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Author Topic: ((( MACRO JUNKIES )))  (Read 36314 times)

JohnKoerner

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((( MACRO JUNKIES )))
« on: February 09, 2009, 03:50:47 pm »

Here's what I like to shoot  





Southern Fence Lizard
Canon 100mm, f/5.6, 1/250, ISO 100, handheld, built-in flash





Regal Jumping Spider
Canon 100mm, f/2.8, 1/50, ISO 100, Tripod, MT-24 MacroRinglight flash





Dainty Sulphur
Canon 100mm, f/4.5, 1/320, ISO 100, handheld, no flash





Barred Yellow
Canon 100mm, f/5.6, 1/200, ISO 100, handheld, no flash










.
« Last Edit: February 09, 2009, 09:05:01 pm by JohnKoerner »
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JDClements

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« Reply #1 on: February 09, 2009, 08:14:19 pm »

In the deep of winter, I tend to not do outdoor macro. So, instead, I like to wander around the house looking for stuff. For example:

1. Frost on the patio door at sunrise. (100mm with full set of extension tubes)


2. Stork with "Baby". Perhaps interesting is that the coloured background is actually provided by a portion of a large print of summer macro shot. (Lensbaby with +16 macro)


3. Potentially Evil Baby (Lensbaby with macro, just +10 I think)


4. A dried up leaf that fell off a fig tree and was lying on the floor. (100mm, no tubes)


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JohnKoerner

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« Reply #2 on: February 09, 2009, 09:20:40 pm »

Very interesing!

I think the colors and lighting in your baby shot, and the frost pattern shot, are very nice.

The simple black & white shot of the leaf is something I haven't even thought about taking, but now that I have seen yours I've got plenty of leaves to see if I can come up with anything interesting also.

BTW, I added the shooting info on mine, underneather each shot, so that maybe I could get any corrective setting suggestions. I was also handholding mostly, except for the spider shot (that I took at night w/ a macro ringlight flash). I have just purchased a macro ringlight, as well as a remote switch, so I am going to take a little more time w/ some of my shots to see if I can't maximize the sharpness.

I just happened to see that lizard today sunning himsel today, and quick got my camera to try to get him, but because it was handheld I didn't quite nail it ... and then he ran off. After he split, I took my Giottos tripod out there right next to his perch on an old stump, and I contorted my tripod to the exact posture I will need if I see him again, and so I hope to be able to find him in the exact same spot again tomorrow. If I do, I am going to try my LiveView screen ultra-close manual focus, w/ mirror lock-up, and see if I can take a remote switch shot and really nail the focus this time.

Anyway, I appreciate your own shots and ideas. What kind of 100 mm lens did you use? Also, did you use Digimarc to add your name to the shots?

Thanks!
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pegelli

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« Reply #3 on: February 10, 2009, 03:46:14 am »

John, JD,

I'm a macro junkie too,   and very much like your shots. For me the jumping spider is the real stand-out.

I mainly shoot critters and flowers. Here's some examples (only critters this time)

Fly portrait


Swallowtail Catterpillar:


Moth


Fly on rosemary

All shot with Sony A700 + Minolta 100/2.8 macro lens

C&C welcome
« Last Edit: February 10, 2009, 04:33:59 am by pegelli »
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pieter, aka pegelli

JohnKoerner

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« Reply #4 on: February 10, 2009, 12:16:33 pm »

Nice images Pegelli ... and glad to meet another macro junkie  

I enjoyed them all, but the caterpillar and first fly most especially. The second fly his eyes and thorax were slightly blurred, but the first fly to me is classic macro, well-illuminated and with full detail in the eyes. Bravo!

Attached is my effort this morning with Mr. Lizard again. He complied with my hopes of getting another crack at him w/ a tripod. I find it very challenging to nail this guy perfectly. The extreme "sharpness" of the lizard's scales (all over his body) means that either his head is sharp, but the body comes out a little blurred, or that his body is sharp but that his head comes out slightly blurred. I was hoping to get every bit of him in focus, and I tried higher f/stops etc. to achieve that effect.

Ultimately, I abandoned AF and went manual, with ADep selected, so as to try to get the most of him in-focus that I could. The settings the camera chose were f/5.6, 250, and I had the ISO at 100. I feel I nailed his focus pretty well in the attached shot, and although the coloration is good, to me it isn't as rich or glowing as the first shot I took (which unfortunately wasn't quite focused   ).

I will keep trying though  

Thanks again & hope to see more!

