you need to coordinate them for maximum efficiency for true macro capture. Diffusing and directing your illumination to your subject field is the next step. There are several ways to do this. View this thread to see different set-ups used by macro-photographers who regularly contribute on this forum:
http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-32754-1.html

Feel free to ask questions ON THIS THREAD about any illumination set-up that you would like explained.

Nikonian72 Loc: Chico CA

"Handheld, ISO400, 100mm macro lens, f/2.8, 1/250 shutter. Used a canon 430 flash with a white index card to get a bit more 'down' light."

Let us discuss your first capture:
1.) ISO is fine;
2.) Shutter duration of 1/250-sec syncs speedlight with background illumination (natural light);
3.) Aperture is WAY to large, radically reducing your DoF (see image below). Are you shooting manual, or Tv, or Av, or AUTO.
4.) Is your speedlight on manual, or ETTL?
manual will provide maximum flash output, allowing f/16 or f/22.
ETTL allows camera to choose flash output.
5.) Using a bounce card to re-direct your illumination is very inefficient, reducing light to subject. Notice that your background (sunlight) in original image, is better exposed than spider face (speedlight).

mrova Loc: Chesterfield, VA

Thanks for the suggestions! I'll check out the macro link you provided Nikonian and have a look at that.
I was shooting in Tv. Not even sure about the flash in manual or ETTL - I'm finding out that the speedlight is a whole different animal in my brain. I'm probably treating the flash like a point and shoot camera.
I'm understanding about the aperture being wide open though and how that affects the dof...something I didn't even think about when I hit the button, and one of those things that have to at least go through my mind when I take a shot.
Thanks for the comments and suggestions, I'll get to that link here in a bit.

dave sproul Loc: Tucson AZ

I like the picture and even more the constructive criticism. Thank you both.

mrova Loc: Chesterfield, VA

Dave, yes, this is really good stuff. If I could only put the time into it...but I'm gonna keep plugging along.
I'll take this and go back to the speedlight manual, and just keep playing with the buttons. I'm gonna get a good shot yet!