The Photographers' Corner - 2021 to ?

[TOOLMAN]

Great shots Toolman and BubbaChris!

Thanks,

I got into macro photography after I retired, a few years ago. With macro photography, even when it’s very cold and snowing outside, you can always find something to shoot. I use microscope objective lens on an Olympus EM-1

 

[Ronstar]

Thanks,

I got into macro photography after I retired, a few years ago. With macro photography, even when it’s very cold and snowing outside, you can always find something to shoot. I use microscope objective lens on an Olympus EM-1

Very nice - that upper right dandelion photo is off the charts incredible! They all are, but there is something about that pic.

 

[TOOLMAN]

Very nice - that upper right dandelion photo is off the charts incredible! They all are, but there is something about that pic.

Thanks,

People seem to either love, or hate extreme macro.

Most don’t like photos of insects, but I find they have lots of interesting details.

 

[aja8888]

Thanks,

People seem to either love, or hate extreme macro.

Most don’t like photos of insects, but I find they have lots of interesting details.

The front end of a fly is incredibly complex!

 

[TOOLMAN]

Too soon?

 

[stepford]

Toolman I'm curious about your focus stacked images. Did you use a focus rail to get image components at a specific spacing and use stacking software to combine them? Can you do this with live critters? When I was doing a lot of macro I did this more haphazardly (grab a bunch of different handheld images before the critter moves and just combine the sharp bits by hand in photoshop). I suspect my way took longer and I'm certain that your results look better. Well done.

 

[TOOLMAN]

Toolman I'm curious about your focus stacked images. Did you use a focus rail to get image components at a specific spacing and use stacking software to combine them? Can you do this with live critters? When I was doing a lot of macro I did this more haphazardly (grab a bunch of different handheld images before the critter moves and just combine the sharp bits by hand in photoshop). I suspect my way took longer and I'm certain that your results look better. Well done.

I got interested in this about 5 years ago when extreme macro was just starting. I started out with a manual focus rail then bought an automated focus stacking rail. This is a good place to start. learning Extreme Macro Photography

99% of the time the subject must be dead, or not moving. Here is a live example of some aphids. Where there is a blur, they moved.

Often I take 100 -200 shots then combine them with software to make a single image. I use Helicon Focus to combine all the images into one.

At higher magnifications you advance the camera about 0.003 inches. At higher magnification everything gets more important; lighting, vibration, exposure etc.

 

[TOOLMAN]

Some more examples of my extreme macro pic

 

[f35phixer]

Very cool , so many questions…..

I’ll start with link, thanks.

 

[Ronstar]

Thanks for the link and your help! I always wanted to do some macro photography -especially in bad weather.

I downloaded Helicon and ran a small test. I'm hooked. I probably won't be getting into insects, but small details of things. Mostly my woodworking projects.

Thanks again!


ETA - one thing I noticed - small specks of dust, etc really show up in macros

 

[donheff]

Thanks for the link and your help! I always wanted to do some macro photography -especially in bad weather.

I downloaded Helicon and ran a small test. I'm hooked. I probably won't be getting into insects, but small details of things. Mostly my woodworking projects.

Thanks again!

I never heard of this before. Very cool. Twenty years ago I used open source Astro Stack software to combine multiple images taken thru my homemade telescope. It sounds like a similar process but focused on improving definition rather than depth of field.

 

[f35phixer]

Still one lone Osprey, guessing a loner never saw two at same time.
https://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/season-osprey-about/26299/

Just watched this about Osprey migration, very good !!!
amazing the number of nest platforms they put into marsh area !

Haven't seen eagles lately ;-(

Saw Red-Bellied woodpecker, digging hole into telephone pole, i said dude, no bugs in there ;-)

 

[Ronstar]

^ My Nikon has a focus shifting option that automates a series of photos with a slight focus shift between each photo. Can take 100’s of photos with 1 click. It doesn’t automatically combine them though. I suppose many cameras have this option now.

It looks like it starts the series at the focus that the user sets, then increments a series of shots until focused at infinity or reaches the number of requested shots. The user enters a factor by which to increment.

