Critique Looking for some good, honest....

Phil-D

Phil-D

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....feedback on these shots :)

Like a lot, I've been having a dabble at a bit of macro of late and trying to take it a little more serious.

Now my problem being, when it comes to bird photography, I'm me own worse critique. I know what my equipment is capable of, what I'm looking for in pose, comp, bg, ect and most of the time, if i don't get it right, it goes in the 'record shot file'

These were shot using a D7200, sigma 105 and Nissin flash ring, all hand held.

I usually try keep shutter speed to 1/160th, aperture to f20 ish and ISO under 200. I have the flash set to minus 1 or 2 thirds of a stop. Hit rate isn't high, 1 in 20/25 maybe......... makes photographing Razorbills in flight seem easy! :LOL:

I know the back grounds/ environment settings could be improved on a couple, but what about IQ?, could/should it be better for the gear used or acceptable? Most were shot around minimum focus distance but still heavy crops on the spiders.

Any advice you think may help me improve would be much appreciated, thanks

Think I have them ID'ed right but happy to be corrected :)

Jumping Spider

Jumping spider 1.jpg

Another Jumping Spider

Jumping Spider 2.jpg

Weevil

Weevil.jpg

And Solitary Wasp? on window

solitary wasp.jpg
 
Pretty darn good I reckon. My suggestions are that I would look to use f:11 max as closing down to far with cause softness due to diffraction. Lighting is a little harsh but using a ring flash is quite hard to diffuse. Search the net to look for ring flash diffusing. Hope this helps in some way. ;)
 
Agree with alby, if you look on here somewhere there is a thread about diffusers and ring lights.
A couple of nice shots there which are more recoverable with some PP.
 
Thanks for the replies

@Ajophotog I'll try f11 Alby, I just had it in me head that dof was that shallow I needed a small aperture, will give it a go (y)

And I do agree, the flash ring lighting did seem harsh, hence me turning it down. Never thought of trying to defuse it, mind I'm a complete novice when it comes to flash never mind macro! :)

What do you chaps think to such a low keeper rate? Is that fairly normal or poor technique?

Thanks again chaps, out for another go!
 
Phil
The jumping spiders are tiny so you really want more than 1:1 if you cam but keep ;earning at up to 1:1 for now maybe. have a look here for some more tips
https://www.talkphotography.co.uk/threads/we-need-you-in-draft-want-to-get-into-macro.551944/

A keeper rate of 1 in 100 is not unexpected to start with I see your comment on birds in flight. Macro photography of live invertebrates is never easy whatever kit you have you can improve but it takes effort. Shooting one handed holding what the subject is on steady and manoeuvring the camera to get the angle you want or preventing the subject leaving the viewfinder is sometimes used.

Are you using AF or MF or a combo?
Moving the camera rather than focusing is another technique when getting beyond 1:1
The ID's are not wrong the wasp is an ichneumonid a parasitic wasp
https://www.nhm.ac.uk/content/dam/n...nature/british-ichneumonid-wasps-id-guide.pdf

Edit
Oh yeah that second jumping spider is eating a Collembola or springtail something like this

Passing-by-1 by Alf Branch, on Flickr
 
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alfbranch said:
Oh yeah that second jumping spider is eating a Collembola or springtail something like this
Click to expand...

I thought that was part of the spider!! ....now you've pointed it out I can see it, well spotted Alf.

That's a great photo, I've heard of Springtails but wouldn't have known what one looked like (y)

alfbranch said:
A keeper rate of 1 in 100 is not unexpected to start with
Click to expand...

Ok cheers, maybe I wasn't doing just as bad as I thought. I in 25 just seemed poor but this macro lark certainly isn't easy with such a shallow dof.

Some of you chaps in here get some amazing photos and make it look far too easy :LOL:


alfbranch said:
Are you using AF or MF or a combo?
Moving the camera rather than focusing is another technique when getting beyond 1:1
Click to expand...

I've been using AF but that's a great tip about moving the camera in MF. A couple of times I've felt like I was chasing focus, moving the camera, made focus but lost it again when I pressed the shutter.

