From Close-Up to Macro

I am so excited because I finally learned how to turn a photo taken in the close-up mode into a macro. Ever since I've been doing a blog, I've been trying to get a macro result with the camera I had. I did okay with my previous camera, a Nikon Coolpix 4300, but many times the photo would be out of focus and blurry. Sometimes the photo was what I wanted but could not figure out how it was done. I got a new camera, a Canon Rebel Xsi, with a kit lens but kept running into the same problem.

I started with this photo. I got as close as I could yet still keep the photo sharp. I wanted a closer shot, but the camera would not snap the picture. If using a manual focus, it was blurry. So how did I get the two photos below?


It was so simple that I can't believe I've never tried it. I cut out this section of the photo, pasted it into a new image and resized the photo 150 percent. All photos are jpeg optimized for faster loading to your computer.


This one is resized at 200 percent. One was saved as "asample150" and the other "asample200." The photos are so close that I had to look at the file name because I could not tell apart with certainty.

Here is the second example. This is the original photo.

This one was copied, pasted as a new image, and resized at 150 percent.

I've taken four or five 6-week courses on graphics software programs for photography, and yet I've never found out how to enlarge a particular spot in a photograph. One of two things must have happened: 1) the course did not include an exercise for doing it, or 2) I forgot. However, since I've taken several courses for two different programs, I'm inclined to think this one aspect was not addressed. I may have tried it at some time but the photo was probably blurred or had the bmp look. However, no more.

If you are wanting to do the same and have had trouble, simply cut out or copy the part you want, paste as a new image, and resize 100-200 percent. I am using Coral Paint Shop Pro X2.

Until next time, God bless.