Can You Take Macro Photographs With A Point and Shoot?
83Point and Shoot
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My Camera
I love photography but I do not own a posh SLR camera mine is a good point and shoot camera and like most point and shoot cameras it does not come with interchangable lenses.
Most of today’s point and shoot cameras are capable of taking photographs at a higher resolution than even the most expensive models of a few years ago.
The little Canon Powershot in the advert alongside takes photographs up to ten mega pixels in size. Ten mega pixels and above is quite normal for the new generation of point and shoot cameras.
This is my camera below, a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ28, it is a wonderful little camera and I have had many successful results using it.
My Point and Shoot Camera
Can you take macro photographs with a point and shoot?
To answer my own question 'Can you take macro photographs with a point and shoot?' The answer is most definitely a resounding yes. The photograph below is one of mine that was taken with the above Lumix camera using full zoom and the intelligent auto mode.
The Collector
The Collector
I was and still am very pleased with this photograph of a bee. I think this photograph which I have called 'The Collector' shows quite well that even an amateur who has not got any idea of the technical side of digital photography can get great results.
I must admit that bees are my favourite insect to photograph and I love to take as many macros as I can of them because they are such photogenic little critters.
I thought that I would just add a few more of my bee macros and I think you will see what I mean. To get these kind of shots for yourself all you need is a little patience and don't forget when you have them in your view finder take as many shots as you can.
Macro of Bee on Lavender
The secret is to take as many shots as you can
The secret to capturing great macros is to take as many shots as you can, do not let what you see on the camera screen put you off, because it is not until you get back and see your shots on the computer that you will know for sure what you managed to take.
I have had photographs that I thought were crisp and sharp looking on the camera turn out to be just that little bit fuzzy when viewed on my computer and others that looked out of focus turn out to be the one.
With macro you never know what you will find when you get it back home so don't ignore the common place and ordinary things. When viewed in macro you can see things in a completely different light for example this small fly on my patio kept buzzing me and so when it settled for a moment I took its photo and this is the result. I had no idea that is how it looked as it was only a tiny fly about half the size of the fingernail on your little finger.
A Flesh Fly
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Digital photography opens the door to the ordinary person in the street
Digital photography opens the door to the ordinary person in the street giving them a real shot at getting a great photograph.
In the past, the cost of processing alone meant that most people could not afford to take many photographs. I remember as a child a 24 exposure film would last us for the whole of our two week summer holiday.
An ordinary person would have not have been able to afford to go out and just take hundreds of shots on the off chance that one might be great.
In this digital age we can buy a two gig memory card for less than the price of an ordinary film and the wonder of that is even on a two gig card you can take hundreds of photographs at a time and still have memory to spare.
Even better that this when you decide what you want to keep (I keep all of mine) you can transfer them to you computer or storage device thus leaving the card empty ready to be used again.
My particular interest is in taking photographs of insects, which means to get what I consider an interesting shot I have to get up close and personal with my subject.
The advent of the digital camera has changed everything and now it is quite usual for me to go out and take several hundred photographs in one go.
I went out yesterday in the early evening and took just over 150 photographs. Below is one of the photographs that I took of a Carpenter Bee that I am very pleased with. The bee is very black so it is hard to capture it well especially in the fading light but still I think you will like it.
A Carpenter Bee
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Programs like GIMP and PhotoShop are your friend
Do not be afraid to use editing software on your photographs. I know that many proper photographers feel that if you use this kind of software your photograph stops being a proper photograph and spoils the image. My advice is remember what you are trying to do which is to get an image that pleases you.
Editing software like GIMP and photoShop are your friends and they can help turn something plain and ordinary into something quite stunning. It may not please everyone but then that is life. It does not matter what you do and however hard you try you cannot please everyone.
Below is a photograph of a weed gone to seed the light was right when I took it in the early evening and it made quite a pleasing image.
A Weed Gone To Seed
Do not be afraid to experiment and above all do not forget to have fun.
Below is the edited version of the photograph of 'A weed gone to seed' I did this edit so that you could see the result of doing just a few simple tweaks.
