Macro-photography - insects

gilbouk

gilbouk

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Gil
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Been looking at this guys work on Flickr. Stunning - could look at these all day long. Its like entering into another world.

Andrena (2) pollen loaded

Has anybody tried this with a field stack. Is it rewarding? I imagine it's very difficult.

Would love to see what other people have been able to do with insects
 
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I have seen a few use focus stacking, most of them unfortunately chill the insects first to slow then down,they want F IN chilling themselves, most of the ones that dont chill use something like a 4K mode.
 
Dave70D said:
It is a great shot, hope you asked before putting it up though :)
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That's a point. Hope he doesn't mind.

mikew said:
I have seen a few use focus stacking, most of them unfortunately chill the insects first to slow then down,they want F IN chilling themselves, most of the ones that dont chill use something like a 4K mode.
Click to expand...

I'd love to try it - but minus the chilling - poor insects don't need that, particularly when you kill enough in the car on the motorway.
 
Gil Bev said:
That's a point. Hope he doesn't mind.



I'd love to try it - but minus the chilling - poor insects don't need that, particularly when you kill enough in the car on the motorway.
Click to expand...

If its not your image and you dont have permission to post it you should just link to it.
 
mikew said:
If its not your image and you dont have permission to post it you should just link to it.
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I do agree but what do you think of the argument that the picture is a link - if you click on it you are taken straight to Flickr? Also the attribution is given underneath in more links.
 
I have dipped into photographing insects a couple of times, I haven’t used extension tubes, just a 100mm macro. I have never used chilling either just the insects as I find them in the wild.

I done focus stacking before just not with insects, I can’t imagine its easy given the small DOF and fast moving subject matter but this thread has given me an idea to try something, a two shot stack, first with a wide DOF so the insect is in focus and the second a narrow DOF shot for the background. Might be quick enough to pull it off.

Anyway this was my quarry for today, a pair of shield bugs mating

2017_04_15_6536[/url
] by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/130199459@N04/]Luke Sheehan, on Flickr[/url]
 
Luke__S said:
I have dipped into photographing insects a couple of times, I haven’t used extension tubes, just a 100mm macro. I have never used chilling either just the insects as I find them in the wild.

I done focus stacking before just not with insects, I can’t imagine its easy given the small DOF and fast moving subject matter but this thread has given me an idea to try something, a two shot stack, first with a wide DOF so the insect is in focus and the second a narrow DOF shot for the background. Might be quick enough to pull it off.

Anyway this was my quarry for today, a pair of shield bugs mating

2017_04_15_6536[/url
] by Luke Sheehan, on Flickr
Click to expand...


Great shot Luke :)
 
Dave70D said:
Yes it is a Link, BUT he did not ask permission to put it up :)
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But is this any different from quoting part of someone's written work for which you do not need to get permission? I'm sure most of the links posted here are done without permission although they are all/mostly to copyrighted matter.
 
sphexx said:
But is this any different from quoting part of someone's written work for which you do not need to get permission? I'm sure most of the links posted here are done without permission although they are all/mostly to copyrighted matter.
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I removed the pic and left the link. Since his flickr is public I'm sure he wouldn't mind the extra publicity. [emoji4] His work is great
 
Luke__S said:
I have dipped into photographing insects a couple of times, I haven’t used extension tubes, just a 100mm macro. I have never used chilling either just the insects as I find them in the wild.

I done focus stacking before just not with insects, I can’t imagine its easy given the small DOF and fast moving subject matter but this thread has given me an idea to try something, a two shot stack, first with a wide DOF so the insect is in focus and the second a narrow DOF shot for the background. Might be quick enough to pull it off.

Anyway this was my quarry for today, a pair of shield bugs mating

2017_04_15_6536[/url
] by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/130199459@N04/]Luke Sheehan, on Flickr[/url]
Click to expand...
Like your shot. I'm really keen on trying it out - need a macro lens though.

Saw this on YouTube

View: https://youtu.be/V0HGBJJ20Fs
 
Very cool but there is a fair bit on investment there with the stacking rail and MP-E 65 compared to a straight up standard macro.
 
