How I shoot MACRO - New Lighting test for 150mm macro (2010 Aug)

 am doing quite alot of testing and still looking for time to share the end result but I feel it is important to solve the lighting for my SIGMA 150mm F2.8 which is a good range for macro but due to the distance to the object, flash use tent to be harsh so far and it only use for fill flash/Natural Light macro so far.

I make use one of my test with MP-E65 , a UV + light Tent which mentioned before @ 2010 Jul new lighting testing

I will get few good test and share the result by end of this week ...

and I just got my SIGMA180 and hope I have some time to give it a try


so for test 1 - 2 Aug 2010
i. SIGMA 150 F2.8
ii. Canon 5dm2
iii. Kenko ET 36mm  & 1.4x TC
iv. UV Diffuser  (picture below show how U.. but V still a hidden secret)

v. Light Tent with Vellum paper (previously use for MP-E65)










UPDATE .... I am trying to drawing what I going to achieve

not a very good diagram, but it show I trying to avoid direct my flash light toward the object and why I have the long "U" diffuser is to provide little light to the background.





pdate result from this setup @ http://liewwk-macro.blogspot.com/2010/08/how-i-shoot-macro-lighting-result-for.html

How I shoot MACRO - Results of 2010 May Lighting

am busy these few days with works, family ... just want to share some quick result from the new lighting discuss in May 2010 Lighting
or


the light look amazing , it produce the softness and the natural look (flashless) which I think I will continue to use this minimum another better version is out

i. this little termite move non-stop and I found it will rest for 2-3 s every very move .. then this is my opportunity to use this reflective insect to test my new lighting


ii. a wasp just woke up


more will be coming ....

Review - Results of 2010 - MACRO light test plan 1

not much things found today but lucky got similar object while I use old light setup ( puffer - pop-up flash diffuser put in front of mt-24 flash head)

let's see the light reflection on the damselfly

1. old shot with puffer diffusers
7:1 shot - hot spot found on eye with the mt flash head reflection


should be very close to ~5:1 - think this one I had did some PP on it's eye reflection portion using method clone reflective body share previously


2. new plastic cup diffuser which share here

result - no clone reflective , no dodge and burn
- curve increase contrast
- noise ninja
- stacked 3 shots into 1


think the plastic cup diffuser method did the good job. but as it is little too bulky, big element just in front of my len, so it is not so convenient on shy bug .. or even no so shy type may flew off due to the plastic cup extend out .... am not sure will I continue use this but then definitely a good MACRO lighting setup for mt24.

How I Shoot MACRO - new start ...

I am going to test out new setting for my macro shooting and lighting for coming 2-3 weeks time.
this time I will use one of my favorite macro shooter diffuse method by Stephen @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/9578475@N02/

"plastic Cup Diffuser", which I tried few months back while I tried to use a styrofoam plate (different materiel) compare to Stephen one.

will share more picture and output ...

2010 - MACRO light test plan 1
simple setup ...

How I shoot MACRO - MT24 with Difuser 2010plan01

was planning this and test with few similar option before but never got any good result. but then decide to share this even I feel this still having problem with my setup

why am I building a bigger diffuser
1. larger light size
2. softer light
3. my long MACRO len (SIGMA150) need better and larger diffuser (I need something work for both of my MP-E65 & SIGMA150)

so my testing make up of

1. pop up flash diffuser




2. styro foam bowl& Kitchen towel paper


3. final setup





sample output .. (sorry trying to get back the original setup but the beetle flew off)





(minimum PP done on above pictures)

based on last picture show above (my large diffuser is from right from my len and the small one is on left) overall the light diffuser better than my previous one (I personal feel)
but it create bad shadow after 3:1 which mean I lost 4-5:1 while using my MPE , think this could be over size of my big diffuser ... will try to make it smaller next round

How I shoot MACRO - angle is important

I had share this to most of my MACRO gang, "angle" to shoot the bugs is very important. Angle need to be choose to control
1. better DOF
2. better BG
3. show beauty of the object

and in general I had discuss @previous post How I shoot MACRO - Composition, angle ...

I can't provide too many samples but will keep on to post relevant sample as I got relevant sample pictures ...

as for last week , I got a chance to see a pair of weevil mating on the tree trunk and I know this will be good for this so I decide to make few shots to show the different effect on BG while using different angle

below is a picture show the situation


and as for the sample of common 90 degree to the object and we are easier to get max DOF but the BG will look like


a dark/black BG will be produce as full flash use, so we could try to make leave behind the object as sample (different object but still a beetle on tree but with brown leaf behind as BG - hand make :D )


but then while we shift out angle a bit higher to make the tree body as BG


- this will be better in term of overall picture but then it is not easy to get both Weevil in focus due to the DOF limit. so even we move to upper but we still need to control the angle where both weevil eye can be in focus


some add-on on the weevil, this weevil is small one and I shoot it with coin as comparison before as below



and again we really should thanks MACRO photography to allow us to see something where we normally can't view through human eye

a big magnification of same type of Weevil

special write for my gang .... Philip Wee

a gang of mine, asking for poison (wny am I using mt24) ... so while our last week outing in a reserve jungle we tried to shoot the same beetle (normally I stop shooting the long horned beetle... I just have too many of them) with same gears (canon 5dm2, mpe65...) except the light different.. I am using mt24 setup as below


and he is using my old setup as below


I am sharing this to him with minimum of PP and waiting for his post too to have compare ...

a portrait mode


a landscape mode


just hope he will post his ASAP .. and I will update his picture here



but let share my capture

he is replying this fast with picture

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4019/4321311593_883c642c1a_o.jpg