From the fantastic images I've had the pleasure to view on this forum I have been inspired to enter the Macro World. I've posted one or two images but as ever I have so many questions.
I use a Canon 1D3 a Canon 180mm macro lens and I have made one or two pleasing images with the Canon 70mm-200mm.
From what I read flash could even enhance some shots does any one have any pointers in this respect or recommended books on the subject?
I would appreciate any advice.
Thank you
Posted by Charlie Baugh on June 11, 2011 at 11:39 AM
Welcome to the world of macro, Barry. It seems bottomless. As to flash in macro I have used a ring flash for a few years now and am very far from an expert. I did not read more than a fraction of the manual and your deciding to seek good reading on the subject is a good idea I'm sure. Since coming to NPN about 6 months ago I have changed my view of flash because of critiques received here. I thought of my macro work more as documentary than art and I think NPN leans far more to the art side of photography. I still use flash and always will but I'm more aware of keeping it less blatant.
Good luck in finding good reading on the subject. I wish I ccould help by recommending.
Flash is essential for many macro images, especially insects. Flash doesn't need to be harsh and ugly. One way to learn and understand flash is by reading about portrait photography. The goal is to create light that looks natural and/or dramatic, but not harsh and fake. Try to get your flash away from your camera and diffuse it with something. Good Luck, the macro world is a special place. Carl
Thank you Carl. In my earlier years, I was trained as a medical and scientific photographer (1954) although some years later I graduated from Brooks with a degree in Advertising Illustration. For the earlier training quite a bit of my professional experience was industrial/scientific. I've been teaching photography for the past 22 years which includes a 3 hour class in CU-Macro each semester. When I go out shooting critters or other CU subjects I have a large flash bracket on my DSLR with a 105mm Sigma Macro, I hang a Vivitar flash down from the bracket in which the unit is about an inch above the lens. Camera, lens, and flash are all set manually! The shutter is sync speed, the ASA/ISO is 200, the fstop is 22, the flash is 1/4th power. Now: set the lens at whatever magnification you like then simply frame the subject and focus only by moving the system in and out. Everything from 1/5th of life size to 1:1 will always have exactly the same exposure because as the effective aperture is decreased by close focus, the flash will increase due to decreased distance. The effective exposure will be less than 1,000th sec so no camera movement, no subject movement.
I don't like to use ring light because it is on axis and deadly flat, (kind of makes everything look like its made of injection molded plastic) but a regular flash an inch or so up from the lens gets and nice light angle (as Carl says about portrait light) for entirely adequate texture lighting, but the contrast won't be too high because the size of the flash is physically large relative to the subject size. I often use a 2X TX with my set up in order to get Mag 2:1, all I have to change is the flash from 1/4th power to full power, still using f22.
This technique allows me (or you) to shoot dozens of macros with many fewer failures, perfect color and focus.
Discussion
3 repliesI use a Canon 1D3 a Canon 180mm macro lens and I have made one or two pleasing images with the Canon 70mm-200mm.
From what I read flash could even enhance some shots does any one have any pointers in this respect or recommended books on the subject?
I would appreciate any advice.
Thank you
Good luck in finding good reading on the subject. I wish I ccould help by recommending.
I don't like to use ring light because it is on axis and deadly flat, (kind of makes everything look like its made of injection molded plastic) but a regular flash an inch or so up from the lens gets and nice light angle (as Carl says about portrait light) for entirely adequate texture lighting, but the contrast won't be too high because the size of the flash is physically large relative to the subject size. I often use a 2X TX with my set up in order to get Mag 2:1, all I have to change is the flash from 1/4th power to full power, still using f22.
This technique allows me (or you) to shoot dozens of macros with many fewer failures, perfect color and focus.
Lynn