Should I stack ???

This is to share and get some response should I do stack which I share @ how I increase my Macro picture DOF

so ... let give me some comment

1. Stacked with 9 pictures to 1
- CombineZM + Masking


2. the original picture that focus on face + eye

liewwk new lighting :D

Just got my new toy ... and will share what and how later .. :D

I got this new setup end of Feb 2009 :D



and will share more different between previous setup with this mt24

Dengue cases is High now in Malaysia

What is Dengue
Dengue cases have been rise rapidly recently in few place within west Malaysia e.g. Kuala Lumpur, Seremban, Melaka, Perak and etc. Beside take note of not keeping "dead water" near resident area and kill the mosquitoes using different method.

Actually by using natural way - rule of life, get those bug/animal/reptile to eat or so call kill the bugs will be another good method :D

How
e.g.
i. plant flowers which will attract dragonfly/damselfly which will eat the mosquitoes which will reduce number of mosquitoes nearby your area

I got few samples shots to share how the bug will eat the mosquito

i. damselfly




ii. spider which love to stay near house plant flower


iii. robberfly which normally stay near by jungle





let work together to reduce ...

A Rare Catch ... Spiky Caterpillar ...

got this guy... and so excited .. thanks Shunfa....

CANON 50D, CANON MPE-65, SpeedLite 580II with Kirk flash bracket

1. what : Caterpillar - Spiky, black head + dark brown body
2. where : jungle
3. when : morning
4. how : never move if not toughing it, but it head keep moving
5. size : ~18-20mm(long)


1. hello ..........



@~1.5:1 .. 2 stacked 1

2.

MACRO PP2 : How I control Background

I know this is not easy as what I experience but i am sharing some easy way to achieve background (either black or color) ...

based on some voting from my flickr contact from sample Green or Black
there people like black background and also some prefer natural green ... make it short there are few type of background which we can achieve easily

1. black background
this is most easy to achieve while flash use... make sure angle of shooting the object background (40mm apart) do not have anything, then use flash, low ISO, big F number/small aperture (e.g. F11, F16) then the background will be black :D as below



2. natural color background
i. do not use flash and choose flat/clean background
- but this going to need good lighting, tripod or both to get really sharp/focus picture

e.g.



ii. fake or human make BG (which I normally do)
- hand hold or make a BG with leaf (dry or fresh) just 20-30mm alway from the object (depend on magnification)
- move your object to nearby BG (20-40mm alway depend magnification) ... choose whatever BG you wish to have :D

e.g


iii. the setting to get the BG color
normally while we have below setting or combine, the BG color will be bring out. but be careful of selecting the BG as if non clean BG choose may cause distractive BG instead a good BG

- high ISO normally 400-800 will give you good result
- lower F number/big aperture (f2.8-7.1) but this will create DOF concern (DOF will become swallow)
- lower Shutter speed 1/8-1/30
- this is very much depend on BG adjacent distance too... if it is really far (>300mm) ... use other method

e.g (same object no fake BG make, flash use)

# Exposure Time (1 / Shutter Speed) = 1/40 second = 0.025 second
# Lens F-Number/F-Stop = 71/10 = F7.1
# Exposure Program = manual control (1)
# ISO Speed Ratings = 400



########################

# Exposure Time (1 / Shutter Speed) = 1/200 second = 0.005 second
# Lens F-Number/F-Stop = 11/1 = F11
# Exposure Program = manual control (1)
# ISO Speed Ratings = 100





enjoy ..................

Kemensah Water Fall (Spot 6)

INTRO
This is a place of my MACRO gang give good rating to make me decide to make a trip here where this place locate near Zoo Negara, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Few rounds been here actually this is a good macro ground, and there is few track available (or visit by me)
i. Kemensah Waterfall chalet
ii. hiking hill track toward water fall (do not go alone as this place seem not really safe from robber, wild animal, ...)

Rate of this Spot -- A
good place where it is near (not far from Zoo), and it consist multiple variety bug for macro ... few rare bugs in other location are common here e.g.

i. giraffe weevil (male)



ii. Orsima ichneumon


iii. a lot of damselfly



[am doing stitching (pano) on this damselfly as mpe 65 do not do <1:1 and it can't fit in single frame ]

iv. mayfly



... enjoy

Hutan Rekreasi Ulu Bendol (MACRO Spot 5)

INTRO
I am sorry that I was busy for pass few month with my new setup and stop sharing MACRO spot ... here you go I am continue to explore and share

I had been this reserve forest 17th Jan 2009, which locate near Kuala Pilah, Negeri Sembilan, Melaysia. (as usual who need the GPS location can alway email me and I will try to email you)

I was here while college time where I came here for hiking (was doing hiking while young :D ) and this is the entrance of Gunung Angsi (2702 feet).. lol .. i will do it again next trip and sure I will bring my gear for some landscape too and hope I still can go up there easily :D


Rate of this Spot -- A
OK... let start, this place is a good place where the track is side by side a stream where you can feel the cold air and bug like this place :D.

Bug here big (found inch big robberfly, jumping spider and mayfly) and lighting is not that bad as compare to other forest...

Some Pictures to share
1. mayfly which it have very short life span and this is rare to me as it is inch big



2. robberfly having lunch .. saw minimum 3 same type of robber (silver) which rare for me too




3. Green tiger beetle (not a good picture but i know this guy is sensitive so I just too rush to get this picture)


4. was in the feet deep stream to shoot some rare damselfly (ohh i missed the mating picture)




5. beautiful fly