 

[TOOLMAN]

Thanks for the link and your help! I always wanted to do some macro photography -especially in bad weather.

I downloaded Helicon and ran a small test. I'm hooked. I probably won't be getting into insects, but small details of things. Mostly my woodworking projects.

Thanks again!


ETA - one thing I noticed - small specks of dust, etc really show up in macros

Nice results.

I am self taught. I have had hours of fun playing around with macro. Extreme macro photography is not new, it dates to the early days of photography.

Wilson Alwyn Bentley (February 9, 1865 – December 23, 1931)


I find Helicon to be the best. Helicon gave me a lifetime subscription as I have made some presentations at universities on extreme macro.

 

[TOOLMAN]

^ My Nikon has a focus shifting option that automates a series of photos with a slight focus shift between each photo. Can take 100’s of photos with 1 click. It doesn’t automatically combine them though. I suppose many cameras have this option now.

It looks like it starts the series at the focus that the user sets, then increments a series of shots until focused at infinity or reaches the number of requested shots. The user enters a factor by which to increment.

It's becoming more and more common. Focus stacking is often used for landscape photography for unlimited DOF. No more checking the Hyper Focal Distance.

I used a mirrorless Olympus as I don't wear out the shutter. It has focus stacking software built in but you are limited to 1X macro. If you want higher magnification than 1X you normally must use a focus rail. There is a Nikon focus stacking adaptors, however.

I use the MJKZZ focusing rail.

 

[TOOLMAN]

I never heard of this before. Very cool. Twenty years ago I used open source Astro Stack software to combine multiple images taken thru my homemade telescope. It sounds like a similar process but focused on improving definition rather than depth of field.

Nice pic.

It's the same basic idea, but with extreme macro you don't use a dark frames as part of the stack.

I have used star stacker software with my 600mm lens, but I don't have a motorized star tracker camera mount.

If your camera can map and remove hot pixels you should run that before you start an extreme macro shoot.

 

[BubbaChris]

TOOLMAN, is the beetle showing a partial reflection of your rig? Just curious.

Best regards,
Chris

 

[TOOLMAN]

TOOLMAN, is the beetle showing a partial reflection of your rig? Just curious.

Best regards,
Chris

Yes it's a reflection. Here is the same bug taken at 4X where there is no reflection. Sometimes it can't be avoided.

 

[TOOLMAN]

TOOLMAN, is the beetle showing a partial reflection of your rig? Just curious.

Best regards,
Chris

Some examples with reflections.

If there is a compound eye, you don't get as many reflections.

 

[BubbaChris]

TOOLMAN, thanks! I was more curious than anything else. You get to decide if reflections are okay or not.

I used to sell on eBay and for wristwatches and similar small items I'd see what I could avoid. There was a famous teapot photo where the photographers lack of attire was cause for suspect intentions.

Best regards,
Chris

 

[TOOLMAN]

TOOLMAN, thanks! I was more curious than anything else. You get to decide if reflections are okay or not.

I used to sell on eBay and for wristwatches and similar small items I'd see what I could avoid. There was a famous teapot photo where the photographers lack of attire was cause for suspect intentions.

Best regards,
Chris

Thanks

I also shoot wildlife, and sometimes people post close ups pics of animals “taken in the wild”, but some times the reflections in the eye shows a zoo shot instead.

 

[AZflowers]

Hi fellow photography lovers. What fine examples you're showing! I'd like to participate, if I can figure this out. (I'm learning Mac, my Windows recently died.)



Oh wow! It worked! The title should be "I have chickens"

 

[MissMolly]

Hi fellow photography lovers. What fine examples you're showing! I'd like to participate, if I can figure this out. (I'm learning Mac, my Windows recently died.)

View attachment 40843

Oh wow! It worked! The title should be "I have chickens"

Great job! Nice shot.

 

[braumeister]

Beautiful hawk. One of my favorite birds.

 

[AZflowers]

Many thanks. I've been a lurker these many years because I really can't respond to most of the topics -- I didn't retire early, and financially I'm hanging on by the skin of my teeth. But I do love reviewing photos others have taken. So I'll try to be a good participant.