First macro insect, but need help

NDS

NDS

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Nigel
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Spider by NDS on Talk Photography

I have only tried flowers or still life macro until now, but I thought I'd try my hand at an insect. I was pleased with this, but it was only possible because he sat still for half an hour! It took ages to focus on his eyes, not least because the wind kept blowing the web back and forth. I stuck a milk bottle on my flash, which seemed to help with the lighting.

How do you lot manage to capture moving subjects? Do you use a tripod? How do you get the focus right?

Any help greatly appreciated as I quite enjoyed this, but found it very frustrating!
 
Welcome... It is very frustrating but very rewarding when you get the shot.

What kit do you have? Have you checked out the show us your macro rig rig thread.

Depending on kit my go to settings are f11 1/200s and ISO 200 this is with using flash, also 99% of us don't use tripods a few do but for wild life subjects it becomes a hindrance rather than a help.

Above shot is a very nice and composed and focused very well.

Practice Practice Practice.
 
Thanks Bryn.

I was using a Nikon D810 and a speedlight with a milk bottle shoved on it. I had a 200mm lens with some extension tubes on.

As you mentioned, the tripod seemed more of a nuisance, but I wasn't sure how to focus accurately without it and LiveView. Basically, I zoomed in on LiveView and shifted the tripod slowly until I found the focus. I then held the speedlight near the spider and used the auto-timer. It was painstaking!

If you hand-hold the camera, do you use the viewfinder to get your focus? I'm not sure my eye's are that good! Also I couldn't seem to hold the camera steady enough while crouching down and pointing it up. If I hadn't used the tripod, I would have probably taken a hundred shots until my batteries ran out and hoped for the best - or is that the key?!! Presumably the practice would then improve the hit ratio?
 
Hi Nigel, I am not an expert in this field and still in a learning process. The key is - practice, I know it doesn't sound too helpful but it is the way I learn. I tend to look through the viewfinder, rocking back and fore, till I see a better focus on the object. When doing the back and fore thing, press the shutter when you know it is getting close to the best focus.

Of course, it depends on other factors, such as wind, the position where you stand etc, in general speaking, my hit rate is around 1/5 to 1/10 but I used to take about 25 if not more to get a slightly better one. Everyone has different set-up and different way to get the focus, but shouldn't be too far off, so just try what we have done then you will find a way that suits you the most.

I mainly use a 36mm extension tube + Tamron 90mm (non-VC) with a cheap ringflash or sometimes with a flash gun on a C bracket. Hope it helps and from the image I see above, won't be long you will get excellent shots and please show them to us, let me jealous :p
 
How many tubes were you using? Macro gets harder as you increase the magnification.

I would suggest using 1 tube first and practice on that to get the technique. I'm slightly different than others cause I do both manual focus ring adjustments and back and forth rocking.

You have a 100% viewfinder compared to my 60% one. And the IQ you will get off that d810 should be next to none.

I never touch liveview I just don't like it so always through viewfinder. Plus the focus box is just way too big to get focus on a bugs eye. You will get your eye in eventually it's just about training it muscles memory and all. Practice on larger subjects but unfortunately your live subject matter season is coming to a close, won't be much around soon.
 
hoftwi said:
my hit rate is around 1/5 to 1/10 but I used to take about 25 if not more to get a slightly better one.
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I don't keep count, but I just looked at three sessions and I kept around one in ten for those. Some days are much worse. I get very high failure rates for some scenes, including ones where none of the shots are worth keeping. It depends on various things - the size of the subject, whether it is moving, whether what it is on is fixed or can move in the breeze, how much breeze there is, whether the subject is in an easy or difficult to get at position, the ambient light, the shininess of the subject and more.

hoftwi said:
Everyone has different set-up and different way to get the focus, .... so just try what we have done then you will find a way that suits you the most.
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Good advice.

Tintin124 said:
Macro gets harder as you increase the magnification.

I would suggest using 1 tube first and practice on that to get the technique.
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More good advice.

Tintin124 said:
I'm slightly different than others cause I do both manual focus ring adjustments and back and forth rocking.
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I'm different again. Today I used autofocus some of the time, rocking focus most of the time, and focus ring adjustment some of the time. Which I use depends on the circumstances of the shot - and my mood :).

Tintin124 said:
I never touch liveview I just don't like it so always through viewfinder. Plus the focus box is just way too big to get focus on a bugs eye.
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Another difference. I always use live view, and almost never use the viewfinder.

Tintin124 said:
You will get your eye in eventually it's just about training it muscles memory and all.
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Very true.

Tintin124 said:
Practice on larger subjects but unfortunately your live subject matter season is coming to a close, won't be much around soon.
Click to expand...

I often suggest that in the early stages people start with objects that don't move at all - it doesn't really matter what, for example household items, little stones/bits of grit, fallen leaves or whatever from the garden. This reduces the number of variables you have to cope with while you experiment with various techniques and start developing muscle memory.

As to tripods, I use one almost all the time. I use a rather strange tripod, but some of the techniques I use can be used, some of the time, with a normal tripod. I occasionally us the tripod normally, but most of the time I use it like some other people use a pole, stick or monopod to provide some support and stability, helping to damp down hand-shake vibrations, while still allowing flexibility. What you can't do most of the time is line up a shot on a tripod and then use the self timer. You need very still air and a stationary subject for that.
 
Bryn has covered it all here Nigel. No tripod. My settings differ slightly. 1/250th, F/10 and ISO 250. However I often use the same settings as Bryn also.

Likewise, I have heavily diffused flash also. Macro is tough but addictive once you get it. You have to watch the bugs, learn their behaviour and sometimes if one flies off, just wait and it'll come back. Nosy little critters they are :)

Your shot is lovely, Great tones, nice and sharp. Lovely composition and I really really like that horizontal web perspective.
 
Tintin124 said:
So you should have said "he is a she" lol instead of she is a she lmfao :facepalm: :banghead:
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Of course I called her a she... I would never call a he a she or a she a he to her or his face though... LMAO :LOL: :cautious:

Paul.
 
alfbranch said:
A couple of points this is not an insect but it is a spider (arachnid) subject ID can be very interesting and an enlightening experience.

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Ha, beat me to it.;)
 
Thanks for all the advice. Unfortunately it does sound like there's no magic technique and it will be a lot of trial and error.

I tried the link to see other people's rigs and they are something to behold! I like the idea of off camera flash, but it seems like that approach would be far too cumbersome.

As for the fact that a spider is not an insect - you've jogged my memory of biology lessons too long ago! I should have remembered :facepalm: I had no idea about "he" being a "she" though. I presume there must be some sort of book/resource for identifying "mini-beasts" (as my kids would call them) - any recommendations?

Thanks again.
 
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