#1 you are right, you just barely missed it, could be a bit more sharp. Looks like the wind got the better of the shot here.
#2, I'd like to see a bit more detail in the stamens, but I see what you were going for here.
#3 I think is my favorite of these, and by the way that is a Ladybug Larvae :).

Carl

toy...and what a toy it is based on the image you posted earlier...

Next time I might try to control conditions a little better for a shot like #1. Maybe no wind, sunny, and a spray bottle ;)

Thanks for the heads up on the Ladybug. They are my favorite insect and I always try to avoid squishing them if possible...

What did you think of #4?

Thanks again - Hapster

Eric played with it too, and took some good shots as well. Appreciate the compliment, Apollo (the subject) is my live in model. He is always up for a photo shoot outdoors, cant say the same for my wife or others I come in contact with.

#4, well lets see here.
I would like to see more depth on the main subject to be honest. I find the white object (I assume it is a flower petal?) to be a bit distracting from it too. The area you have captured is nice and sharp and your exposure is good.

What kind of flower is it?

Carl

trusts my post abilities ;)

#4 is a Dandelion that had grown up through a small white Azalea...

It has been suggested (by others) that I should use a much lower aperture on shots like this one and #1 in order to get all in focus, f/18 or so...provided there is enough light to keep the shutter reasonable...

Would that lead to the loss of the bokeh?

I will have to just keep trying stuff out to find what works - there are worse things that I could "have" to do...

Thanks again,

Hapster

I like the first one, nice colors and just love those water drops, they give that photo something extra. Also bokeh is more than nice and I wouldn't touch the aperture at the first pic at all, but perhaps that focus point can be more precise to some subject, like a water drop etc. Personally I like a lot of pics with bokeh and only a slight of sharp areas, especially when we are talking about macros. Of course it can get boring too and sometimes it's fun also to take 'point and shoot -pics'.

ps. FIN-USA 3-2 ot. ;) In case someone here is watching hockey.

Those look very good. I'm especially a fan of #3. That lens performs pretty well considering the price! Hmm.... time to start saving.