Tekforums
Chat => Photography => Topic started by: zpyder on April 22, 2013, 23:13:29 PM
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So, as is often the case, I got a little bored with my macro lens on its own, and wanted to get closer.
After weighing up the pros and cons, I opted for the Canon 250D filter. On a 100mm macro lens it lets you focus a bit closer to the subject, increasing the magnification a moderate amount, decreasing the DOF a bit too though. It also makes the image as it appears on the viewfinder or LCD screen in live view quite soft, though the actual still image seems ok.
I'm spending the next week "assisting" in fieldwork so I've got a lot of time to experiment :D
It was a bit tricky today as the sunlight was quite sporadic. Most of the time when I found something to shoot the sun was behind clouds = high iso
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8384/8673498668_8118847220.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/8673498668/)
Spider (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/8673498668/) by Chris_Moody (http://www.flickr.com/people/zpyder/), on Flickr
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8393/8672449325_404df6a224.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/8672449325/)
Mozzie (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/8672449325/) by Chris_Moody (http://www.flickr.com/people/zpyder/), on Flickr
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8118/8673574768_fc128c8fa0.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/8673574768/)
Moth (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/8673574768/) by Chris_Moody (http://www.flickr.com/people/zpyder/), on Flickr
Tried to get a bit artsy.
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8114/8673585796_a2b8583fa4.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/8673585796/)
IVY (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/8673585796/) by Chris_Moody (http://www.flickr.com/people/zpyder/), on Flickr
The wood ants were out. Was tricky trying to find one that would stay still long enough, in a place where you weren't getting eaten by the nest. When they did stay still they were almost always looking at me with mandibles open ready to bite
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8244/8673669538_0eccf64d80.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/8673669538/)
Ant 1 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/8673669538/) by Chris_Moody (http://www.flickr.com/people/zpyder/), on Flickr
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8256/8672544641_a996dfca3c.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/8672544641/)
Ant 4 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/8672544641/) by Chris_Moody (http://www.flickr.com/people/zpyder/), on Flickr
I think I'll spend more time at the nest tomorrow to try and get a really good shot of them. Hopefully the sun will be out a bit more. The cold helped keep things stationary today, but the wind didn't help with things blowing about.
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that close up of the ants head is pretty awesome mate.
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They're all really good, especially the spider and ants, dunno if the first 2 would look better flipped 180 around though. My parents regularly have ants in their front garden, and I'd often thought that they'd be cool to try and get some shots of but always thought they'd be a tad difficult. Might have to give it a go after seeing those, can't wait to have a go at some macro stuff this year, didn't seem to do much macro last year.
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Thanks. I'm not too keen on the composition of any of the ants, but I've still got a few days down there to try a few things.
I tried flipping the Mozzie, though I didn't consider flipping the spider.
The mozzie didn't look quite right flipped, but maybe it was a case of the photo being fresh in my head. I'll give it a few days and then see how I feel about it at different angles.
Today I experimented with my ND Grad that I've never used, polarising filter, and I played with the ants again, this time trying to stage the shot a bit more with some jelly babies and a twig. I had hoped to try and get a shot of a jelly baby being dragged into a nest but the ants preferred to just surround them and munch away.
The photos from today and the next few days will be a bit delayed as I've had an email about finishing a report by the end of this week, it's going to be close!
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Round 2:
Not really macro, but I like the flow of this one:
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8125/8677728534_b199e043b5.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/8677728534/)
Ants 3 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/8677728534/) by Chris_Moody (http://www.flickr.com/people/zpyder/), on Flickr
I had this grand idea of trying to get a photo of a jelly baby getting dragged into a nest by a swarm of ants. Sadly the ants just wanted to eat the jelly baby where it was. Thought it was quite cool how they lined up side by side:
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8402/8676623325_0c8c0df897.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/8676623325/)
Ant queue (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/8676623325/) by Chris_Moody (http://www.flickr.com/people/zpyder/), on Flickr
I also tried to stage the shots a bit by using twigs in the nests, figuring the ants would walk along, giving me time to set up. It kind of worked, but the ants tended to only explore a few inches up the twigs unless I tapped the end, which then meant it was out of focus etc. With a bit of experimenting though I found if I tapped the end till and ant was there, and then poked the ant, it would release pheromones which would get more ants up the twigs.
