Macro photographs from Mike Moat's excellent Macro Workshop, C&C needed

[aavivi]

Please be brutally honest! #4 and #5 are my favorites.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

 

[cgipson1]

Sharp, good color, good DOF.... nice shots!

What do you feel like you learned in the workshop?

 

[aavivi]

What do you feel like you learned in the workshop?

Well, first off, Mike Moats is a really really nice guy, with some amazing macro shots. I also recommend his workshop (amazingly cheap at $169 for a three day workshop that includes hands-on sessions)

On ideas:
- Using two-subject macro
- Looking for 'character' in your macro subjects
- What to look for when shooting the inevitable flower shots
- Quite a bit of notes about composition (keep in mind Mike needs to work with beginners as well as advanced photographers)
- Locations for good subjects
- Using printed backgrounds to simulate outdoor macros indoors
- bubble shooting

On the photography/gear:
- Recommended tripods/heads - vanguard tripods and acratech ultimate ball head (for most flexible reach), I use RRS/Gitzo, but if you're looking for good, inexpensive alternatives, these work nicely (he has them so you can try)
- Using promaster led lights to help in simple inexpensive studio lighting
- Building wind boxes at home for outdoor shooting
- Using small (12-22") diffusers
- A better plamp (typically used to hold plants and clamp them to a tripod) the one he uses and recommends come with a stake on one end, and a more practical holder for the diffuser
- Lens and extension tubes, when to use what..., he actually prefers working with Tamrons, but has no strong opinions
- Crop vs. Full (he prefers the crop sensor, and uses a Nikon D7000)
- handy accessories for shooting outdoors (tweezers, brush, small scissors, small mist bottle - for dew)

On photographic techniques:
- Best way/time to catch critters
- getting backlit images
- getting dew shots

On post-processing:
- his >very< simple sharpening method
- quick Nik Viveza and Color EFex tips

On practical business:
- if you sell prints, most people don't go for soft focus macros -
- soft macros rarely win competitions
- galleries/people with art backgrounds are the only ones who may consider those
- people never buy b/w macros
- good sites to get critiques

But again, just the interaction with him is awesome. He goes for the K.I.S.S. method, and tries to offer good and inexpensive solutions. And I'm sure I missed a couple of the obvious ones. He does talk about and shows focus stacking and lens babies.

And I think that about covers it. BTW he brings the props for the people in the class to shoot (flowers, shells, feathers, felt, backgrounds, etc). All those shots are with what he brought (you just bring the camera, tripod and lens).

I hope this answers your question

Sent from my stone tablet using semaphores

 

[aavivi]

Oh, one more 'trick' I feel ashamed of missing in the manual (for both my D7000 and D800E) is using the red focus square in live view + magnifier to be able to fine-tune the focus. That was a real 'doh' moment for me. Of course it's pretty much only useful when using a tripod, but that's how you shoot most macros.

Sent from my stone tablet using semaphores

 

[cgipson1]

Oh, one more 'trick' I feel ashamed of missing in the manual (for both my D7000 and D800E) is using the red focus square in live view + magnifier to be able to fine-tune the focus. That was a real 'doh' moment for me. Of course it's pretty much only useful when using a tripod, but that's how you shoot most macros.

Sent from my stone tablet using semaphores

It is a handy trick! However.. I shoot 90% of my Macro handheld....using the viewfinder! Got some in my Gallery or my Flickr page if you are curious! I just find tripods to be a real pain, when I am out bughunting! And the bugs don't stick around long enough to get a tripod rig setup....

 

[Judobreaker]

Oh, one more 'trick' I feel ashamed of missing in the manual (for both my D7000 and D800E) is using the red focus square in live view + magnifier to be able to fine-tune the focus. That was a real 'doh' moment for me. Of course it's pretty much only useful when using a tripod, but that's how you shoot most macros.

Sent from my stone tablet using semaphores

It is a handy trick! However.. I shoot 90% of my Macro handheld....using the viewfinder! Got some in my Gallery or my Flickr page if you are curious! I just find tripods to be a real pain, when I am out bughunting! And the bugs don't stick around long enough to get a tripod rig setup....

Yep, pretty much the same here.
I shoot handheld most of the time. I'll sometimes use a monopod when not chasing bugs too hard.
I can't even remember the last time I used a tripod for a macro shot. ^^

 

[aavivi]

I used to handhold too - but when trying to do a studio shot, and going for that tack-sharp image, I prefer to take my shaky hands out of the Nikon D800E + Nikon 200mm Micro + Battery pack - weight equation... I can also play with the composition a lot more freely, and isolate elements a lot better.

 

[cgipson1]

I used to handhold too - but when trying to do a studio shot, and going for that tack-sharp image, I prefer to take my shaky hands out of the Nikon D800E + Nikon 200mm Micro + Battery pack - weight equation... I can also play with the composition a lot more freely, and isolate elements a lot better.

Sure.. but not many bugs in the studio! Unless you stage them of course, not quite "real" that way though.....

 

[aavivi]

True - we did have a lady in the workshop, though, who works with spiders (she's a professor in U-Mass) and she actually did studio shots of her critters... Using a tripod.

 

[Pink_Estrella]

love 2 and 4

 

[seakritter]

love 2 and 4

I like 2 & 4 as well