Jack
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smhoer

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« Reply #5 on: February 10, 2009, 01:20:49 pm »

I mainly shoot insect using a Canon MPE 65 macro and ringflash.  We recently moved back into a city (from a 4 acre country property) and I have found it a little more difficult to find subjects in the yard.
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Scott H.
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pegelli

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« Reply #6 on: February 10, 2009, 01:28:17 pm »

Jack (or John   )

Liked your shot. Color temperature maybe a tad cool but sharpness spot on over large parts of his body. You have figured out the deal, as much as possible parallel to the sensor.

Good thing about macro is that it's well manageble next to my busy job. I just go out in my garden and get started.

I almost never use AF, too unpredictable. What I usually do (if I'm doing stuff handheld) is put the lens at a fixed magnification and focus by moving my head (with camera) forward backward until the focus is where I want it. Works great for me. Sometimes I use a monopod using the same technique. Still need to get a ring flash but haven't found a good deal yet.

Here's another older flower shot with my KM5D and the Tamron 70-300LD (which has macro to 1:2).
Hope you like it as well.


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pieter, aka pegelli

JohnKoerner

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« Reply #7 on: February 10, 2009, 02:38:19 pm »

Quote from: smhoer
I mainly shoot insect using a Canon MPE 65 macro and ringflash.  We recently moved back into a city (from a 4 acre country property) and I have found it a little more difficult to find subjects in the yard.

I had to do a double-take on your name, as my brother's name is Scott also  

Nice photo and thanks for sharing. The MP-E 65 is definitely on my list of things to get. In fact, I am going to construct an indoor macro studio just for this lens, because here in FL it is very windy all the time, which renders the delicate instrumentation almost obsolete for arthropods on flowers/leaves and such. For this reason, I think an indoor platform (with moss, leaves, etc. will allow me to collect interesting specimens outside and yet place them indoors so that I can really make the best use of the MP-E 65 at 5:1, and I too have the MT-24 ringlight which is terrific in indoor photography, as I am sure you know  






>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>






Quote from: pegelli
Jack (or John   )

You can call me Jack ... just don't say "Hi Jack!" in a plane  




Quote from: pegelli
Liked your shot. Color temperature maybe a tad cool but sharpness spot on over large parts of his body. You have figured out the deal, as much as possible parallel to the sensor.

I don't think it was the sensor so much as the extreme bright lighting and my not quite having my bearings straight in getting this camera to sing yet. I have a Canon polarizing filter, but it was just too bright at that spot, and I was experimenting with my flash also. In hindsight, it was a bad idea.




Quote from: pegelli
Good thing about macro is that it's well manageble next to my busy job. I just go out in my garden and get started.

I agree 100%! I live on 49 acres of Florida wilderness, and I don't have to travel anywhere to have a virtually unlimited "field day" enjoying myself. I can't wait until spring and summer roll around; my only fear is I will never sleep! All of the butterflies will be everywhere by day, and about 70% of all the other interesting critters here come out at night! My macro ringlight and I will be very busy  




Quote from: pegelli
I almost never use AF, too unpredictable. What I usually do (if I'm doing stuff handheld) is put the lens at a fixed magnification and focus by moving my head (with camera) forward backward until the focus is where I want it. Works great for me. Sometimes I use a monopod using the same technique. Still need to get a ring flash but haven't found a good deal yet.

Thanks for the tip. I am realizing that AF is very limited to macrophotography also, as are auto settings. As I acclimate myself to my camera, I am beginning to find my very best shots are in 'M' mode ... or in 'Tv' mode ...




Quote from: pegelli
Here's another older flower shot with my KM5D and the Tamron 70-300LD (which has macro to 1:2).
Hope you like it as well.

Lovely! Beautiful coloration on both the flower and the background.

I am right now planning my "butterfly garden" for the springtime, and hope to have not just beautiful "flying flowers" everywhere, but stunning background coloration also, to make the best possible effect in my background bokehs. Right now, the background here is a little nasty, as everything is brown, reddish, or yellow. Come spring or summer, however, Florida is absolutely vibrant with greens everywhere and wonderful colors that I can't wait to take advantage of.

In closing for now, I *was* able to get some lizard shots I am well pleased with. I found another specimen on another stump that allowed me to get both an outstanding side shot, focus-wise and color-wise, and I was even able to get close enough to him to get a full head portrait shot. I kinda blew that one a bit by selecting f/2.8, which put his cheek slightly ablur, but his eyes and color were wonderful. The side shot was taken at f/3.5, 1/400, ISO 100 ... and the portrait was taken at f/2.8, 1/400, ISO 100.

