[photos] real macros not taken with 500mm lenses :)

* Jeff R. wrote :
Troy Piggins wrote:
Sorry about the jibe, Rita

Been testing out some new diffusers. These were all taken with
100mm lens and extension tubes, 430EX flash with Lumiquest
Softbox diffuser. Quite happy with the lighting. Yet to test
fully the smaller version Mini Softbox.

http://piggo.com/~troy/photos.php?al...8/img_8359.jpg

My favourite:
http://piggo.com/~troy/photos.php?al...8/img_8361.jpg

http://piggo.com/~troy/photos.php?al...384-mstack.jpg

http://piggo.com/~troy/photos.php?al...8/img_8405.jpg

Wow.
Game, set and match *again*!

Each one so much more eloquent than words.

Thanks for your kind words, Jeff!

--
Troy Piggins
I always appreciate critique.

Troy Piggins wrote:
* Markus Fuenfrocken wrote :
Troy Piggins wrote:
My favourite:
http://piggo.com/~troy/photos.php?al...8/img_8361.jpg
This one is most excellent, congrats! The reflections in the water drops
make it unique. Very sharp, too. Lightning is perfect.
I guess you had to get up early to catch them in the cold rigor, right?

Very nice macro!
Markus

Thanks Markus! Yes, best time is early in the mornings. But
being in Southern Hemisphere and coming into winter, the mornings
are getting colder anyway. These were taken around 7-8am.

Wow, great photos, seems your depth of field is great. When I use my
Nikon 105mm it seems my depth of field is nill. Would you tell me
exactly what equipment (you mentioned extension tubes) you are using???
Thanks, Dave M

* Wolfgang Schmittenhammer wrote :
Troy Piggins wrote:
* Markus Fuenfrocken wrote :
Troy Piggins wrote:
My favourite:
http://piggo.com/~troy/photos.php?al...8/img_8361.jpg
This one is most excellent, congrats! The reflections in the water drops
make it unique. Very sharp, too. Lightning is perfect.
I guess you had to get up early to catch them in the cold rigor, right?

Very nice macro!
Markus

Thanks Markus! Yes, best time is early in the mornings. But
being in Southern Hemisphere and coming into winter, the mornings
are getting colder anyway. These were taken around 7-8am.

Wow, great photos, seems your depth of field is great. When I use my
Nikon 105mm it seems my depth of field is nill. Would you tell me
exactly what equipment (you mentioned extension tubes) you are using???
Thanks, Dave M

Thanks for the comments. EXIF info should be intact for those
photos. My typical settings are ISO 200, f/11, and 1/200s or so
shutter. I always use flash, diffused and on a flash bracket.
Lens is Canon 100mm f/2.8 Macro. Extension tubes are the Kenkon
ones 12mm + 20mm + 36mm giving 68mm total. Always shoot full
Manual with above settings, not aperture or shutter priority etc.

Not sure what apertures you are using, but try sticking with f/9
to f/11 for 1:1 macro shots. Don't more than about f/16 or your
images will end up softer, although it is tempting to get DOF.

Main thing is just to practise the focusing technique. Only use
manual focus, get it roughly where you want it, then slighly move
forwards or backwards until you hit the spot. I know it's hard.
DOF is in the order of millimetres or less.

Hope that helps some

--
Troy Piggins
I always appreciate critique.

Troy Piggins wrote:
* Wolfgang Schmittenhammer wrote :
Troy Piggins wrote:
* Markus Fuenfrocken wrote :
Troy Piggins wrote:
My favourite:
http://piggo.com/~troy/photos.php?al...8/img_8361.jpg
This one is most excellent, congrats! The reflections in the water drops
make it unique. Very sharp, too. Lightning is perfect.
I guess you had to get up early to catch them in the cold rigor, right?

Very nice macro!
Markus
Thanks Markus! Yes, best time is early in the mornings. But
being in Southern Hemisphere and coming into winter, the mornings
are getting colder anyway. These were taken around 7-8am.

Wow, great photos, seems your depth of field is great. When I use my
Nikon 105mm it seems my depth of field is nill. Would you tell me
exactly what equipment (you mentioned extension tubes) you are using???
Thanks, Dave M

Thanks for the comments. EXIF info should be intact for those
photos. My typical settings are ISO 200, f/11, and 1/200s or so
shutter. I always use flash, diffused and on a flash bracket.
Lens is Canon 100mm f/2.8 Macro. Extension tubes are the Kenkon
ones 12mm + 20mm + 36mm giving 68mm total. Always shoot full
Manual with above settings, not aperture or shutter priority etc.

