My First Macro Attempt

[Limpopoboy]

Hey Guys

On a trip to Malaysia last year I had an opportunity to undertake some macro shots. Not only was it my first macro attempt but it was at night. Any critique would be welcome on my photographs and my macro technique and or night approach in particular. Canon 100mm F2.8 and flash with modifier light box and 2 x additional flash either side controlled manually.

[chauncey]

Pretty descent first attempt.

[Geoff F]

A rather dark subject in the first image, which is always difficult and you can't really do much about it. Looks better with the Lightbox view though.

I would selectively tone down the bright highlights on leaves and stones with the last one. Otherwise, these look good.

[bje07]

Personally I prefer flower macros, yours are scary

[Shadowman]

Nice ones.

[JBW]

Excellent start. You might want to explore DOF and how to put your focus where you want it

[Wavelength]

They are all good; since you maintained the original backgrounds, which are too confusing and camouflaging distinction is less; but in the case of such creatures, it is OK

[Manfred M]

+1 to Nandakumar's comment.

Even macro images need work from a compositional standpoint. The background in these images is far too busy and there isn't enough separation between the subject and background.

[Saorsa]

There are a lot of reasons to take macro or closeup shots. One might be to create vivid, dynamic images but more commonly we need the images to take to our guidebooks later for identification. Of all you have here, #4 comes closest to a striking image. If it were mine, I would crop it closer. Like this



Eye arrangement is very important in spider identification and number 2 is great for that as well as being interesting as an image in it's own right.

#1 is very interesting in showing how the spider deals with controlling it's environment.

#3 just doesn't seem very interesting other than documenting a species in a location. Too much of the subject is soft.

But, if those are your first attempts at Macro PLEASE keep at it.

[Limpopoboy]

Pretty descent first attempt.

Thanks

[Limpopoboy]

Thanks guys for the feedback, while I may possibly agree with the toning down to some degree (as it was the depths of night time after all), I found it hard to bring lighting control, DOF and focus, at night, on small quick moving subjects. All photographs were hand held with a large macro rig.

Any other suggestions how I could have mastered this scenario better?

Did someone mention camouflage

[Saorsa]

Since you are using multiple lights, you might consider using them at different outputs to make the light a little less flat. A main light and fill arrangement.

[DanK]

Very good first tries.

I agree about the background. The bugs don't always give you much choice, but it works best to hunt in areas where the background is less cluttered, if you can.

Re depth of field: You shot at least one of these at f/18, so you aren't going to be able to get more DOF without stacking. A work-around is to try to get the bug reasonably close to parallel to the sensor, so you need less DOF.

Re the first: shots from the top are often the least interesting. Shot #2 is a great contrast to that: a great, interesting perspective.

Re lighting: In addition to Brian's suggestion, you might also try using just one flash, positioned just to one side of top dead center. There will be times that it doesn't work--that you will be cursing that the light isn't on the other side. However, it works much of the time, and it gives a light that isn't flat. The one I will post below wash shot with the same lens you have, but with a 36mm tube, and a diffused flash to the top left of the front end of the lens.

[Saorsa]

When I use off-camera flash I usually just support the camera with a monopod and maneuver my flash on a cord.



More on options at https://birdsnbugs.com/2011/01/03/us...-closeup-work/

[IzzieK]

I was trying on a macro shot yesterday afternoon for today's outing and I found that using the largest opening (F2.8) and spot metering is a better alternative to blurring the background of an object, in my case dogwood flowers. Perhaps this will work with bugs too? I have not been able to perfect my bug shots yet so I have no experience in your macro techniques.

[DanK]

the problem with bug shots is usually just the opposite: how to get enough of the bug in focus.For example, I'll post below a shot I took when I was learning how to shoot bugs. I shot it at f/8.0, and you can see that there wasn't enough DOF (even though I was using a crop sensor camera, which provides a bit more). I now usually shoot around f/13, and even that often provides less DOF than I want.

In Tony's images, the problem is what the bugs are standing on, which is so close to the bug that opening the aperture wouldn't help much anyway.

Re spot metering: that isn't a factor. The metering mode by itself has no impact on depth of field. Your choice of metering mode might lead you to open up or close down the aperture a bit, and that would affect DOF (in either direction), but if you are achieving the same exposure, choice of mode has no impact on DOF.