This ones interesting as I think I have a worker and soldier ant in the shot:
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8405/8676623361_7f9a2a39c3.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/8676623361/)
Ant big and small (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/8676623361/) by Chris_Moody (http://www.flickr.com/people/zpyder/), on Flickr
But this is my favourite of the attempts yesterday:
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8398/8677728648_1f7a095243.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/8677728648/)
Ants 2 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/8677728648/) by Chris_Moody (http://www.flickr.com/people/zpyder/), on Flickr
Still, there's something not quite right about the focus, or motion blur or something.
And these are where I'm at this week (first proper experiments with an ND grad):
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8535/8676622753_87d03773ab.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/8676622753/)
Trigon (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/8676622753/) by Chris_Moody (http://www.flickr.com/people/zpyder/), on Flickr
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8537/8676622829_3a17126105.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/8676622829/)
ND 2 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/8676622829/) by Chris_Moody (http://www.flickr.com/people/zpyder/), on Flickr
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8390/8677728358_0fa535f700.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/8677728358/)
ND 1 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/8677728358/) by Chris_Moody (http://www.flickr.com/people/zpyder/), on Flickr
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That must be one heck of a size nest of ants you've got there really shows it off in the first two photos, good idea with the jelly bean shame it didn't come off but guess they're eating it and breaking it down to get back to the nest to store. The focus looks good on Ants 2, dof is fine so could be motion blur, might also be that the noise from being at iso 800 is maybe reducing the contrast/sharpness a bit but not much you can do with that with being at f16. What could be cool is have you shot running down the twig rather than across it, so you could show the ant walking up the twig towards the lens, if you can persuade them to co-operate!
Now that looks like a rather nice office for the week, could get used to that!
The ND shots are good, could possibly do with having the horizon somewhere else than the middle of the shot, especially to try and get more of that river in, those crystal clear rivers are great especially for looking for things like fish in, could watch them for ages.
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These are quite small wood ant nests believe it or not. Some of the ones I've see have been mounds about 2m wide and 1m tall, covered in ants. If you want to get the thick mats of ants, you need to be at a nest on a chilly clear morning just when the sun is about to hit the nest. This swarming behaviour is a way for them to regulate the nest temperature, when it's cold they sit on the nest, warming up, and then they go back inside to release the heat in the nest :D Gotta Love ants.
Ant walking up to lens should be easier in a way, as they'll no doubt want to eat the lens. Will be tricky getting the DOF right, but I guess if I prefocus at the very tip of the twig the ants are likely to stop there, would need a really small aperture though, and a bright day...so need a ring-flash :D
The ND shots were pretty much the first photos I've taken with an ND filter. I bought it last year and never used it really. I am impressed with the results and it certainly has made me want to experiment more. Will try more watery shots tomorrow if the conditions improve, I think it's going to be pretty overcast most of the day :( At least I should be able to slow the shutter speed down a bit more I guess...hmmm
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These are quite small wood ant nests believe it or not. Some of the ones I've see have been mounds about 2m wide and 1m tall, covered in ants. If you want to get the thick mats of ants, you need to be at a nest on a chilly clear morning just when the sun is about to hit the nest. This swarming behaviour is a way for them to regulate the nest temperature, when it's cold they sit on the nest, warming up, and then they go back inside to release the heat in the nest :D Gotta Love ants.
Ant walking up to lens should be easier in a way, as they'll no doubt want to eat the lens. Will be tricky getting the DOF right, but I guess if I prefocus at the very tip of the twig the ants are likely to stop there, would need a really small aperture though, and a bright day...so need a ring-flash :D
The ND shots were pretty much the first photos I've taken with an ND filter. I bought it last year and never used it really. I am impressed with the results and it certainly has made me want to experiment more. Will try more watery shots tomorrow if the conditions improve, I think it's going to be pretty overcast most of the day :( At least I should be able to slow the shutter speed down a bit more I guess...hmmm
Handy tip for getting lots of ants out and about, there's no sign of the ones at my parents yet (technically their old house as they moved back end of last year but they still own the other one as no one will buy it at the mo), but I'm keeping an eye out for them so I can get some macros. Do think ants are cool after seeing this:
And there's been a few documentaries recently on ants which have been great, if I had the space I'd think about getting an ant farm type thingy going but I don't where I'm living at the mo.
