Musca Domestica

[Johann Schutte]

Canon 70d

http://www.js.net.nz/album/

[FrankMi]

Magnificent detail Johann!

I'm going to assume a focus stack was used. The insect appears to be alive but if so, how can get the stack shots necessary without it moving? Also, what lens and processing setup did you use?

Edit: I just looked up Musca Domestica and found that it is the common housefly. I learned something new! Thanks for posting the appropriate title along with the image!

[Shadowman]

Nicely done.

[chauncey]

[QUOTE]The insect appears to be alive [/QUOTE
Keeping insects alive for a shoot doesn't rank very high on my priority list...great shots.

[Johann Schutte]

Hi Frank, Sman and Chauncey

Thanks for your comments.

A stack indeed. I think something in the order of 120, substacked into slabs of 20 and then finally stacked.

I used an old Chinon 135 prime as a tube with a nikon mic objective on the front.

It doesn't really matter what use for a tube, they're pretty much all good through the center of the lens, irrespective of age. The Chinon was at max apperture, which if i recall correctly was 2.8. The mic objective is approx F20.

Mag is somewhere between 5:1 to 7:1.

Stacking was done with Zerene.

PP was done mostly in PS, with some Nik plugins.

The fly was dead a doornail. Had been in the freezer for half a day, which is why there are some water droplets on the eyes in the 2nd pic.

Regards

Johann

[Rita]

Now that's a macro. Well done.

[deetheturk]

Superb captures Johann!

[Nicks Pics]

I'm not sure I've ever seen a fly that close and personal

[Stagecoach]

Wonderful work Johann and beautiful presentation.

I very much appreciate the stacking and lens details of how you achieve these but would be interested to know also your method for controlling focus? Are you placing the subject on a moving rail so that the camera remains totally untouched?

Your website, which I have viewed previously has some truly inspirational work.

Grahame

[bnnrcn]

Stunning

[Johann Schutte]

Ty all for looking/commenting.

@ Stagecoach:

Ty for the huge compliment.

Its an automated rail. You set your focus to the most anterior point by moving the camera back (up the rail), and then do the same for the posterior focal point, by moving the camera forward (down the rail). You then enter the number of steps required, as calculated by using a dof/mag formula between closest and furthest focal focal point, and initiate the sequence.

My rail is capable of advancing in micron, and I often work at this increment level.

The camera is set to manual, so that it doesn't refocus as it moves along the rail.

The electromechanical process of advancing the camera and shooting at each incremement is simple and automatic once all parameters have been entered.

The big problem is getting the light right. Because you're working in such small increments, slight alteration of lights make a huge difference. I use 2-3 flashes, the first cabled to the hotshoe, and the other(s) optically slaved to the first.

You never know what you;re going to get, till you go through the software stacking process!

Regards

Johann

[Stagecoach]

Thanks Johann for the further information which I read in your PM and replied prior to seeing the above post.

[IzzieK]

Exquisite shots! and thanks for the detail...now I will warm up to shooting a dead fly one day...