Macro filters

I have always loved the idea of taking a picture that lets you see more or differently than the naked eye.  Macro photography doesn't have to do that but my personal preference has always been, let me see this differently, bigger, like I'm looking through a microscope... 

Many years ago when I was just starting out in the digital photography world and had my first camera that allowed interchangeable lenses and filters, I started out with macro filters instead of a macro lens.  The results may not have had the perfect detail I can get now, but the filters could provide an ethereal quality that I do not get with my macro lens.

Denver / Rocky Mountain National Park

I had a good trip and came back with both good an bad pictures.  This is to be expected.  I don't know of anyone who only ever takes a perfect picture every image they take.  The good thing about the bad pictures it they give you a chance to analyze them, see what you did verses what you should have done to make them better. After that is done, delete them. 😉

Enough about the bad pictures.  Here are some good ones from my trip.

Prep for Rocky Mountain National Park

I will soon be headed out Denver way and spending a few days in Rocky Mountain National Park.   This being the case, I really wanted a lens that would give me a wide angle view of the mountains.  My lens of choice: Canon EF 16-35mm f/4L IS USM.  Thankfully, during my years of not buying, I had been slowly adding to a camera savings fund, which meant even after my 6D Mark II purchase a few months ago, I still had enough saved to mostly cover the cost of this lens.

The below was taken at Ohiopyle State Park in Pennsylvania, USA using my new lens.

APS-C to Full Frame

For about the last decade I have been content with the Canon Rebel body that I purchased while a collage student.  I didn't have a lot of money to put into what was little more than a hobby, so I decided the money would be better saved for getting a couple good lenses.  It wasn't a bad plan, but what I didn't take into consideration was if they were APS-C or Full Frame lenses.

Now you might be asking yourself at this point, what is APS-C?  What is Full Frame?  Back in the days before digital photography the "frame" of a picture was based on the film used.  For example, 110 film had a 13x17mm frame while 35mm film had a 36x24mm frame.  Since 35mm film was by far the most popular, when digital photography took over film in popularity, sensor sizes that matched the frame of 35mm film were called full frame.  The more common, smaller sensors found in most digital cameras, are referred to APS-C.  You can use full frame lenses on APS-C cameras, but if you try to use an APS-C lens on a full frame camera, you get the following:

Unless you like this "port hole" effect on your pictures, using an APS-C is not the best option for a full frame camera.  In spite of not realizing this until recently, I hadn't done to bad on my lens purchases:

• Canon 100mm EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM
• Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM
• Sigma 18-250mm F/3.5-6.3 DC Macro

The first two on the list (and most expensive) are fine - they are full frame lenses.  The Sigma lens is an APS-C lens.  The only problem is, I am left with no capability of taking pictures at less than 100mm!