It's creepy and crawly

Overread · 02-09-2010, 11:25 AM

And it darn well does not sit still!

Gear used - canon 400D - Canon MPE65mm f2.8 macro - speedlite 580EX2 + lumiquest softbox

taken at f6.3, ISO 100, 1/200sec flash from the left through a softbox

Taken with the MPE 65mm macro at around 5* life size.

this takes macro to a whole new level!

icassell · 02-09-2010, 11:49 AM

Congrats! That lens is working well for you. On this one, you might have cropped a bit too much on the tail end (I guess that's tail, anyway). What are you using for lighting? A bit more light on his back would help.

Overread · 02-09-2010, 11:54 AM

Yeh I did cut his tail end a bit shot, though this was one of the better examples where I had his back mostly all in focus in a single frame (way to active to even consider stacking). And I do agree lighting was not idea and infact was a nightmare to work with.

For this bug alone his head and tail would tend to be a lot brighter than the rest of him and I might go back and re-edit by processing the RAW twice and merging the results (faux HDR).

As for the light it was my (now rather muddy) 580EX2 with a regular lumiquest softbox sort of balanced on the left side of the insect and resting up against my foot. I really did find this to be the biggest limitation today - often i would miss shots as the cord would pull the flash over or where I could not balance it right to get the light were I wanted it. I really really really want those twinflash macro lights now

icassell · 02-09-2010, 11:58 AM

Yeah, I'm waiting to buy the lens until I can afford the Twin Lights and a rail too ... which means it will be some time :p

I think it really is a neat image though. I have enough DOF problems with my 100mm macro and I can imagine what a challenge this guy was! Maybe you need to borrow some Nitrous Oxide from your dentist

(for the bug, of course, and not for you ... )

Augphoto · 02-09-2010, 12:03 PM

Wow, this is amazing. What combo did you use to get 5X life size?

Overread · 02-09-2010, 12:42 PM

That was my plan originally - but price rises made my jump for the lens first without saving for the lights - its possible to use them without it but I can quickly see why the lights are so popular with this type of photography.

Also to scare you the aperture for that shot was only f6.3! Even f8 starts to get soft around 5:1 so that further reduces the depth of field options.

Augphoto I edited in the details of what gear I used for this shot

Overread · 02-09-2010, 04:34 PM

Another shot of the little guy:

Same settings and gear used as in the first shot

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4061/...7031faaf_o.jpg

02-09-2010, 11:25 AM	#1
Overread TPF Junkie! Join Date: May 2008 Location: UK - England Posts: 8,031 My Photos Are OK to Edit Thanked 225 Times in 198 Posts My Gallery: (0)	It's creepy and crawly And it darn well does not sit still! Gear used - canon 400D - Canon MPE65mm f2.8 macro - speedlite 580EX2 + lumiquest softbox taken at f6.3, ISO 100, 1/200sec flash from the left through a softbox Taken with the MPE 65mm macro at around 5* life size. this takes macro to a whole new level! __________________ How to get critique and feedback on your photography! The Wildlife Project My Flickr The Mentor Scheme mentoring on TPF all are welcome to read and apply Gear list: Canon 400D+batterygrip; Canon 70-200mm f2.8 IS L M2!! Canon MPE 65mm f2.8 macro; Sigma 70mm f2.8 macro; Sigma 150mm f2.8 macro; 580EX2; more teleconverters than is healthy! "When you have to shoot, shoot, don't talk" Tuco Sometimes a few singing babes help as well Last edited by Overread; 02-09-2010 at 12:42 PM.

02-09-2010, 11:49 AM	#2
icassell TPF Junkie! Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Arizona Posts: 5,360 My Photos Are NOT OK to Edit Thanked 70 Times in 67 Posts My Gallery: (3)	Congrats! That lens is working well for you. On this one, you might have cropped a bit too much on the tail end (I guess that's tail, anyway). What are you using for lighting? A bit more light on his back would help. __________________ Ian Canon 7D, Canon 30D, Sigma 10-20 f/4.5-5.6, Tamron 17-50 f/2.8, Canon 50 f/1.8 Mark I, Sigma 50-150 f/2.8, Canon 100 f/2.8 Macro, Sigma 100-300 f/4, Canon 400 f/5.6L, Sigma 1.4X & 2X EX TC, Canon 430EX, Bogen 3021 Tripod/Gitzo 1377M MY BETTERPHOTO MY SMUGMUG "If I have seen further , it is by standing on ye shoulders of giants." -- Sir Isaac Newton in a letter to Robert Hooke 15 February 1676 (... and a long telephoto doesn't hurt either ...)

