Macro photos - Daily Mail - What is he using?

PhotoTish · May 26, 2011

The X-Flies:Up close, the garden bugs who look like ALIENS | Mail Online

Apart from the stunning macro photos, I was interested to see the diffuser this guy is using on his camera. Is it a commercial diffuser? Anyone know where they are sold?

As this is a macro related question - I hope this is in the right forum.

Thanks

Derrel · May 26, 2011

He's using a Nikon SB 400 hotshoe flash, and the diffuser appears to be held in place using a threaded ring that fits into the lens's filter threads. It appears as if he has around 12 OR 13MM EXTENSION TUBE between his lens and the camera body. The diffuser appears to be a home-made one, to me at least.

PhotoTish · May 26, 2011

Thanks Derrel

I Googled the photographer and he is on Flicker. He mentions using a KFC Flash Diffuser, Nikon SB 400 with reversed 18-55mm kit lens.I love this macro stuff. Just got to find some bugs and try it out! :lol:

Bitter Jeweler · May 26, 2011

A KFC Bucket lid! Awesome!

Overread · May 26, 2011

Ahh I thought that flash diffuser looked familiar (got his flickr in my contacts from some time back it seems), but yes looks more machine made than custom; so I'm not surprised to read that its manufactured.

As for macro light diffusion overall there are lots of options and the following links might well have some additional advice for you to consider:
Juza Nature Photography Forum • View topic - Concave Flash Diffuser Test (SteB's concave flash diffusion method - don't fear the large text wall, its a simple theory to understand)
No Cropping Zone: MT-24EX Diffuser Redesign (Dalentech's most recent diffusion article, but there are one or two others in his blog as well)
Macrophotography by LordV - Canon Digital Photography Forums (LordV's tutorial)
Show us your Macro Rig - Canon Digital Photography Forums (this is a big collection of shots of different peoples setups - loads of ideas and talk)
NatureScapes.Net - Article on Cross-Polarization Flash Macro Photography (not a diffusion method as such, but a cross polarization method used for lighting control and worth reading)

PhotoTish · May 26, 2011

Thanks Overread - I shall have a look at those links. :thumbup:

I might try Bitter Jeweler's KFC bucket lid idea ... just to see if it works!

Derrel · May 26, 2011

Okay, I went to his Flickr site and got a look at a large version of his setup; that KFC bucket lid appears to be PLASTIC...not the paper kind we have in the USA...and yes, I can see he has a reversed kit lens on there,now that I can see a large version of his setup. Yesterday, or the day before, somebody posted shots from another close-up bug shooter, a fellow who used a Pentax d-slr, and a reversed 28mm lens on an extension tube, and a small roughly 5x8 inch softbox that he angled down and across the camera's view; that was posted by MarkW. Both guys do good work with the same, basic setup: a reversed lens, and a flash.

If you have a NIkon, you'll want the Nikon BR-2A lens reversing ring, which has a 52mm filter thread, and a NIkon lens mount to fit to the body. An good lens for reversed work is the Series E 36-72mm f/3.5, which is f/3.5 wide-open across its range, and has pretty good behavior when shot reversed on small things. Older Nikon lenses that have an aperture ring are handy, but reversed lens use is one are where a person can use older, orphaned lenses quite well.

behanana · May 26, 2011

OK Derrel you seem to know a decent amount about this reverse lense stuff. Is there a focal range that works better than others, I mean I'm sure you wouldn't want to use like a 300mm telephoto lense, but is there a limit as to the range you would want to use? I'm also guessing, like you pointed out about the series E lense, a fixed aperature that is relativly low would be good?

Bend The Light · May 26, 2011

You guys should check out this guy, Thomas Shahan...he is absolutely fantastic!
And I also really like the work of Brian Valentine (Lord V - link by Overread above) on a couple of the forums I go on. Brian seems to be able to tame the critters - has them walking on his hand, etc...

But this guy is great, too, and i love that diffuser - I am going to get one of those made!

Overread · May 26, 2011

Another good person to read from is John Hallmen Gear - a set on Flickr
he uses some very different setups for getting higher magnification shots - from reversed lenses to diopters to microscope elements and he puts up some very good descriptions on a lot of his work and setups.