Hello everyone, This is my first post on this forum.

So I took my share on insect macro photography. the setup that worked for me was the following

  1. Camera DSLR Cropped (Nikon D90)
  2. Extension Tubes AF
  3. 105 Macro Lens
  4. Raynox Lens M-250 (Raynox DCR-250 2.5x Super Macro Lens)
  5. Off Flash
  6. Inflaitable Flash Small softbox
  7. Flash Wireless trigger
Shooting insects are not the easiest to shoot but with sometime and patience, anyone can acheive it. just enjoy the process.

  1. Focus stacking is impossible without a dead insect so for me that was out of the question.
  2. I used my cropped camera because the depth of field on a full frame is much narrower and it is nearly impossible to go up close and personal with a tiny insect.
  3. Extension tubes has to be Autofocus if you have an AF lens you will not be able to change the aperture if you go for regular tubes.
  4. Macro lens has to be used on manual focus because at Zoom the lens will go haywire. Set it on 1:1 and go from there
  5. The Raynox lens a clip on lens which gives you an additional x2.5
  6. Fix the flash to the Left side with a flash bracket, fix triggers and Softbox
SO set camera aperature to f11 to f13 and focus to 1:1 do not go over f16 because you will end up with soft images. Lens has to be in manual focus.
Try some test shots to check that the flash fires and the intensity is good (flash has to be set to manual as well)
Spot the insect and try to get it in your view finder (camera Handheld) this the most difficult part then move slowly forwards and backwards to get the insect into focus and shoot

Since this is my first post here I cannot add links, check my work on my flickr Duncan Cauchi (duncan106). all the above was explained to me by a friend which he sweat blood to finally get what he calls the perfect setup. his name is Ramon Curmi to see his work access the Malta institute of Profesional Photography

mipp-malta .com /qualifications /successful-qualification-panels /amipp-panels /amipp-2013-ramon-curmi/


Hope this helps

Cheers
Duncan
 
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Duncan.cauchi said:
Hello everyone, This is my first post on this forum.

So I took my share on insect macro photography. the setup that worked for me was the following

  1. Camera DSLR Cropped (Nikon D90)
  2. Extension Tubes AF
  3. 105 Macro Lens
  4. Raynox Lens M-250 (Raynox DCR-250 2.5x Super Macro Lens)
  5. Off Flash
  6. Inflaitable Flash Small softbox
  7. Flash Wireless trigger
Shooting insects are not the easiest to shoot but with sometime and patience, anyone can acheive it. just enjoy the process.

  1. Focus stacking is impossible without a dead insect so for me that was out of the question.
  2. I used my cropped camera because the depth of field on a full frame is much narrower and it is nearly impossible to go up close and personal with a tiny insect.
  3. Extension tubes has to be Autofocus if you have an AF lens you will not be able to change the aperture if you go for regular tubes.
  4. Macro lens has to be used on manual focus because at Zoom the lens will go haywire. Set it on 1:1 and go from there
  5. The Raynox lens a clip on lens which gives you an additional x2.5
  6. Fix the flash to the Left side with a flash bracket, fix triggers and Softbox
SO set camera aperature to f11 to f13 and focus to 1:1 do not go over f16 because you will end up with soft images. Lens has to be in manual focus.
Try some test shots to check that the flash fires and the intensity is good (flash has to be set to manual as well)
Spot the insect and try to get it in your view finder (camera Handheld) this the most difficult part then move slowly forwards and backwards to get the insect into focus and shoot

Since this is my first post here I cannot add links, check my work on my flickr Duncan Cauchi (duncan106). all the above was explained to me by a friend which he sweat blood to finally get what he calls the perfect setup. his name is Ramon Curmi to see his work access the Malta institute of Profesional Photography

mipp-malta .com /qualifications /successful-qualification-panels /amipp-panels /amipp-2013-ramon-curmi/


Hope this helps

Cheers
Duncan
Click to expand...
You can do focus stacks without a dead insect. People like John Halsted take stacks with loads of images of live insects
 
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