Not sure what apertures you are using, but try sticking with f/9
to f/11 for 1:1 macro shots. Don't more than about f/16 or your
images will end up softer, although it is tempting to get DOF.

Main thing is just to practise the focusing technique. Only use
manual focus, get it roughly where you want it, then slighly move
forwards or backwards until you hit the spot. I know it's hard.
DOF is in the order of millimetres or less.

Hope that helps some

Thanks,
Dave M

* Rita Berkowitz wrote :
Troy Piggins wrote:

Sorry about the jibe, Rita

LOL! No problem.

Been testing out some new diffusers. These were all taken with
100mm lens and extension tubes, 430EX flash with Lumiquest
Softbox diffuser. Quite happy with the lighting. Yet to test
fully the smaller version Mini Softbox.

Cool! I do like the in focus water droplets and the catch light on them is
really nice. The softbox reflections might be a bit distracting, but I
wouldn't worry about them.

Thanks. Bit hard to avoid the flash reflections if you want the
dewdrops too. I quite like it anyway.

--
Troy Piggins
I always appreciate critique.

* Rita Berkowitz wrote :
Troy Piggins wrote:

Cool! I do like the in focus water droplets and the catch light on
them is really nice. The softbox reflections might be a bit
distracting, but I wouldn't worry about them.

Thanks. Bit hard to avoid the flash reflections if you want the
dewdrops too. I quite like it anyway.

I agree, it's probably near impossible unless you remove it in post. How
far away from the subject was the lighting placed? The overall lighting is
really nice and adds more of a natural feeling.

Diffuser is right at the end of lens. I try to expose the
background within a stop or 2 under to get some colour, then fill
flash with 0 to -.3 FEC.
I'll post pics of the setup shortly.

--
Troy Piggins
I always appreciate critique.

On Sun, 29 Jun 2008 07:57:38 +1000, Troy Piggins
wrote:

[snip]
http://piggo.com/~troy/photos.php?al...8/img_8359.jpg

My favourite:
http://piggo.com/~troy/photos.php?al...8/img_8361.jpg

http://piggo.com/~troy/photos.php?al...384-mstack.jpg

http://piggo.com/~troy/photos.php?al...8/img_8405.jpg

Great shots! The third and fourth shots were my favourites.

--
Kulvinder Singh Matharu

Website : www.MetalVortex.com
Contact : www.MetalVortex.com/contact

Blog : www.MetalVortex.com/blog
Experimental : www.NinjaTrek.com

Brain! Brain! What is brain?!

Troy Piggins wrote:
Sorry about the jibe, Rita

http://piggo.com/~troy/photos.php?al...8/img_8359.jpg

My favourite:
http://piggo.com/~troy/photos.php?al...8/img_8361.jpg

I have masks for my softboxes (larger) that make a circular aperture
instead of rectangular. You could probably make masks for the lumiquest
which would make the softbox images in the drops round thereby making
them 'natural'.


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* Alan Browne wrote :
Troy Piggins wrote:
Sorry about the jibe, Rita

http://piggo.com/~troy/photos.php?al...8/img_8359.jpg

My favourite:
http://piggo.com/~troy/photos.php?al...8/img_8361.jpg

I have masks for my softboxes (larger) that make a circular aperture
instead of rectangular. You could probably make masks for the lumiquest
which would make the softbox images in the drops round thereby making
them 'natural'.

Probably. But I'm a little lazy...

--
Troy Piggins
I always appreciate critique.

* Kulvinder Singh Matharu wrote :
On Sun, 29 Jun 2008 07:57:38 +1000, Troy Piggins
wrote:

[snip]
http://piggo.com/~troy/photos.php?al...8/img_8359.jpg

My favourite:
http://piggo.com/~troy/photos.php?al...8/img_8361.jpg

http://piggo.com/~troy/photos.php?al...384-mstack.jpg

http://piggo.com/~troy/photos.php?al...8/img_8405.jpg

Great shots! The third and fourth shots were my favourites.

Thanks mate

--
Troy Piggins
I always appreciate critique.