......And thanks for the links, I'll take a look at the 'getting into macro thread' and the wasp ID guide has gone into favorites(y), cheers
 
Phil-D said:
I thought that was part of the spider!! ....now you've pointed it out I can see it, well spotted Alf.

That's a great photo, I've heard of Springtails but wouldn't have known what one looked like (y)



Ok cheers, maybe I wasn't doing just as bad as I thought. I in 25 just seemed poor but this macro lark certainly isn't easy with such a shallow dof.

Some of you chaps in here get some amazing photos and make it look far too easy [emoji38]




I've been using AF but that's a great tip about moving the camera in MF. A couple of times I've felt like I was chasing focus, moving the camera, made focus but lost it again when I pressed the shutter.

......And thanks for the links, I'll take a look at the 'getting into macro thread' and the wasp ID guide has gone into favorites(y), cheers
Click to expand...
In AF you should try back button focus and if possible then MF and rock (rock the camera back and forth) to the focus right.
 
Nice shots Phil (y)

I can fully relate to "I'm me own worse critique", I've spent way too much time editing macro shots over the past few days only to look at a finished product and think to myself 'that looked better before I'd even touched it'
 
If It Moves... said:
Nice shots Phil (y)

I can fully relate to "I'm me own worse critique", I've spent way too much time editing macro shots over the past few days only to look at a finished product and think to myself 'that looked better before I'd even touched it'
Click to expand...

Cheers Darren, think me main problem is trying to photograph small stuff, I love seeing the detail the naked eye can't see.

It would make more sense if I started/practiced with things a little bigger, it just wouldn't be as much fun! :D

alfbranch said:
In AF you should try back button focus and if possible then MF and rock (rock the camera back and forth) to the focus right.
Click to expand...

Cheers Alf, will give that a go too (y)
 
Bodged some thin white foam stuff around the flash ring yesterday, looked a bit gash but seemed to work better, flash was nothing like as harsh.

Opened up aperture to f11 but dof is very shallow, is focus stacking the only way to gain more dof without diffraction playing its part?

A couple of close up Hoverflies, definitely still room for improvement!


Hover 2.jpg


Hover 1.jpg

@alfbranch

Also saw me first springtail yesterday, had a few inside an upturned plant pot. I could only just see them, never mind find it in the viewfinder.

I take me hat off to anyone getting good close-up photos of these, very impressive (y)

I had quite a few attempts, this was the best! :LOL:

Springtail.jpg
 
Super hoverfly shots Phil. You do need some serious magnification for springtails. I use raynox screw/clip on lenses like the DCR-250 and 202 to get more mag when l need it.
 
The flash looks much better. Keep at it.
Focus stacking will be the only way get more Dof.

A Rayonx added to the front of the lens and a set of tubes behind it may be necessary to get close enough for springtails.
 
I love that first image which looks as if the Jumping Spider is thinking about jumping off that cliff!

It's not just about the technical aspects but capturing the moments imo.
 
Ajophotog said:
Super hoverfly shots Phil. You do need some serious magnification for springtails. I use raynox screw/clip on lenses like the DCR-250 and 202 to get more mag when l need it.
Click to expand...

alfbranch said:
The flash looks much better. Keep at it.
Focus stacking will be the only way get more Dof.

A Rayonx added to the front of the lens and a set of tubes behind it may be necessary to get close enough for springtails.
Click to expand...

Thanks, I've done a better job of defusing the flash today and been practising on small plant buds, its much easier on sumot that doesn't move :LOL:

I bought a Raynox 250 a few years ago, it sat in the cupboard unused until I sold it to a wanted ad. Typical, sounds like I could have done with it now :banghead:

RedRobin said:
I love that first image which looks as if the Jumping Spider is thinking about jumping off that cliff!

It's not just about the technical aspects but capturing the moments imo.
Click to expand...

Thanks Robin, its a wooden scrubbing brush I happened to have in me hand when I spotted it. Nipped in, got camera and put brush where it could climb on, surprising it happily obliged! cheers
 
Another Jumping Spider, this time on a tissue box :D

Jumping Spider 1.jpg
 
If you want to focus stack you will probably have to find dead subjects or you may get away with putting the subject in a box in a fridge for a while to give you a few more minutes to work with them
 
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