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Macro photography 101

DoobieDuck

Senior Member
ICMag Donor
Veteran
Bog...love the seed poppin macros...were you kidding about the pro set up...it is not really but it works! This is more of a close up than macro but thought it deserved a spot here...DD
 

bogusik2

Member
Wow Doobie amazing colseup! I got lil question about Photoshop..
Yesterday i downloaded trial version and i was wondering if it's ethical for photographer to make that kind of changes on image..
Todays my first day and i'm just messing around but i think with little practise outcome will be really interesting..

Original Picture

12128a12_5_-med.JPG


Cut fragment

12128a4_4_.JPG


After photoshop..




and some old one - its way better :) pzdr

Before...................................................After

 
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bubbleman

Well-known member
Veteran
Great shots everyone, amazing as always L33t. thanks for the tips again.

Glad to see this thread alive and kicking, it was wild go back a few pages and see that i hadnt even gotten my gear yet.

am happy to say after 6 months with the camera, im loving it more than ever.


here are some of the shots i've taken over the last three months...
































Peace
Bubble man
 
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DoobieDuck

Senior Member
ICMag Donor
Veteran
Nice images bubbleman...Bog...I don't see anything unethical about improving an image in Photoshop using tools such as auto ajustment, color adjustments, sometimes curves, and sharpening. You can over do some of those such as sharpening though. If I manipulate an image, add to...or take out, I usually state that fact in the image description to avoid any deception.... this is only my opinion and it varies within the industry. Good qustion for this thread....I'd love to hear others answer here? DD
 

bogusik2

Member
Thanks Doobie :) its my first time with photoshop but i migh use it to little changes hehe :) tuning up fhotos is fun too ;P pzdr

12128diesel_macro.JPG
 

bubbleman

Well-known member
Veteran
I think its your own choice if you want to change up the photo in photoshop. I konw that the people who are most against it are film photographers, and those who are into digital are a lot more likely to be into it.
Idealy the ultimate goal in taking a photo is for it to show as you wish it to. With everything from framing to colours to check out.
If you can't make it happen with the click of the shutter button then photoshop is for you.
I find photoshop essential for macro photography just for the cloning tool alone. Sensor dust is a real pain in the ass and has to be eliminated one way or another. I am not at the point where i have a camera just for macro so i have to change lens, and thus i get sensor dust build up.
anyway if you can make it happen with a simple click then do so, but if you gotta use photoshop hell , thats what it there for.

here is a most recent fly shot i got, no photoshop, no crop.

194MG_5528_Large_.JPG



Peace
Bubble man


Ps, here is what i had written the first time when the post didnt go up> forgot i had it copy'd.

I have heard the arguement go both ways, but i think that since digital has taken over the photo world, that arguement is gaining more weight on the photoshop side.
I personaly do very little to my photos, a crop here and there, and the of course cloning out sensor dust ( something you need to figure out if you're going to shoot macro). Otherwise for colour and such i prefer to get the photo the way i want it with the click of a button.
However i dont see it as being bad for someone that wants to work their photo up in photoshop and clean it up.
To each their own really.
I will say this much, there are enough wild colours in nature that if you get the shot right, there' isnt much you need to do.

My two cents..


Pss: here are a few other bug shots and refraction shots i got not to long ago.
macro photographers LOVE summer





194IMG_0618cropped_Large_.jpg


A carpenter ant feeding off my popsicle stick ( only way i could get him to stop moving)


194IMG_0761exposure_Large_.jpg


He actualy looks like he's saying cheese in this next one...

194IMG_0799_Large_.JPG



This next series is all the same shot, just using crop to show you the power of a good crop> this little jumping spider was sitting on a dandelion when i found him> if you look in the last photo of his eyes, you can see the reflection of the danelion. pretty cool shot, probably my best insect shot to date..

