My pictures need some advice

[graveyardworm]

I have a kodak DX6490, and Microsoft digital image pro10, and a tripod. I've been having trouble figuring out how to get really great macro shots. I recieved some great advice from bradleyj regarding camera setup. This has helped as far as getting shots. I think I've figured a couple things out focus on the subject itself is extremely important, but with the auto focus I'm having trouble getting good focus shots of small stuff. Any tips? Should I use the PASM settings on default. The manual doesnt really help with these too much, any suggestions would be appreciated. Now once I've taken the shots and it's time to photoshop I'm having trouble getting that crisp fine detail after cropping and resizing. Here's a couple shots I've been working on.

You can see how the fine details just arent very crisp. I shut off pumps, cleaned glass, and use timer.

 

[graveyardworm]

Seems to be getting better here's some more.

 

[jwedehase]

I'm sorry I don't have advice about that camera in particular, as I don't know it. However, I'd be looking at white balance adjustments. These shots are significantly miscolored, I'd bet.

Second, and most importantly, always shoot perpendicular to the glass. Any slight deviation from perpendicular, and the glass/water distortion will take over.

Third, the sharpen tool in Photoshop... Never set the radius higher than .03 pixels, and leave the Threshold around 5-10. With those two settings, use the percentage/amount slider as much as you want. The most important one is the radius slider. If .03 pixels won't make the image sharp enough, it wasn't a good enough image to work with in the first place. Any higher, and you start getting flase halos and weird outlines.

Your best shot of these is the feather dusters and bristle worm one. It needs a WB tweak, but it's a start. Work from whatever you did with that one on your next shots.

 

[graveyardworm]

These shots are significantly miscolored, I'd bet.

The color is true to what my eyes see.

Second, and most importantly, always shoot perpendicular to the glass. Any slight deviation from perpendicular, and the glass/water distortion will take over.

The lens was square tight to the glass.

Third, the sharpen tool in Photoshop... Never set the radius higher than .03 pixels, and leave the Threshold around 5-10. With those two settings, use the percentage/amount slider as much as you want. The most important one is the radius slider. If .03 pixels won't make the image sharp enough, it wasn't a good enough image to work with in the first place. Any higher, and you start getting flase halos and weird outlines.

I'm using Microsoft digital image pro10. The only one that I may have sharpened was the anemone.

Your best shot of these is the feather dusters and bristle worm one. It needs a WB tweak, but it's a start. Work from whatever you did with that one on your next shots.

I like that one as well. I'm not sure how to adjust white balance with my software. The camera has specific settings for white balance, auto, daylight, tungsten, and flourescent. When I'm in PASM mode I generally use daylight or flourescent whichever one seems to render the truest color.