Hope you like these,

Jack


EDIT: Both shots here were handheld, no flash. I was able to brace my fingertips from both hands, and the lens even, on the stump to steady the shot.
« Last Edit: February 10, 2009, 02:47:36 pm by JohnKoerner »
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smhoer

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« Reply #8 on: February 10, 2009, 03:46:26 pm »

If you do it in a studio try cross-polarization by mounting polarized film on the ring flash heads and a regular polarizer on the lens.  It does a great job of eliminating harsh reflective highlights off the little critters.  Most all my shots are taken using this technique.
[blockquote][blockquote]
I had to do a double-take on your name, as my brother's name is Scott also  

Nice photo and thanks for sharing. The MP-E 65 is definitely on my list of things to get. In fact, I am going to construct an indoor macro studio just for this lens, because here in FL it is very windy all the time, which renders the delicate instrumentation almost obsolete for arthropods on flowers/leaves and such. For this reason, I think an indoor platform (with moss, leaves, etc. will allow me to collect interesting specimens outside and yet place them indoors so that I can really make the best use of the MP-E 65 at 5:1, and I too have the MT-24 ringlight which is terrific in indoor photography, as I am sure you know  
[/blockquote][/blockquote]
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Scott H.
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JDClements

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« Reply #9 on: February 10, 2009, 05:59:15 pm »

Quote from: JohnKoerner
I just happened to see that lizard today sunning himsel today, and quick got my camera to try to get him, but because it was handheld I didn't quite nail it ... and then he ran off. After he split, I took my Giottos tripod out there right next to his perch on an old stump, and I contorted my tripod to the exact posture I will need if I see him again, and so I hope to be able to find him in the exact same spot again tomorrow. If I do, I am going to try my LiveView screen ultra-close manual focus, w/ mirror lock-up, and see if I can take a remote switch shot and really nail the focus this time.

Anyway, I appreciate your own shots and ideas. What kind of 100 mm lens did you use? Also, did you use Digimarc to add your name to the shots?

I am using the Canon 100 mm, same as yours. Nice piece of glass. I do not use Digimarc. I have Lightroom, and I use LR2/Mogrify to get the watermark. (Which reminds me, now that I know it works like a charm, I need to flip Mr. Armes some moola.)

I have had no luck trying to use liveview with anything that can move. If your subject is frozen in position, I can see it working, but otherwise I find the "rocking method" the best: Set the lens where you want it, then move in to the rough focus, then rock back and forth while watching the point you want to be in focus. As you pass into the focus point, fire away!

Speaking of tripods, I had success in the summer using the tripod on just two legs, and I used that to rock in and out on the subject. That's how I got this ~14mm long grasshopper (100 mm w/ring flash, and I am pretty sure I had some tubes on there):


Some nice shots in this thread!

P.S. the shot above provides the background in the stork shot.
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pegelli

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« Reply #10 on: February 11, 2009, 01:34:09 am »

Daniel, Jack, Scott,

Excellent shots from all of you. I like the lizzards very much (also probably because I never see one in Belgium)
I can't wait to go out with my 100 mm again when the weather improves a bit. Sofar I can only offer older pictures to the thread, but please keep yours coming as well. I'm a real junkie you know  

A spider : if you look closeley you can see he's producing threads for his web:
 

KonicaMinolta 5D + 100/2.8 macto.

Hope you like em, if not no problem to give tips to improve. There's still a lot I need to learn.
« Last Edit: February 11, 2009, 01:36:00 am by pegelli »
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Eric Myrvaagnes

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« Reply #11 on: February 11, 2009, 10:35:55 am »

Lovely work all you guys. You inspire me to learn how to make better use of my nice Canon 100 macro lens. I usually don't go hunting for things smaller than about 6 inches, but now I'm going to give it a try.

Pegelli: That spider with the subtle web threads is stunning!

Eric

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DarkPenguin

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« Reply #12 on: February 11, 2009, 10:46:44 am »

I like the flower (I want a stamen's magazine joke here) and lizard (giecography?) photos.  But the buggery ones are just icky.  We're out of the Paleozoic so I don't need to see bugs that size.
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pegelli

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« Reply #13 on: February 11, 2009, 01:58:48 pm »

Quote from: EricM
Pegelli: That spider with the subtle web threads is stunning!

