Thanks for the information. I don't recall cropping that image. What I do have is a sequence because I was shooting burst mode and this is the last in the sequence. I'll have to dig out all of those images and see if I can achieve what you're suggesting. I see what you're saying and it makes perfect sense. Thanks again.

I overlooked your last line above - only if I'm taking photos of moonpies.

Good thinking. As good as my EOS 5D MkII is, I've never shot it in complete darkness. Don't figure it would work too well but a person would just need to test it. Probably be too slow to avoid blur.

As we speak, I'm unloading a plate of pintos and cornbread. "You can take the boy out of the country..."

That new profile pic is good. Makes you look like a happy young lady who just experienced an important photographic experience.
:-)

Oh yow, and when it's in Texas, it's Big Red 'cept in Waco where Dr. Pepper started. Dr. Pepper and a tube of peanuts or over a lil' ice cream. I love regional flavors and traditions.

Of course I know you were going for a "quick and dirty" quick run and weren't feeling good but I have a cheat sheet when everything's just about right.

Two words: cheat sheet!

Nikon has put out several models of slide scanners and they have a auto-feeder that can take up to 50 slides per load. Mine is a LS-2000, the second generation and it does an excellent job unattended most of the time with a occasional jam up if I put slides in with different holders/frames which I try to avoid. My scanner also does negs but with no auto feed. It'll do strips and rolls which require attachments that are extra. The next generation is the 5000 I think and there are several on ebay now. There is one 2000 on ebay but it doesn't have anything except a single feeder slide attachment. However, there are auto loaders on there too that'll fit either the 2000 or 5000. The 5000s range in price up to around $2k but often go for much less. The slide feeders can be bought for under $300 on a good day.

The predominant method people are using now is is to buy one, do your slides and then sell it to the next guy who's hanging onto a wad of slides. I've been scanning mine in for some lengthy period now and still have ton to go. I use a HP flatbed for my medium and large format negs and slides. I mentioned the other day that I have 4 computers hooked up to a switching harness and the scanners are spread out between the 4 machines so I keep 'em juggling any time I'm sitting here not processing video.

It isn't difficult and you can set the software to adjust pics on the way in so you don't have to manually adjust each one but still you'll have to work on some anyway. Today, having used the scanners for some time, if I had it to do over I'd have to think long and hard about letting someone do it if it was within my budget range. It's not easy to turn loose of and if you have the ability to just drop 'em on somebody and pick 'em up later, that might be the way to go. 5000 slides x $ .20 = isn't too hard to figure out. Then, you've got the thing with ebay - is someone gonna "do" ya and there's no way to tell. Sure there's ebay and paypal's guarantee but the time involved...

I really like shooting macro with a long lens because you can get further away from a subject and really control the bokeh better. The one thing to remember when doing macro is that to achieve maximum depth of field, you have to close the aperture down, just as in any shot but the tubes shorten dof on you so drastically, the more tubes, the more the impact on clear focus. I shoot in AV mode and start out with a pretty high f-stop, tripod, shutter release, mirror lockup, shooting multiple shots, maybe 5, and then often take my f-stop all the way to as high as it will go, f-22, f-32, whatever. Gives us more options with the end product. I'm excited for you and anxious to see your grow with it. Hurry up.

You know, I don't see how anyone who is not shooting macro can keep their interest up. You don't have to leave you yard and can spend a lifetime not getting all the wonderful minute shots that are available to you. It gets old, chasing elk, deer, and goats around all the time. Sometimes it's great just to move a few feet, maybe even sit on the ground, and come away with a shot that makes you want to set up your own gallery. Macro is amazing and I can see you're off to a running start. "You go girl," as they say. I'm a fan.

Wow. Right out of the box and you're hittin' home runs. Doesn't get much better than that. I really like the multi-colored background behind the bug. You'll soon find the right combinations for whatever focus interests and it'll come flying together for you. Sorry you're feeling under the weather and not getting a chance to go all day. I know within reason that would be your urge. Thanks for posting these and letting us enjoy them. Will be looking for more, soon. Get better!

Nope, not on Facebook but put an end to that time drain. Gotta do something about this one too. This forum is infectious, if not addicting. I don't feel as though I want to miss anything and yet if I don't, it leaves no time to get out with the ol' camera which is what this is all about in the first place. There's so much good info floating around in here. I don't think I've ever found a more fertile ground for picking up tips. Never been to Indiana 'cept maybe just for a minute along the bottom there. I have subject matter falling on me around here. I wouldn't mind having some of my youth and vigor back but I hear it doesn't work that way. Still, we can find good shots wherever we are. Just have to use our imagination a little more.

Well, that sort of fits into my concept of the intent we've been told about. We are given the talents and it's what we do with them, whether we use them for good or bury them or whatever. I don't agree for one second that God's hand in on mine when I mash the shutter button. I'm hoping he has better things to do with his time and that I'm trusted to do what I sat out to do with the talent I have been given. I was given organs like the heart and others, it was set it up so they'd work involuntarily, and I was patted on the butt and sent on my way with an opportunity to flourish or wither. I think I would be letting down a creator who got me all set up and then have to follow me around to make sure I was functioning correctly. I'm not meaning to say that I'm taking credit for everything I am by any stretch but I was also given the talent to dig in and "get 'er done" and am proud of how I've done my job, as well as how and and why I got the opportunity. But, it remains, if you're going to give credit for success I feel you are obligated to explain failure.

Thank you.

I'm old-fashion I think. I like it the way I saw it first which is #1. I can't turn lose of what made me take the shot in the first place. I've even thought about diagonal toward one of the upper corners. Think I'll go try that. Thanks.