New flash setup design

[Overread]

Ok I've restarted playing around with my flash setup as I've now bought one of the most important parts - Stain Remover!
Or rather the clear plastic curved dome of the stain remover, which when added to the end of a short "snoot" type flash addon (a roll of white paper) and combined with a curve of two sheets of white paper stretching over the top of the subject one gets this:

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4125/5091596826_5394fe4359_o.jpg

Ignore the missfocusing (its dark under that paper when shooting indoors at night) and focus instead on that shiny reflective insect shell - and notice the distinct lack of shine! :mrgreen:

I'm hoping to improve on this design soon with better materials (card for a start!) and to also use vellum paper instead of regular copy paper (tests by others have shown that it gives a more diffused effect). All that remains then is to design something that will mount the curve of paper on the end of the lens (instead of it being taped down over a table) and a layer of silver foil inside the card (reflective).

 

[WTF?]

photo of the setup?

 

[Arkanjel Imaging]

Yeah, thats pretty even/flat light man. Looks really nice for documenting stuff. :thumbup:

 

[Overread]

Thanks guys:
For those interested I've started putting up some of the methods and gear info here:
http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/beyond-basics/223488-doesnt-get-any-better-than.html

Thus far however this shot remains the most impressive lighting wise - downside is that it wasn't mobile (the paper was stuck to the table) so it was imperfect as a mobile macro lightingmethod - though could certainly be used for a studio setup.

 

[ChrisA]

Looks good. Always worth persuing flash lighting near perfection - I don't think we ever quite finish doing that...

 

[iamsneaky13]

i looked at your other post and it seems like it would scare bugs of due to the white sheet being over them. still it is almost perfectly even lighting.

 

[Overread]

Aye that is the one limitation of this approach - however with the MPE you're already on top of most insects to start with - any level of flash diffusion just adds to it.