I've been thinking of a ring flash, well an LED version anyway after seeing them in a magazine round up, £30 ish on ebay so might get one soon.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Aputure-Macro-LED-Ring-Flash-HL-48-for-Canon-Nikon-Sony-5d-d800-DSLR-Camera-F910-/290781801144?pt=UK_CamerasPhoto_CameraAccessories_CameraFlashUnits_JN&hash=item43b3f22ab8
Ha good old British weather, sunny one day rubbish the next. ND filters are great, really noticed my landscape stuff improving whilst using the Lee ones I got last year, not cheap but a good investment. Which versions have you got?
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I have a Cokin P 121 which I think is an ND8 filter.
The ring flashes certainly seem to have come down in price, last time I looked (a year or two ago) the cheapest were about £80-100. Mind you, I do wonder what output a cheap one would have in the scheme of things. Would it help in bright sunlight etc.
We're keen to do some research on the Wood ants here, it'd be awesome to do some kind of glass tank with a nest, so you can see the inside against the tank. The only problem is they're so aggressive and have nasty bites. It's an experience trying to get the tripod close enough to get a macro shot, stepping carefully, any proper movement will send them into attack mode and they swarm up your legs!
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Should be a good one to get started with, get yourself to the coast early one morning and you should be able to get some decent sunrise/sunset stuff with it.
I didn't know much about the LED ring flashes till reading that magazine, just thought of them being £3-400 each so way out of my price range. Had a better look on ebay and there's now a few 60 LED versions so might give higher or more even output. I imagine even in bright sunlight they'd at least help, look at your photos at f16 to keep the shutter speed up you've had to put the iso up, with one of these you might be able to drop the iso down a stop or two, might not make much difference but it will help.
A big glass tank with some in would be amazing, would be really interesting to see what they did all day from inside the nest as well as on the surface. Sounds like that could be a bit of a pain (pun intended!) I imagine there's not a lot you can do once you get attacked but to either put up with it or run away and come back later when they've calmed down a bit.
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Yesterday wasn't too great, overcast and dreary all day till 20 mins before we packed up. Still got a few shots:
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8539/8683133600_2a79cd3b3b.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/8683133600/)
Caterpillar (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/8683133600/) by Chris_Moody (http://www.flickr.com/people/zpyder/), on Flickr
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8381/8683133404_c0dd6d7bcd.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/8683133404/)
Geese 2 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/8683133404/) by Chris_Moody (http://www.flickr.com/people/zpyder/), on Flickr
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8520/8683133146_13b7209e93.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/8683133146/)
Goose (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/8683133146/) by Chris_Moody (http://www.flickr.com/people/zpyder/), on Flickr
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8541/8682020799_06312e3b0e.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/8682020799/)
Gosling (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/8682020799/) by Chris_Moody (http://www.flickr.com/people/zpyder/), on Flickr
Been trying to get a decent shot of these tiny micromoths. They have weird rounded wings:
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8126/8683132966_259554293e.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/8683132966/)
Moth (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/8683132966/) by Chris_Moody (http://www.flickr.com/people/zpyder/), on Flickr
The sun went in just as I spotted this guy walking up a tree = high iso :(
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8389/8682020159_6d4f95731f.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/8682020159/)
Woodlouse (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/8682020159/) by Chris_Moody (http://www.flickr.com/people/zpyder/), on Flickr
The wolf spiders were fairly obliging and stationary though, so I think these came out fairly ok, though I couldn't get them to face the camera easily :(
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8394/8683132902_fd7df28697.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/8683132902/)
Spider 1 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/8683132902/) by Chris_Moody (http://www.flickr.com/people/zpyder/), on Flickr
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8390/8683132740_4751f9b6a1.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/8683132740/)
Spider 3 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/8683132740/) by Chris_Moody (http://www.flickr.com/people/zpyder/), on Flickr
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8124/8682020575_3fb6457acb.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/8682020575/)
Spider 2 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/8682020575/) by Chris_Moody (http://www.flickr.com/people/zpyder/), on Flickr
Regarding the ants, one thing I want to do, but is pretty "out there" is to fill a tank with grains of plastic with the same refractive properties as water ( basically they're invisible in water) and then put some burrowing organisms in it. Would be really cool to observe the behaviour of tube worms etc. Only problem is the expense of the set up, as the granules probably are expensive!
