Macro Photography (with new toys that I got for Xmas)

DrunkenZombiee · January 03, 2012, 05:36:37 PM

I got some macro tubes for Xmas and I have been playing with them.

*EDIT* These are pretty much straight from the camera and have not been altered in any way, no crop or anything only RAW to JPEG conversion. *END EDIT*

I need to rig up some decent lighting as I am having to use very high ISO to get the shots I want most of the time (as you will see by the pics). I am thinking about getting a cheap ring flash (not really a ring flash but a ring of LED's mounted to the front of your lens).

One of the Mrs'es Xmas presents. Managed to achieve the vingette style photo with an LED torch shining directly into the middle just underneath and to the right of the lens. This meant I could crank the ISO right up and have the Diaphram as close to shut as possible (f/22).

Bit more zoom. The DOF here is tiny!

A friend has some Bearded Dragons which I love to take photos of. This is the pick of the bunch but there is lots of noise due to the high ISO as I didn't want to blind the poor things with another light source.

A "cute" photo of the presentation of flowers by the lizard.

Not quite as good a photo but less noise.

I am looking forward to taking some nature shots in the summer when there is good light!

DZ

Sneakytiger · January 03, 2012, 06:08:10 PM

i had a 75-300 zoom lens for crimbo gonna have a play soon

oldmanJoe · February 03, 2012, 03:33:14 PM

Not bad! Like the Bearded Dragons especially. The super slow connection at my parent's home made me wait for several minutes for the pictures, but it was worth it

The jewelry is really nice, as well.

smilodon · February 03, 2012, 06:09:16 PM

Very nice. As always I cannot keep my observations about photography to myself and so.......

One observation is that when we roll up the ISO we can add noise to our pictures. The pics of the beardies show this peppery (my weird term sorry) effect on the background. I don't think you really need to set the ISO so high? Open up the aperture as wide as it goes (f2, f2.8, f3.5 or whatever) and let the shutter speed look after itself. Jewellery won't move at all

and I don't think Bearded Dragons move much either. You should still get good DOF but with a much lower ISO (400,800) you won't see the speckly effect of noise. Long focal lengths also improve depth of field but that's obviously less obtainable with macro work.

Still as I say I think you picked some great subjects and got great shots as well.

Luminance · February 04, 2012, 03:23:10 PM

Quote from: smilodon;343595Very nice. As always I cannot keep my observations about photography to myself and so.......

One observation is that when we roll up the ISO we can add noise to our pictures. The pics of the beardies show this peppery (my weird term sorry) effect on the background. I don't think you really need to set the ISO so high? Open up the aperture as wide as it goes (f2, f2.8, f3.5 or whatever) and let the shutter speed look after itself. Jewellery won't move at all and I don't think Bearded Dragons move much either. You should still get good DOF but with a much lower ISO (400,800) you won't see the speckly effect of noise. Long focal lengths also improve depth of field but that's obviously less obtainable with macro work.

Still as I say I think you picked some great subjects and got great shots as well.

That was pretty much exactly what I was thinking, albeit in Dutch

smilodon · February 04, 2012, 07:59:43 PM

I don't speak Dutch so it had to be in English, then again I don't speak that very well either!

Luminance · February 05, 2012, 02:45:36 AM

Lucky for you this is a forum and not Skype-ish, so typing will suffice. And you seem to be able to pull that of quite well.

As for photographing animals DZ. Your first and third photograph of the Dragon is a pretty standard shot. I have too many similar shots of different colours in different Zoo's. And especially with slow(er) moving animals, it's the kind of shot you will most definitely make, as in most of the time, it will give a nice picture.
But the problem with nice, is that it won't stay so interesting. As with Zoo animals, pretty much any idiot with a camera and at least basic photography experience, will shoot exactly the same one especially with all the new intelligent camera's.
So a good or even excellent photograph, won't be decided on sharpness/light alone. In order to get better shots, you need to catch an animal doing something (unique) or create a more unique setting. Thats why your 2nd photograph of the dragon is far better in my opinion. Not even does it look more active/lively. With the different angle (which give much nicer detail of the scales) you enhanced the beauty/features of the animal. And you also introduced a lively colour (albeit not intentionally) with that half blurred purple flower. Must say I'm quite jealous of that shot, wouldn't have mind at all adding it to my own photograph sellection (If I had shot it myself).

So apart from the technical improvements Smilo suggested. You can also get even more interesting shots, when you start to play with angles, focus, photograph off center, wait for other animals to join your setting or wait for them to be the center of something more livingly (Let it stick out it's tongue, or snap a shot while its feeding/hunting/fighting/prowling/cuddling. And with static objects, think of shadow play, shittering of lights, waiting for the sun to start to set, wait for clouds or even rain can make a shot more interesting) The shots that are the hardest to make, often give the most interesting Photos (especially when you have something semi-unique) and will give you a much more for-filling feeling (at least, that's the case for me now).

But never forget, that luck, plays a big part in Photography. So even though better gear, superior technical understanding and more experience will favor the odds for excellent shots, luck will always be a big part in it (for the good, or for the bad).

DrunkenZombiee · February 08, 2012, 03:57:05 AM

These were test shots to try out the new toys. Really happy with the results from my first 2 times attached to the camera.

These were all taken handheld indoors and out of a studio with just some macro tubes and my 50mm 1.8 and 70-30mm tammy. With the tubes you have little control over the DOF so I have to up the aperture to get control over what is an is not in focus, I don't have pro gear so little control over composition compared to a pro tog. The beardies were in a really dull room with just a heat lamp lighting them; I was also really limited to angles and space due to the position of the tank they were in as my friend has them in the corner of the room so they don't freak out so much.

The ISO doesn't bother me as it needed more than a third of a second shutter speed as I was hand holding the camera. Might put it through a filter later and loose some sharpness for less grain in the image.

My style and preference is to get the eyes in focus and try to blur as much as possible to try and bring out some character, see my avatar of a killer swan. I just like it for some reason and its kind of my style/signature picture.

I am cursing myself for not bringing my tubes out here with me to Phoenix Arizona as could have got some interesting shots in the desert and in the mountains. There was a hummingbird feeding right next to me the other day but I didn't have the camera to hand as was on a work lunch with clients =(.

Have fun freezing your behinds off in Europe =P.

DZ.