194IMG_0962exposurecropped_Large_.jpg


194IMG_0971exposure_Large_.jpg



194IMG_0971exposurecropped_Large_.jpg



194IMG_0971exposureEYES_Large_.jpg



These are two seperate shots of morning dew refractions.
thanks to LORDV for the inspiration. these shots are a simple 1 or 2 out of ten compared to his constant 20's.

Peace

Bubble man

194IMG_1118_Large_.JPG



194IMG_1089cropped.jpg
 
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w33dstar

Well-known member
Veteran
Ixodes Sculpularis



flysex



workflow:

-open in lightroom
-white balance
-litle bit sharpen not to much.
-filter with neat image.
-resize


:wave:
 
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bubbleman

Well-known member
Veteran
hahah nice one w33dstar, i saw hillbillieonpcp had a shot of fly's having sex in his gallery to.
To funny, will have to capture one of those one day.
For now onto the elusive butterfly...


A few shots from the past day....















peace
Bubble man
 

Jare

Genetics' hunter
Veteran
A little contribute from Italy

Black Domina x Jack Herer





GH Cheese

BUBBLE HASH

Another Black Domina x Jack Herer shots




 

Elemental

ORGANIC its my WAY/KUSH AFICIONADO/FULL MELT gran'
Veteran
hey there BMAN!!!!so nice to see you here,amazing shots as usual from your great cam!!

good resin / 73u JARE,you definetly did a good job in your grow space.
 
L

luaith

you must have a kisk ass cam,bubbleman..what kind?
still learning myself,i have a canon g-9.
any hints you can give us.?
different exposure times..ect...?

more bugs...

48611IMG_0201.JPG
 

inflorescence

Active member
Veteran
w33dstar said:
freehand.

Are you like one of those sharp-shooter assassins in the military who are trained to regulate their breathing to the pull of the trigger to keep a steady hand cause that's pretty steady for freehand. Nice work.
 

w33dstar

Well-known member
Veteran
thx man,but i never was in the army :nono:





@bubbleman,which objetif u used 4 the trichome shots?very nice
 
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bubbleman

Well-known member
Veteran
Not sure what you mean by which objetif w33dstar. I am using a 40d canon body with a 65mm MPE canon macro lens. also using the 24Mt EX dual flash by canon as well.

ALL my shots are also freehand, except for my trichome shots in which i used a tripod.

Peace
Bubble man


Ps, a few tips for taking free hand shots, Its nice to be able to lean your camera on something and use your hand to bring it slightly foreward or backwards, depending on the macro lens you are using, you will have different levels of DOF to work with>
With the MPE you have a very small DOF to work with so placing the camera down , wether just a small amount of the front of the lens or the entire bottom of the lens, it makes it sometimes easier.
I find the hardest freehand shots to get are those above flowers that don't allow you to rest the camera on anything> My lens alone weighs a kilo, so my total rig can weigh a few. THis can get very heavy when shooting above your head or in other uncomfortable angles.
Gonna try and get some new trichome shots soon...

Bubble man
 

w33dstar

Well-known member
Veteran
hi,sry 4 my bad english :bashhead: i love the mp-e but the price is very high,and i use the 400d with apc sensor,its to litle 4 many bugs shots.

http://www.insektenmakros.de/

he use the 5d with big sensor,but the same hardware like you.


no flash

 
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T

TheOneWill

Man I got a crappy, Pansonic Lumix Dmc-LZ7
Wish I could get a new one where I could take real macro shots like yalls. But those cameras yall got probley range for 500-1500 just for the camera. But keep up the good work. I'm gonna try to get some okay macros.
 

Tumblepop

Active member
I'm going to buy a brand new camera Canon EOS 450D (Digital Rebel XSI in US) for 500€ without lens. There are some nice macro lens for less than 300€. Maybe not the same quality and sharpness of bubbleman's lens but they should work!
I like EF 70-300mm also. Not a real macro lens but on amazon it costs 600$.Good price!
 
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