Most editing software comes with an automatic option on many of its functions. I opened the photograph above in my software package and I did auto tone auto colour and auto contrast. I then cropped the image just to show you how a few simple tweaks can transform a pleasing image into a stunning image.
Always do any editing on a copy do not be afraid to experiment and above all do not forget to have fun.
Edited Version of a Weed Gone To Seed
Automatic settings gets results
My camera can do all sorts things manually but unfortunately, I cannot. To use it on manual settings needs more input than I can give it or even want to give it.
When it comes to ISO, shutter speed and all that other stuff, I have no idea what it all means. To be honest I really do not have the time or the inclination to learn.
Why would I bother when I can use an automatic setting and get results with which I am more than pleased like this Snout Beetle or the spider both taken on Intelligent Auto?
A Snout Beetle and a Spider
Go out and try taking some macro shots yourself
Even the cheapest of digital cameras today come with an automatic setting, which means that even the poorest photographer stands a chance of being able to take a great photograph.
I use my camera virtually all the time in the Intelligent Auto mode, which works great for me.
I normally shoot using the five-mega pixels size so I can shoot my photos off fairly quickly.
I hope that you have enjoyed this hub and that you are encouraged to go out and try taking some macro shots yourself.
If you enjoyed the Hub can you please vote for me by clicking on the link http://t.co/fVpscpS it should take you to the voting page for this hub which is in the contest.
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Great ideas and inspiration. Thank you!
Hi maggs224, I absolutely LOVED this hub, your macro photos are amazing, I get very excited about macro photography and love experimenting and taking as many photos as possible, I am always on the look out for interesting insects! isn't the digital age wonderful!! many thanks for sharing.
You have a really nice point-and-shoot camera! Lumix are nice cameras in general and yours is better than an ordinary cheap model.
I agree that you can and should take macro photos with a point-and-shoot camera. Of course, it's better to have a dSLR with a proper macro lense, but that's in theory. Your photos prove the theory wrong - they are stunning.
Hi maggs224,
Thanks for the great pictures. My favorite is the the edited weed, what a beautiful picture for a weed. I like you love taking pictures of nature. I use a Fujui FinePix A805 8.5 mega pixel point and shoot, auto and macro are my two favorite settings. Great editing what software do you use ?
Have A Good Day !
Great article Maggs,
My son loves the bugs.
I am still using a Sony W290, My wife hates that I fill the memory card with the same picture over and over. But she does take her time to inspect each one and then decide which one she will post on Facebook. :D
Thank you so much Adventure Colorad for your kind words I am sorry it has taken me so long to respond at the moment I have no Internet access and I am on my hubby’s laptop using a weak signal that we are picking up.
Hi Hyphenbird I am glad that I have given you some ideas and encouragement thank you for the encouragement you have given me through your comment. When I get back online properly I will be visiting your hubs :D
Hi Movie Master I am so happy that you loved the hub and the photographs. You are so right the digital age is wonderful and having a memory card instead of a film to process has changed everything.
I remember my first digital camera it had a 4 meg internal memory and I bought a 16 meg card which cost me about 30 dollars. If you had the photographs processed and printed at the normal snapshot size the results were quite good. The price of memory keeps on going down I now use 8 gig SD cards and I no longer have to worry about running out when taking photographs.
Hi Liz thank you so much for you lovely comments I am glad that you liked the photographs. Sorry I have taken so long to respond but I have no internet access at the moment and I am waiting for Telephonica to come and give me a line they say it should be no later than September. Spain and Telephonica move to the beat of a different drum :(
Hi 4youreyes auto and macro are my favourite settings too, I am so glad that you enjoyed the Hub and liked the photographs. I liked the way the weed photo came out too. In answer to your question I use GIMP or PhotoShop for editing. GIMP is a free to download and use online program and can do many of the things that you can do in PhotoShop. I have done a couple of tutorial hubs using Gimp and PhotoShop.
MemoryMegaMall You have a very discerning son like you I love taking photographs of bugs I never tire of it and no two pictures look the same to me. Thank you so much for leaving your kind comment.
