Macro Photography Using a Konica Close Up Ring

Photography is a relatively new hobby of mine.  I mean, I enjoyed taking photos before but I've only truly appreciated it when I got my very first DSLR camera (story of how I got it detailed in this post.) 

Attending workshops (I've so far been able to attend Nathaniel Salang's 3-day Basic Photography Seminar and DCF's 1st Photography Food Workshop with Mark Floro and Lori Baltazar) only fueled my interest and before I knew it, I've been lugging this heavy camera around even on short mall trips, just in case I find a good subject to take.

People say that photography is an expensive hobby, what with the lenses and extension tubes and the other stuff die hard photographers buy and/or lust over.  I, for one, am quite happy with my kit lens that came with my camera (thank you very much), but I have to admit, I do would love to try my hand at some macro photography.  You know those really close up shots of various objects.  I'm simply fascinated by it.

But with special dedicated macro lenses costing almost as much as a DLSR camera body, I just don't have the heart (nor the resources) to expend that much moolah (for now, anyway.)  That being said, my Konica close up ring addresses my macro photography fascination for the time being.

Konica close up ring

What's this, you may ask?  A close up ring is like a screw-in attachment (usually as thin as a common lens filter) that you connect to the end of your lens.  It works just like a magnifying glass, magnifying the object you want to take and showing more of their details to make it such an interesting composition.  A simple little thing but one that packs a lot of magnifying power! 

Close up!

Case in point.  Here's a picture of a peso coin that I took at our garden in Cavite.

1 peso coin

And this the closest shot (photo below) I can take using my regular kit lens.  I can't go any nearer as my DSLR camera sets limits as to how close I can actually get to my subject.  It's a technical limitation all DSLR cameras have.

Close

And this is the shot I took with my Konica close up ring attached to my lens.

Closer

I can see more details on the last shot.  Sure, it's not as close as I can get if I use a dedicated macro lens but it's definitely a cheaper alternative if ever you don't want to shell out too much in order to take a few macro shots (I bought my close up ring for only Php300.)

Here are just a few more shots I took using the Konica close up ring.

Edge of a pair of scissors

Close up of a very small weed growing in our garden

You scream.  I scream.  We all scream for ice scream!

Coffee beans



Orchid

So you see.  Photography need not be such an expensive hobby.  J