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The goose/gosling ones are great and the macro ones are good too, some of the detail you've got on the backs of the spiders is great too.
That would be a cool idea really interesting to see what different beasties did day to day under ground, bit like the gel ant farm kits you get but clear instead of the bluey/opaque colout that you get in them, sure I heard that wasn't great stuff for the ants though.
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And Fridays shots:
Different species of ant here, they were much less aggressive!
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8101/8683506805_cfec0590a8.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/8683506805/)
Ant (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/8683506805/) by Chris_Moody (http://www.flickr.com/people/zpyder/), on Flickr
Tiny bug, shame the head is a bit overexposed:
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8396/8684618824_703c752114.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/8684618824/)
Bug (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/8684618824/) by Chris_Moody (http://www.flickr.com/people/zpyder/), on Flickr
Cladonia lichen on a tree
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8397/8683496693_23910921dd.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/8683496693/)
Lichen (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/8683496693/) by Chris_Moody (http://www.flickr.com/people/zpyder/), on Flickr
Moth. It was early in the day and in the woods, so light was a real issue:
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8256/8683487347_8b63ac7d64.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/8683487347/)
Moth (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/8683487347/) by Chris_Moody (http://www.flickr.com/people/zpyder/), on Flickr
Crab spider
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8392/8683478197_379130ca76.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/8683478197/)
Spider 1 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/8683478197/) by Chris_Moody (http://www.flickr.com/people/zpyder/), on Flickr
Spider mite. These guys are small, and I wanted to see just how close I could get.
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8538/8684577920_b5ce8fd560.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/8684577920/)
Spider mite (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/8684577920/) by Chris_Moody (http://www.flickr.com/people/zpyder/), on Flickr
Lacewing larvae:
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8545/8684574412_7547833e7e.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/8684574412/)
UCI (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/8684574412/) by Chris_Moody (http://www.flickr.com/people/zpyder/), on Flickr
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Very nice set, they're all nice and sharp, quite like the moth.
If the spider mite is what I think I've seen crawling around they really are small, you've done a good job getting in that close to it.
Hopefully the weather will sort itself out around here and I can get out and get some macro shots myself, too windy at the mo.
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The moth is actually my least favourite as it has the least DoF. I feel it needs more depth and detail than is in the shot.
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Nice pics Zpyder,
If you want to get even closer, a 50mm prime mounted backwards on the front of your macro lens can work wonders
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I tried that once, a while back. I was impressed with how close I could get, not so much the DOF. Also wasn't too keen on exposing that end of the lens to the elements and then connecting it to my camera body when I needed it in a normal context.
Plus, it took a nosedive a few months ago when my tripod wasn't totally fixed securely. Lens took the fall and is now in pieces. Shame that the 50's cost about the same as the photographic insurance excess :(
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Plus, it took a nosedive a few months ago when my tripod wasn't totally fixed securely. Lens took the fall and is now in pieces. Shame that the 50's cost about the same as the photographic insurance excess :(
Might have been asked/answered in another thread but who do you use for insurance and how much is it?
Reason being I'm after some later this year when I'm probably going to be going on holiday to Sorrento with my parents and think it might be an idea to get some insurance, rather worried in case someone tries to mug me or something never mind dropping and breaking things.
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I used AUA:
http://www.aua-insurance.com/photographer-insurance.shtm
Always a very prompt service. I had insurance with them for two years but have since let it lapse. In that time I added and amended the policy a fair bit as I bought or sold lenses etc. Would usually get a reply within 24 hours with a revised quote and any difference to pay etc.
