Långholmen Macro
 
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Långholmen Macro

Playing around with a macro lens at Långholmen. Långholmen is an islet in the Stockholm archipelago, located about a kilometer west of the center of town, and at the edge of what we'd call "Stockholm City". It used to hold the central prison, but is now more known for a bath and as a concert venue. Since much of it is covered in forest it was a perfect location to try out macro shots. In particular, I wanted to see how macro panoramas worked out with the subjects seen here.

Close-to-ground panorama of flowers and dried leaves at Långholmen, Stockholm

This panorama was shot using the Raynox DCR-250 that I've reviewed previously. Six component images, of which one was cropped since it included one of the tripod legs. This was the first time I tried to get a panorama really close to the ground, and it proved slightly more difficult than I expected. In the end I had to lie down on the wet, muddy ground with one arm around a tripod leg and the other under the camera. (For those who know, similar to shooting a Carl Gustav recoilless rifle[a] with bipod from a prone position - including the dirt.)

2010-09-05 18:42

Långholmen, Raynox DCR-250

Macro shot of a yellow mushroom growing from a tree trunk.

Yellow Mushroom at Långholmsbadet

This mushroom proved to be very difficult to photograph. It grew on a tree trunk that streched out over the water, an element cameras and photographers alike tend to avoid without waterproofing. It was also positioned so that when the camera was correctly positioned, it was impossible for me to look through the eyepiece, nor see what was on the camera display, due to the ground being in the way. I ended up using the auto focus to see if the distance was roughly correct, and by gradually adjusting the tripod (which stood with two legs partially submerged in mud and one in water) to get the composition right. Then I switched to manual focus and stepped through all focus distances, hoping that the f/8 aperture would give me enough depth of field for one of the shots to turn out all right. (All that said, when I look at it unsentimentally, it is just a yellow mushroom.)

2010-09-05 19:00

Långholmen, Raynox DCR-250

2010-09-05 19:46

Långholmen