Trying out the macro lens

This weekend I was fortunate enough to procure the Canon 100m f./2.8 L macro lens, specifically so I can start to learn the art of macro photography. I have a lot to learn but I figured one of the best places to start would be the San Antonio Botanical Garden, located on the east side of town. I was surprised by the size of the gardens and just how many plants/flowers/exhibits are on display. I took quite a few photos of various flowers, but the three shots below are the ones that I think make the best examples to talk about in today's post. All of the shots were taken at f/8, although I know that I am going to need either an extreme amount of sunlight or a very good flash (though a combination of both would be the best) to do some of the extreme closeup shots that I want to take. However, f/8 worked pretty good to isolate the flower in each of the photos, although the background of the cactus flower shot came out a little more "clear" than I had anticipated. I am absolutely thrilled with this lens and it is going to open up a LOT of interesting photos, but I just need some time to mess around with the lens and lighting in order to create some really interesting shots!

(All of the images were made from one RAW shot and I blended the result with the original "middle" bracket to give the shot a touch more "realism lighting" than I normally do for my photos!)

Red Rose

George Burns Rose

Cactus Flower

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