For £4500-5000 of equipment the policy cost around £170 I think. This covered all the kit from theft AND accidental damage, also had something like either £1 or 5 million public liability cover, as well as trips out of the UK up to 90 days. Excess was I think either £50 or £75.
I do feel a little "exposed" now I don't have insurance. When I had it I was more than happy to take my kit to work, to the beach, out at night etc. But currently it's a concern in my mind that if anything did happen, I'll never be able to replace the equipment. If/when we go travelling this summer I'll likely take out insurance again, though I might look into home insurance options that could cover it.
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I used AUA:
http://www.aua-insurance.com/photographer-insurance.shtm
Always a very prompt service. I had insurance with them for two years but have since let it lapse. In that time I added and amended the policy a fair bit as I bought or sold lenses etc. Would usually get a reply within 24 hours with a revised quote and any difference to pay etc.
For £4500-5000 of equipment the policy cost around £170 I think. This covered all the kit from theft AND accidental damage, also had something like either £1 or 5 million public liability cover, as well as trips out of the UK up to 90 days. Excess was I think either £50 or £75.
I do feel a little "exposed" now I don't have insurance. When I had it I was more than happy to take my kit to work, to the beach, out at night etc. But currently it's a concern in my mind that if anything did happen, I'll never be able to replace the equipment. If/when we go travelling this summer I'll likely take out insurance again, though I might look into home insurance options that could cover it.
I shall have a read through their site, thanks for the info.
Normally I'm happy enough to take it out and about without insurance, not too worried about being mugged over here especially when carrying a tripod that'll double as a rather good mace but I won't be taking it away with me (probably get myself a gorilapod) but when I think that I'm carrying £2-2.5k in my back pack it does leave me a little worried at times.
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Tbh my main reasons for insurance were:
Accidental damage
Leaving it in a car/non-mug theft
Getting mugged
Public insurance
In that order.
It was nice to know that when stopping at a service station, I could leave the camera covered in the boot and if anything happened it would be ok. Before then I would always carry it with me. Also meant at gigs and things I didn't need to worry about getting knocked/dropped etc.
Swapping from non-business to business class though makes the premium go from £170 to about £260. Thanks for the prompt, deffo something I need to look into more too. Let me know what you find, maybe start a new insurance thread :D
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I tried that once, a while back. I was impressed with how close I could get, not so much the DOF. Also wasn't too keen on exposing that end of the lens to the elements and then connecting it to my camera body when I needed it in a normal context.
Plus, it took a nosedive a few months ago when my tripod wasn't totally fixed securely. Lens took the fall and is now in pieces. Shame that the 50's cost about the same as the photographic insurance excess :(
All legitimate concerns, which is why for this purpose I use an old M series 50mm F2, picked up for pennys on Ebay. Since you're not using the bayonet mount you can just pick up whatever old mechanical 50mm you can get for the lowest price. The Pentax M series F2 is a good choice because it's optically good and the K mount aperture control system is such that the apperture ring will work as expected. Also they were the kit lens of their time so they are almost litterally two a penny.
As an asside, I've also successfully done this on a video camera before now. Macro video is awesome fun (although I only ever used it For Science)
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Dream kit now:
Stackshot focus rail
http://www.cognisys-inc.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=141
Canon mp-e 65mm 1-5x mag lens
http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Canon-MP-E-65mm-1-5x-Macro-Lens-Review.aspx
Can safely say after combining the 100mm macro with the 250D closeup filter, I've been bitten by the "how close can i get" bug.
Sent from my GT-N8010 using Tapatalk HD
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The 60 led ones aren't flashes. They're macro ring lights.
Nothing like as good for macro photography as a proper £400 ring flash. I have one its good but not amazing.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2
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wow that's a serious piece of kit, I bet they don't come cheap!
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I figure budgeting for about £1500 for the mp-e lens and some form of focus rail would be a safe bet. The lens is about £750, focus rails start at about £30 and then like most things just get silly. I don't necessarily need the stackshot, just need something that isn't manual. As I use helicon remote there are a few motorised rails that are compatible. More control options = more money.