02-09-2010, 11:54 AM	#3
Overread TPF Junkie! Join Date: May 2008 Location: UK - England Posts: 8,031 My Photos Are OK to Edit Thanked 225 Times in 198 Posts My Gallery: (0)	Yeh I did cut his tail end a bit shot, though this was one of the better examples where I had his back mostly all in focus in a single frame (way to active to even consider stacking). And I do agree lighting was not idea and infact was a nightmare to work with. For this bug alone his head and tail would tend to be a lot brighter than the rest of him and I might go back and re-edit by processing the RAW twice and merging the results (faux HDR). As for the light it was my (now rather muddy) 580EX2 with a regular lumiquest softbox sort of balanced on the left side of the insect and resting up against my foot. I really did find this to be the biggest limitation today - often i would miss shots as the cord would pull the flash over or where I could not balance it right to get the light were I wanted it. I really really really want those twinflash macro lights now __________________ How to get critique and feedback on your photography! The Wildlife Project My Flickr The Mentor Scheme mentoring on TPF all are welcome to read and apply Gear list: Canon 400D+batterygrip; Canon 70-200mm f2.8 IS L M2!! Canon MPE 65mm f2.8 macro; Sigma 70mm f2.8 macro; Sigma 150mm f2.8 macro; 580EX2; more teleconverters than is healthy! "When you have to shoot, shoot, don't talk" Tuco Sometimes a few singing babes help as well

02-09-2010, 11:58 AM	#4
icassell TPF Junkie! Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Arizona Posts: 5,360 My Photos Are NOT OK to Edit Thanked 70 Times in 67 Posts My Gallery: (3)	Yeah, I'm waiting to buy the lens until I can afford the Twin Lights and a rail too ... which means it will be some time :p I think it really is a neat image though. I have enough DOF problems with my 100mm macro and I can imagine what a challenge this guy was! Maybe you need to borrow some Nitrous Oxide from your dentist (for the bug, of course, and not for you ... ) __________________ Ian Canon 7D, Canon 30D, Sigma 10-20 f/4.5-5.6, Tamron 17-50 f/2.8, Canon 50 f/1.8 Mark I, Sigma 50-150 f/2.8, Canon 100 f/2.8 Macro, Sigma 100-300 f/4, Canon 400 f/5.6L, Sigma 1.4X & 2X EX TC, Canon 430EX, Bogen 3021 Tripod/Gitzo 1377M MY BETTERPHOTO MY SMUGMUG "If I have seen further , it is by standing on ye shoulders of giants." -- Sir Isaac Newton in a letter to Robert Hooke 15 February 1676 (... and a long telephoto doesn't hurt either ...)

02-09-2010, 12:42 PM	#6
Overread TPF Junkie! Join Date: May 2008 Location: UK - England Posts: 8,031 My Photos Are OK to Edit Thanked 225 Times in 198 Posts My Gallery: (0)	That was my plan originally - but price rises made my jump for the lens first without saving for the lights - its possible to use them without it but I can quickly see why the lights are so popular with this type of photography. Also to scare you the aperture for that shot was only f6.3! Even f8 starts to get soft around 5:1 so that further reduces the depth of field options. Augphoto I edited in the details of what gear I used for this shot __________________ How to get critique and feedback on your photography! The Wildlife Project My Flickr The Mentor Scheme mentoring on TPF all are welcome to read and apply Gear list: Canon 400D+batterygrip; Canon 70-200mm f2.8 IS L M2!! Canon MPE 65mm f2.8 macro; Sigma 70mm f2.8 macro; Sigma 150mm f2.8 macro; 580EX2; more teleconverters than is healthy! "When you have to shoot, shoot, don't talk" Tuco Sometimes a few singing babes help as well

02-09-2010, 12:03 PM	#5
Augphoto No longer a newbie, moving up! Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Minnesota Posts: 74 My Photos Are OK to Edit Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts My Gallery: (0)	Wow, this is amazing. What combo did you use to get 5X life size?

02-09-2010, 04:34 PM	#7
Overread TPF Junkie! Join Date: May 2008 Location: UK - England Posts: 8,031 My Photos Are OK to Edit Thanked 225 Times in 198 Posts My Gallery: (0)	Another shot of the little guy: Same settings and gear used as in the first shot http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4061/...7031faaf_o.jpg __________________ How to get critique and feedback on your photography! The Wildlife Project My Flickr The Mentor Scheme mentoring on TPF all are welcome to read and apply Gear list: Canon 400D+batterygrip; Canon 70-200mm f2.8 IS L M2!! Canon MPE 65mm f2.8 macro; Sigma 70mm f2.8 macro; Sigma 150mm f2.8 macro; 580EX2; more teleconverters than is healthy! "When you have to shoot, shoot, don't talk" Tuco Sometimes a few singing babes help as well

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