Hi Maggs, it's been a while! I really liked this article and the point well made, I've been holding out for a digital that accepts all my Cannon AE-1 lens collection and now I'm thinking about throwing in the towel and buying a point and shoot with rear screen. These are great pictures, and I remember well using my AE-1 with auto wind snapping fast repetitive shots multiple times and hoping for a winner out of 15. It looks and sounds like those expensive [developing fee] trials would be easier and cheaper with digital and the use of the auto settings with a decent zoom would be much savings in comparison, so I think it's time to just start looking at cameras. What is your pixel rating on the camera you use? I've seen some that were sent to me off 3.0 pixel that were great by my sight, I know that pixels equal more money but there has to be a point that an average person reaches enough for non-pro photo shoots. I'm also wondering about recovery time between shots, flash and not, my mechanical film was only limited by the speed of the auto wind and how hot the batteries in the flash unit were. A point and shoot with a flash shoe for a separate add on flash wold be nice for bouncing the flash off the ceiling or other directions, I grew to appreciate that ability after finding out that is why they were adjustable and trying it, finding success in the eye discoloration of people verses direct flash. Thank you for an informative hub, Dusty
Some awesome photos Maggs, very inspiring! I love the bee up the top, I've got my daughter buzzing over my shoulder!
Absolutely stunning photos Maggs...thanks for this hub, I have had my eye on the Panasonic Lumx DMC range for quite a while now and it is great to know those results are possible :)
I'm going to bookmark this! You have greatly encouraged me that I can do much more than I'm doing with my point and shoot. I really need to learn what all those settings are for -- especially where the zoom is. You have done what I'd like to be able to do. Great hub!
Great hub on one of my favorite subjects~ Good luck in the contest. Fantastic pictures~
I do fool around with my pics but yours are just incredible! I can't seem to get that pixel thing right on the enlargement and not sure what I'm doing wrong most of the time but every once in a while it works~ Will have to keep at it...or please come teach me what you do!!
Hi Maggs....wonderful Hub and pics! :)
Still trying to replicate your picture ability~ Good luck (again) in the contest~
Voted awesome and beautiful on this hub. I am terrified of bees and you have managed to make them look cuddly!! LOL This was such fun to read and your photos are just marvelous. Congrats on your winning and becoming a finalist in Tug of War. I came in 4th with 25 votes in the Share and Share Alike. And I'm very happy with that. Wow, 25 people thought enough of my hub to vote for it AND I get $25. Ha! Ha! It has all been fun. Best of luck to you, and keep up the good work!
This is a very interesting hub and I love your pictures. I plan to try your technique as I have been working on improving my technique. Rated up, beautiful and interesting.
maggs224,this is one awesome hub, simply because it is so down to earth. Most of us are amateur photographers, but like to get the best out of our pictures especially for our hubs.Your hub is a great encouragement for all those wanting to try macro pics with the camera they already possess, even if it does not have the macro feature. Loved your pics on this hub. Good luck in the Tug Of War! Voting you useful!
The article was informative, interesting and excellent photos. The photos were so vibrant and full of color. I felt like I was right there.
These are amazing photos, and you certainly explain everything so clearly. Great job on getting to the Tug of War, too!
Hi Dusty it is great to see your lovely face in my comments box once again. Right, to try to answer some of your questions, my camera is a 10 mega pixel camera but most of the time I use it set on five. Five mega pixels is fine for most normal uses and I have found that this is more than sufficient for my purposes. Remember I use most of my photographs on the internet so they do not have to have a high resolution to show well. I have had many good photographs on earlier cameras using three mega pixels.
If I use the 10-mega pixels, the refresh rate is that much slower and I like to be able to shoot shots off quickly because the insects I love to photograph do not stay long in one place.
My camera has the flash built in and I do not think you can connect another to the camera. My son uses a Sony Alpha 200 it is an SLR, it can do all those things that your old camera could do, and if you can get hold of the old Minolta lenses, they fit this camera. Newer models of this have come out but most people still seem to prefer the 200.
My son can shoot off shots in rapid succession just like on the old film cameras use to do he shoots his stuff on round about 10 mega pixels but that makes big files still that is no problem in this digital age where memory is getting cheaper all the time.