Thankfully Given the nature of focus stacking, it also means I can do away with the ring flashes, as my subjects don't move.
I just need to figure out a plan of action to get the dream kit that doesn't involve winning the lottery. Considering approaching a few local natural history societies about grants. They usually have money for projects, maybe they would be interested in helping fund the equipment if it meant they got high resolution images of their entomology collections out of it, or something.
Sent from my GT-N8010 using Tapatalk HD
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Or you could look at a DIY project instead using something like a RaspberryPi. You could probably make the rails fairly easily, after all its just two rods of metal and a screw thread driving a platform forward, you can use the Pi to drive a stepper motor forward a few turns then take a photo, forward then photo etc then stack it together afterwards. Hardest part is making sure its not too big to get in the way of the subject.
I'm half tempted to do something similar but for a dolly for making videos with my camera, I've got an old scanner that I think has a stepper motor in it, first though I want to use my RaspberryPi for water droplet stuff.
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It's an option I admit, but when we're talking DoF of 0.1mm I'm not sure I could make something accurate enough. Also need to either have a set up th. Would talk to helicon focus, or tall to the camera directly to control the photography.
If I can get a grant for this it'd be better to do it with off the shelf products I guess.
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I guess it deppends if you want the best possible result, in which case the "proper" kit is going to be your best option if you can get the money together, or if you enjoy the engineering challenge of hacking something together with blu tak and string and don't mind that the result probably wont be as good as pro-kit could manage.
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To be honest, even with what is already a fairly automated system, focus stacking these images takes a long time. The other weekend it took me about 8 hours to produce 70 images of beetles. Using a diy set up would likely be much slower for me!
Photos like this often take 5-10 mins to take due to consisting of up to around 30 photos. Then it takes a while for helicon to actually merge the photos together into one image. This forgets the time it takes to compose the image, especially for the tiny beetles when the magnification is so high and DoF so small!
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8129/8697509449_c6ac6f73da_c.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/8697509449/)
Scarab Under (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/8697509449/) by Chris_Moody (http://www.flickr.com/people/zpyder/), on Flickr
At some point I might try and do a pictorial step-by-step guide for this kind of photography :)
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I knew I'd seen an article on it somewhere:
http://davidhunt.ie/?p=2826
Same guy who did water droplet stuff using the Raspberry Pi. If you can get the money from someone to buy one then yeah your better off doing that but if not it looks fairly easy to do something like this, well if you've got an old scanner lying around you can take to bits!
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Still slogging through the entomological collections in my spare time. Here's a selection of the "cooler" specimens. The 100mm+250D filter = 1.4x macro. Just imagine that Hornet head at 5x :D
(http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3830/9021823879_c720c3af42_c.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/9021823879/)
Common wasps - Vespula vulgaris (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/9021823879/) by Chris_Moody (http://www.flickr.com/people/zpyder/), on Flickr
(http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2850/9021824145_4cc7ee8a2b_c.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/9021824145/)
European Hornet - Vespa crabro (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/9021824145/) by Chris_Moody (http://www.flickr.com/people/zpyder/), on Flickr
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7285/9024051686_7f783c833a_c.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/9024051686/)
European Hornet - Vespa crabro (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/9024051686/) by Chris_Moody (http://www.flickr.com/people/zpyder/), on Flickr
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7301/9006474276_0f5613f60c_c.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/9006474276/)
UID Nicro 8 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/9006474276/) by Chris_Moody (http://www.flickr.com/people/zpyder/), on Flickr
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7411/9005158959_2541aff469_c.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/9005158959/)
Cetonia aurata 2 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/9005158959/) by Chris_Moody (http://www.flickr.com/people/zpyder/), on Flickr
2mm long weevil:
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8537/8977071760_41c5c3e669_c.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/8977071760/)
Malvapion malvae 7 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/8977071760/) by Chris_Moody (http://www.flickr.com/people/zpyder/), on Flickr
Bigger species of Weevil:
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7351/8975882491_9fff885555_c.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/8975882491/)
Otiorynchus singularis 7 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/8975882491/) by Chris_Moody (http://www.flickr.com/people/zpyder/), on Flickr
Leaf beetle:
(http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5447/8851776058_9b6eff60dc_c.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/8851776058/)
Lochmaea suturalis 1 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/8851776058/) by Chris_Moody (http://www.flickr.com/people/zpyder/), on Flickr
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Really nice level of detail in all of them, but you did cheat since they're all dead!
