First day of Spring in Oz
Gotta admire a good macro shot. You do these well!
Thank you ..
Spring is here , so Macro season is almost upon us ....
This summer may be a serious bumper crop for insects, we even have more flies ATM than we did for the whole of last summer.
I saw a demo on focus stacking last year. Not a suitable technique for something like a fly but good for static macros. Fantastic DOF.
Ever tried it? A series of shots with slight different focus, assembled in an image editor. The guy showing us said he used Photoshop Elements I think.
Yes , I have tried it .. ( image stacking )
But usually you need studio conditions .. To date I have stacked about 6 images ( Deep ) ..
But I have heard of people stacking 100+ images , now thats dedication .
Nice. And great depth of focus, I was dreaming of that when I was into the hobby of macro-photography in the eighties (Pentax SuperA with Pentax SMC 100mm dental macro).
Holy f-stop. Is it really set at 27.0? If so that explains the deep depth of field. Must have been a ridiculously bright day when you took that to still have a 1/150 shutter speed, that or you’re using additional lighting.
Never thought a fly would make such an interesting subject. Reminds me why I like macro photography so much. Good picture!
Kind of off the reserve, but I don’t think that’s technically a macro shot. My understanding is that the image on the sensor is the same size or larger than the object in real life.
Autumn is here, enjoy your summer :D!
Impressive! I always enjoy your macros.
As sb said. Amazing picture.
I've always appreciated your macro shots. This one is no exception. ;)
Fantastic pic old4570 ! H)
Thank you ..
Yes = Shutter speed 1/180 - F stop is 27 and ISO is 100
And I am using a flash .. I will have to post a picture of the rig !
I have 3 Macro Rigs , this is one of them ...
Pentax K30 - Tamron 90mm SP Di Lens
My own design / set up - Macro flash solution , and it works for me and the way I do Macro .
Thats the great thing about Macro , there is no one way of doing it , there are 1001 ways of doing it . ( Possibly more )
Some time ago I wrote a Macro guide = http://s000.tinyupload.com/?file_id=39461380786738518652
I dont know if its any good , but an attempt at sharing !
I wonder about the color rendition of the flash. Is there such a thing as CW or NW in flash? And what about the flash intensity?
This is the cheapest flash unit I could find , about $12 ..
Generally to control light / intensity / or color , people use a filter / diffuser .
You do have some in camera settings you can change to control output , as well as post processing ( software ) .
You can buy flashes with softer ( more yellow ) flash , but generally not in the budget sector ..
Once you get into the more serious $$ the options increase .
Hello from a new member, but a long time ’Tog.
Enjoyed your “How To” Guide to starting close-up Photography. Very informative and well written, and well explained for beginner’s.
Did you ever finish the “Flash” Guide?
I was holidaying out in Aus. in ’85, and camera gear was “an Arm & a Leg” cost wise, compared to the UK. Has it improved since?
Nice Capture by the way!
Have you tried a ring light (ring of LEDs around the lens for even lighting of the subject)?
Thanks to the internet and Ebay its more reasonable now ...
Yes the good old days ! I used to read American photo mags and Pentax Canon Nikon Olympus cameras were insanely cheaper in the USA ..
I purchased a SF1 ( SF7 in Australia ) used but mint from the USA for $170ish or something shipped in the early 90's or something - too far back to remember .
And I walked into a camera store here in Australia ( one of the big ones ) and they had a SF7 that looked like it had been dragged behind a car for a hundred miles or so for $700 .
Australians got ripped big time before the internet .. ( Huge )
Yes - I have had two over the years .. One I still have , the other was a toy! and was sold of with a camera .
They only work to a certain point ( very close ) , Im tempted to try another but I dont want to throw money away on garbage .
I have seen a couple between $50 and $100 , but all the reviews SUCK chunks . And offer no real idea of the ring lights performance .
I have a Pentax K20 with a Saitex 3x Tele Macro converter with a PEntax M 50 F1.4 up front ..
The M 50 F1.4 goes F22 + the 3x Tele Macro converter = A 150mm lens that goes F66 ... ( Thats Macro ) .
And to run F66 you need POWER! ( Flash Power ) .. ATM it wears a METz flash , and even that lacks power . ( @ F66 )
And the other issue , insects dont like having large objects showed in their faces , they tend to scarper in a hurry .
So there is a limit on how much gear / or the size of the gear you can get away with .
If you can find a good ring light , they do work . But just be aware that there may be limitations and flash power may be lacking in a lot of the Chinese LED ring lights .
Ooooh , and before I forget , flash sync speed .. THE LED ones may be insanely slow .. The LED one I had was 1/60sec sync speed ( Way too low ) ..
The only camera it worked with was my K100D , and I was able to use it at 1/125 .. ( Usable shutter speed )
Meike FC100 , a ring light to avoid ...