My son using his Sony took the photo of my camera at the top of this hub and I think he did a real good job, though my edit made it special lol…
As for flash, he can use all sorts of gismos and use more than one flash as his camera triggers the other by remote. Do not hesitate to email me anytime I love hearing from you and I hope that I have answered some of your questions.
Hi SEO thank you for reading and commenting I appreciate you doing both very much :D
Hi Izzy I love this camera it is so easy to use especially in the point and shoot mode. My son says that this is what they call a bridge camera, as it is one-step below the SLR with many similar features. It has quite a range of manual settings but as I have said, I like the ease of using the point and shoot features of this camera. I would have no hesitation in recommending this camera to anyone.
Hi WannaB Writer let me know how you get on I am sure you will have lots of fun trying out some of those settings on your camera. You can earn a little from your photographs by posting them on RedGage. Because the photographs are posted individually it does not interfere with your HubPages stuff at all because they are just individual photographs. The Bee photograph earned me a feature bonus of just over $5 plus a further $1.80 from the number of view it has had. If you sign on with RedGage let them know it was maggs224 who recommended them to you and I will then get a chance to win the day’s raffle.
Thanks Maggs, I have all kinds of filters and macro, panoramic, and a all purpose lens that works nice then a super zoom that is 6x to 50x to take pictures off the pier at the beach or across the mountains of game while hunting, it brings far off object right up close. I'll wait and see what I find and may sell of my camera and lenses for a good point and shoot with a clear rear screen to use, dusty
NICE hub! Love the photographs! I am encouraged to go out and begin snapping some myself! I voted up, useful, awsome, beautiful and interesting!
maggs, I've been on RedGage for quite a while now, and I can see why your bee would have been featured. I'll look for you there.
Lovely photos. Went over to vote but alas the contest is over.
I still remember the days of using film and the prohibitive cost of development. Have been using a digital camera for about 5 years but have just learned how to upload photos directly onto my computer and add them in my hubs which is very exciting and liberating. I agree that the most disconcerting thing about digital cameras is the fact that I can never tell what the photo will actually look like when I'm looking in the view finder. I've learned, as you suggest, to just take numerous shots which gives the best chance of ending up with something I like.
Congratulations on winning the Socially Savvy Award.
Am voting this hub up, useful, beautiful, awesome and interesting and thank you for the tips and inspiration to adjust the images. I don't have photoshop but my computer does have a program that lets me zoom in, crop and adjust colors and contrast.
Hi Audrey, sorry it has taken so long to respond to your comment I am glad that you enjoyed the hub and thank you for your kind words :D
Hi, Tom thanks as always for your kind and encouraging words, it is always good to see your lovely face in my comments it brightens my day :D
really hard work and very informative
appreciable writeup
Hi JSParker, Thank you so much for the awesome and beautiful you gave me and also for your kind words. Many congratulations to you on winning $25 in the Share and Share Alike competition it was the first time I have won anything on HubPages lol…
Hi Pamela, thank you for your comments and for rating the hub up I appreciate it and I am glad that you enjoyed the photographs.
Hi Perl, thank you so much, for the useful vote and I am so glad that you found it encouraging. I am glad that you liked the photographs too :-D
Hi Kat, thank you for leaving such an encouraging comment; I am glad that you liked the hub.
Hi RedElf, thank you for the lovely comments I am glad you liked the photos
Hi prektjr, I love to read comments where the person wants to go out and try it for themselves, it really does make my day. It also makes me feel that I was able to get my point across in a way that was easy to understand and replicate. Thanks for the encouragement it is appreciated.
Hi WannaB, it is nice to see you in both places, thanks for leaving a comment it is very much appreciated, I am sure we will be seeing a lot more of each other :D
Thanks almasi, it is the thought that counts, and I am grateful that you tried to vote I appreciate that very much.
Hi Happyboomernurse, my son thinks that it is a real hoot that I have won the Socially Savvy Award, as I am the most un savvy person he knows. I don’t even own a mobile phone, if I try to answer some one’s mobile if it rings in the house the caller is gone by the time I figure out how to turn it on lol…
I am so glad that you liked the hub, thank you for all the voting up you did on the hub, and for the lovely comments you left it has really blessed me to read it.