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Some of the bigger things consisted of about 80 separate photographs to create the final image. I know it's cheating, but hey, it's valuable scientific reference material. One day I might be able to get the mp-e and the mr24 macro flash gun, and THEN the live uber macros will begin ;)
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Started playing with the MP-E 65MM and the MR-14EX flash yesterday and today. It's going to take a lot of getting used to, but the 5:1 magnification is OBSCENE!
It'll be a while before I have anything that I am happy to show, waiting for a focusing rail to turn up, but hopefully at the weekend I'll try to get some shots of aphids etc hand held in the garden :D
Until then, a few more taken with the old/existing entomological setup:
(http://l2.yimg.com/sk/3692/9083776306_77fd121097_c.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/9083776306/)
Pterostichus metallicus (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/9083776306/) by Chris_Moody (http://www.flickr.com/people/zpyder/), on Flickr
(http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5513/9081555957_bbc6b76b6e_c.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/9081555957/)
Pterostichus metallicus (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/9081555957/) by Chris_Moody (http://www.flickr.com/people/zpyder/), on Flickr
(http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3686/9081555387_4e3e7701fa_c.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/9081555387/)
Pterostichus metallicus (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/9081555387/) by Chris_Moody (http://www.flickr.com/people/zpyder/), on Flickr
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7294/9081556317_1b37a9fbb4_c.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/9081556317/)
Otiorhynchus sulcatus 2 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/9081556317/) by Chris_Moody (http://www.flickr.com/people/zpyder/), on Flickr
I've also got some beetles that I've set out with the wings out, unpinned. Hopefully if they dry ok I can get some decent shots without card or pins in the composition, on black backgrounds etc.
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The colours on the Pterostichus metallicus are really nice, not something you imagine when thinking of beatles most just pop into your head as being black.
Not too fond of the weevil but thats more because I found loads of larvae from one (or twenty going off the amount of them) in a pot and they'd killed off a sedum I had been trying to grow, they do crunch quite nicely under foot however!
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The thing I find amazing with all these small insects I'm photographing, is that probably 95% of them are found locally. They're not "insects of the world" but found here in the UK. So much variety.
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Here's a brief progression of the macro's during this 3 year endeavour!
2007
First Photomicrograph - taken using a cameraphone against the eyepiece on a microscope. This was taken whilst I was on a work placement at uni.
(http://farm2.staticflickr.com/1021/1081048045_025e18920e_m.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/1081048045/)
Ectemnius sp. Wasp under microscope (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/1081048045/) by Chris_Moody (http://www.flickr.com/people/zpyder/), on Flickr
2008
Still using camera phones, I've not dabbled that much in photomicrography though, as the only opportunities I've had have either been during lab practicals or work placements. However the experience I have gained has shown some improvement in technique, if not equipment.
(http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3397/3418238245_cb8da392a8_m.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/3418238245/)
Bagworm (Pachythelia villosella) head and thorax (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/3418238245/) by Chris_Moody (http://www.flickr.com/people/zpyder/), on Flickr
2009
Finally progressed to using a "real" camera and not a phone. A tough Olympus camera. The small, recessed lens helps with positioning the lens over the microscope eyepiece, reducing vignetting and preventing camera zooming action from hitting the microscope etc.
(http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3346/3419049308_2d30911991_m.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/3419049308/)
Microscopic molluscs - Foraminifera ? (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/3419049308/) by Chris_Moody (http://www.flickr.com/people/zpyder/), on Flickr
I begin to contemplate photographing the universities collection, but know it'll be a massive undertaking.
2010
Updated the tough camera to a newer model.
