Need some help with my shots!

topcatproduction

topcatproduction

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Edit My Images
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I found a dozey wasp yesterday and decided to take some pics of him as not very often they are so dosile!! I was using my full set of tubes and reversed 28mm prime which gives me about 4.5:1 which proved a bit too much for the size of the wasp, so took a couple of tubes off so I guess I was shooting this pic at about 3.5:1. I was using my YF460 flash on about 1/4 power, f/8-f/11, shutter speed 160-200.

I took about 40 pics and none are any good, it didn't help that my damned viewfinder focus had been fiddled with and was way out! It wasn't very obvious to start with as the DOF is bloody tiny with such magnification! The 28mm lens I use goes to f/22 but even with my LED focus light I struggle to see to focus with the aperture this small.

Sorry for waffling but really love extreme macro and want to crack it!!! I know its more the photographer than the equipment most of the time, but not sure if the flash is working for me- evident in these shots particularly...

IMG_3302.jpg


IMG_3269.jpg
 
CReid said:
The narrow DOF can be a real bugger, I'm not familiar with the limitations of extension tubes but focus stacking can help: FlickR photo stacking tutorial

Thats really cool, but I'm more into shooting bugs which dont stay still!!! Will def give it a go if I find an appropriate subject though!

Carl
Click to expand...

Chaz Photos said:
not sure what help you want but here is your first shot with a little PP
4089537972_102ba78036_o.jpg
Click to expand...

Its the lack of light and contrast, the wasps head should have been a rich yellow and came out like old banana yellow! I dont want to get into using filters for colours, would a gold diffuser on the flash help or do I really need a second flash to stop the shadows? The existing one is to the top left of the lens (looking from behind the camera) on a bracket.
 
Not sure how to help but the pp is good on it

Kirk
 
Thats a bit better, I'm beginning to take back my reluctance to PP shots! The only thing with your edits is the black has gone rather blue- how did you do them- just adjust contrast then enhance the yellow?
 
Your first shot looks fine - just under-exposed. Looks like it needed a bit more flash. Dropping flash power to 1/4 and using f8 or f11 seems to be imposing a demand on your flashgun it can't meet. You obviously need the smaller aperture for DOF so I'd be inclined to just try using the flash at half power or full power.
 
Tried photoshop very briefly, selected the colour ranges I wanted then just adjusted colour balance, the right way to do it? Will post original again first for comparison, PP'd beneath:
IMG_3302.jpg


IMG_3302-1.jpg
 
As CT say's you need more light as the first one is underexposed and that brings in a load more problems as the working distances are so small with high magnification macro its difficult to get well diffused light onto the subject from the front. Your last PP'd one is a lot better than the first.

Here's a wasp of mine as you can see i'm getting the light to the wasp but its too harsh and has blown out some of the detail and i've loads of highlights on the image.
 
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