Hi vismohan, I am so glad that you found the hub informative thanks for the comment :D
Hi Dusty, I want to thank you so much for all your kindness, and for getting you lovely friend to vote for me.
I used an SLR for the first time this past week, on automatic I must add, but I loved the feel and the speed of it. I got some good shots here is a link to one of the ones I took http://www.redgage.com/c-mcjjhd see what you think :D
I used my point and shoot for all of my jewelry photos for Etsy. It works really well. I do use the Program mode and turn macro on myself. For outdoor shots, the auto will do pretty well, but for almost any other type of lighting, it's worth using Program. You only need to learn the basics for your specialties.
Hi Randomcreative, my friend designs and makes her own jewellery and I have taken some photographs of her work. Most of the time theses photos have come out OK using the automatic or the macro settings.
We have fantastic natural light here in Spain that the camera just loves. The great quality of the natural light makes talking photographs 90% of the time very easy.
Hi Maggs--I love that name--it is what we call my oldest daughter whose 16th birthday I've been planning today. I also like to take macros with my cannon powershot---and have gotten some amazing shots with just a lot of trial and error. Great hub--I love hubs that encourage us to just try something!
Thank you Virginia for your lovely comment. I hope that your daughters sweet sixteenth went off well, I hear that it is a big event in the USA.
I am like you I love hubs and websites in general that encourage us to try new things they tend to be very inspiring. I love it when people share their expertise with us especially if they explain things in a simple way that I can follow.
I hope that you gave or will give that cannon of yours a really good work out at the party.
Yes, thanks for the encouragement to continue with photography! Enjoyed the hub very much. Voted up.
Hi RTalloni, thank you so much for the kind comments and for voting the hub up I appreciate both very much :D
Hello maggs224,
its great to see someone making brilliant images with a modest camera. I beleive that its the photographer that makes the picture and not the camera, as such you have created some lovely images of bugs that are detailed, well exposed, lovely colours and show the bug in its natural environment, well done.voted up and awesome.
Thank you so much Paul for your kind comments you have made my day :)
Hi Maggs,
This is fantastic! You really have mastered your camera and indeed take macro shots with it.
I love your bee photo! Really great!
Rated up and beautiful!!!
Hi Jill of alltrades, thank you so much for the rating up, beautiful and your lovely comments I really appreciate you doing all that, you are so kind.
I must admit the bee photo is one of my favourites too :)
macro photography is a real good skill...check out http://tamlography.blogspot.in/ there real good images of macro..hope you will like it
Hi abhipsitabose, I agree with you it is an excellent skill to develop I checked out your link and enjoyed seeing the photographs but I was unable to leave a comment saying that.
Thank you for sharing that and thank you for viewing and reading this hub :)
To take such a macro level, zoom lens is required and the digital will provide all the techniques, and there is no complication. Very good tips about such a beautiful image. Thanks for sharing:)
Thank you for you comments I am pleased that you enjoyed the hub :D
You have inspired me so much with this very informative and spectacular hub. Once again your photography has excited me, just awesome images. I also only have a point and shoot digital. I have worked with 35mm SLRs and still have two excellent Canon SLRs however for all the reasons you have stated, it is just not practical to shoot on film anymore. I miss that versatility, but I embrace the immediacy and flexibility of digital.
I think I will try some Photoshop enhancement as your example here is so beautiful and inspiring.
Am voting this all the good votes and definitely sharing. Do you mind me sharing on Pinterst? (linking back to this hub)
Hi Annie, I am so pleased that this hub has spurred you on to use your point and shoot and to have a little play with PhotoShop I am sure the results will be well worth the time you spend. I added a few more photos since you were here as I thought you might like to see them too.
Thank you for the votes and the sharing I appreciate both very much Maggs :D
Adventure Colorad Level 1 Commenter 10 months ago
I love my dSLR, but I don't own any macro lenses. Many point and shoots can take better macro photos than the kit lenses that come with most entry level dSLRS. Even the nicer lenses that I own are great for general photography, but not for macro. Nice photos, keep up the good work!