(http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2731/4394677726_2e5852f946_m.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/4394677726/)
Female Ixodes ricinus (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/4394677726/) by Chris_Moody (http://www.flickr.com/people/zpyder/), on Flickr
I buy my own microscope, an Indian made "Radical Instruments" trinocular dissecting microscope. I think this was either with dividend or birthday money, or both.
(http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4076/4934437023_95b417dd2f_m.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/4934437023/)
Microscope setup (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/4934437023/) by Chris_Moody (http://www.flickr.com/people/zpyder/), on Flickr
You might also notice the camera. I'd had the 400D probably since 2006 or 2007, however I didn't have a suitable method of attaching it to a microscope, which is why I was using the camera phone and compact cameras. However, with my own microscope, I now am now able to get an adapter, so 2010 I start using an SLR for photomicrography. It's not perfect however, as larger specimens are too big for the microscope. I have limited photoshop experience at this point, so my attempts at photomerging several photos together, are lacklustre. (this is one of the better ones!)
(http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4003/4411618980_9d3900854b_n.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/4411618980/)
Carabus arvensis (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/4411618980/) by Chris_Moody (http://www.flickr.com/people/zpyder/), on Flickr
At this point, with the equipment I have, I dive in and begin photographing the entomological collections.
I also discover focus-stacking. However, I don't know about the software, and so my first attempts are a time consuming process of manually aligning a handful of photos in photoshop, and layer masking them to only show the in focus areas. For the really big specimens I resort to using my SLR kit lens, manually adjusting focus each photo
(http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4002/4414909886_89be2ef175_n.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/4414909886/)
Geotrupes sp. (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/4414909886/) by Chris_Moody (http://www.flickr.com/people/zpyder/), on Flickr
I also attempt to put scale bars in the photos, with limited success, and in the process making the photos pretty ugly.(http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4019/4429975012_5c0ac1ef4b_n.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/4429975012/)
Dyschirius globosus Hbst. (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/4429975012/) by Chris_Moody (http://www.flickr.com/people/zpyder/), on Flickr
Fairly quickly after getting the microscope, and using the 400D, I realise I miss live view for photography. I upgrade the 400D to a 40D (I think I bought the 40D from someone on here?!) - however I only keep the 40D for about 3-5 months, before selling it and buying a 7D
(http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5207/5211489326_60002f2568_n.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/5211489326/)
Great diving beetle larvae (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/5211489326/) by Chris_Moody (http://www.flickr.com/people/zpyder/), on Flickr
I think near the end of the year I also discover Helicon Focus, and soon my workflow relies on manually taking photos and then running them through Helicon in individual stacks.
2011
Not much changes now except that I go from using my kit lens or nifty 50:
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7057/6774863100_fe550fb905_n.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/6774863100/)
Nicrophorus investigator 1 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/6774863100/) by Chris_Moody (http://www.flickr.com/people/zpyder/), on Flickr
To buying and using the 100mm macro. Not sure if it is also at this point that I discover the camera remote stacking application.
(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7198/6775170490_ab16a1b9a2_n.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/6775170490/)
Lucanus cervus 9 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zpyder/6775170490/) by Chris_Moody (http://www.flickr.com/people/zpyder/), on Flickr
As soon as I get the 100mm macro, and see the capabilities of automatically generating the stacks, I realise that for all but the smallest of the specimens, I can get a better quality image if I use the macro lens and then crop the image down afterwards. My microscope now sits on a shelf unused.
2013
April - I buy the 250D closeup filter. This increases the 1:1 macro magnification to 1.4:1. It doesn't sound like much, but it makes a big difference!
I soon get bitten by the "must get close bug" and end up buying the MP-E 65mm in June. This leads to a reevaluation of processing methods, several tweaks later the photos are looking really good.
The latest development is that I have discovered that Helicon Focus's competing software, Zerene Stacker, despite being slower, produces consistently better results. So I buy a copy of that too. I still intend on using Helicons remote app for controlling focus stacking with the 100mm when I need to use it, which is only really for really big things that are too big for the limited working distance of the MP-E to handle.
So that's the last 6 years of photomicrography in a nutshell. Hadn't realised how long I'd been doing this until I started to write this post!