Shooting Summary:
Canon Digital Rebel XS
1/15s
f/9.0
Canon 55-250mm IS lens @ 250mm + 50mm f/1.8
ISO 800
I wanted to photograph something small but with detail, and the only item that I could find in my apartment was this 0.7mm ball point pen. The challenge was being able to photograph the tip without using a macro lens (I don't own one). Fortunately, I've recently learned that you can make your own "poor man's" macro lens by combining your 18-55mm kit lens with the 50mm f/1.8 prime lens. In my case, I used my 55-250 zoom lens instead for some added magnification. The hardest part had to be the focusing. Even the slightest touch on the focus ring could throw the focus off too shallow or too deep on the ball point, thus not being able to capture the reflection. The image didn't come out as sharp as I wanted, but it was better than I initially expected, given the unconventional setup I used.
- Hiro Yamamoto