Thanks. It was taken before I got my 100 macro with the budget Tamron 70-300LD. Not a bad result for a 125 € lens I would think  

Quote from: DarkPenguin
I like the flower (I want a stamen's magazine joke here) and lizard (giecography?) photos.  But the buggery ones are just icky.  We're out of the Paleozoic so I don't need to see bugs that size.

 

How about a compromise:
Large flower and small fly. Taken with a trusty old Minolta beercan (70-210/4)
 , the flower she's on is pretty too
« Last Edit: February 11, 2009, 01:59:58 pm by pegelli »
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pieter, aka pegelli

JohnKoerner

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« Reply #14 on: February 12, 2009, 02:11:44 am »

Quote from: EricM
Lovely work all you guys. You inspire me to learn how to make better use of my nice Canon 100 macro lens. I usually don't go hunting for things smaller than about 6 inches, but now I'm going to give it a try.
Pegelli: That spider with the subtle web threads is stunning!
Eric


That is what I had hoped would happen by starting this thread, is to have some folks blow off the dust on their macros

I thought it would be nice to see others' photos, and I feel I have also gotten some nice tips from Scott & JD (thanks guys!). And really, not just on some technical ideas, but creatively as well. Would never really have thought about taking a super-close-up of a porcelain figurine for example ... but I liked the effect. Would never have thought about polarizing the flashes either.

Some photo comments ... that is one YELLOW photo JD
Was the stalk the grasshopper was walking on staged or natural?

Nice shot of the brown house spider Pegelli (although I think he's supposed to be hanging upside-down). What did you use for a background, just the sky? The light background helps illuminate his hairs ..

Enjoyed the honeybee too ... but that rose photo really did it for me. Excellent! I like the colors, the textures, everything about that photo. In fact, it made me realize how flower-poor I am right now. I think I am going to get a few flowers down at the nursery tomorrow. I am planning a butterfly garden, but I think I will go ahead and just get a few flowers now to use as macro subjects themselves.

I am grateful for the ideas and suggestions from one and all, especially the ones through the photos themselves

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pegelli

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« Reply #15 on: February 12, 2009, 02:36:41 am »

Quote from: JohnKoerner
Nice shot of the brown house spider Pegelli (although I think he's supposed to be hanging upside-down). What did you use for a background, just the sky? The light background helps illuminate his hairs ..

It was hanging this way up and most of them around my garden are when I see them. The light background is actually a white brick wall ~ 20 cm (8 inch) behind the web which why I had to shoot it from the belly side, since I couldn't get inbetween to shoot the nice white cross on the back of these species.

Quote from: JohnKoerner
Enjoyed the honeybee too ... but that rose photo really did it for me. Excellent! I like the colors, the textures, everything about that photo. In fact, it made me realize how flower-poor I am right now. I think I am going to get a few flowers down at the nursery tomorrow. I am planning a butterfly garden, but I think I will go ahead and just get a few flowers now to use as macro subjects themselves.

I am grateful for the ideas and suggestions from one and all, especially the ones through the photos themselves

Jack, thanks for the compliment. I've posted this one on another forum in the past and got good comments back there as well. Some people even said they could smell it  

Btw, you posted your reply past 2 pm your time. Are you a Night Junkie as well as a Macro Junkie ?
« Last Edit: February 12, 2009, 02:39:00 am by pegelli »
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JDClements

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« Reply #16 on: February 12, 2009, 05:21:19 pm »

Quote from: JohnKoerner
Some photo comments ... that is one YELLOW photo JD
Was the stalk the grasshopper was walking on staged or natural?
Completely natural. To the naked eye, it was not much more than a blade of grass running through the flower. I was actually taking pictures of the flowers, searching for a composition through the lens, and that's when I first saw the wee grasshopper.
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zeke

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« Reply #17 on: February 12, 2009, 06:51:53 pm »

Jack, Scott, JD, pegelli, et. al.,

These are really excelent shots. The lenses are more important than the camera body, but can you guys tell me what bodies you used?  

I currently have a Canon Rebel XT but plan to upgrade to a 40d or 50d soon. I'm interested in doing macro work too, especially after seeing what you've produced.

Thanks,
zeke
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« Reply #18 on: February 12, 2009, 08:17:52 pm »

Zeke,

The first batch I posted are taken with a Canon 5D MkII, the grasshopper pic is with a Rebel XTi.
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smhoer

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« Reply #19 on: February 12, 2009, 08:26:53 pm »

Some of mine were taken with a rebel and some with a 1DsII.
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Scott H.
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