How on earth do you create these kind of images?

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Jayceyned

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Apologies as this isn't a critique that I'm after, but I wanted to post in a macro dedicated section & get some input from a knowledgeable bunch.

I came across this guy today, and is work is beyond amazing: http://dusanbeno.webgarden.cz/makro-macro/makro.html

I just wondered if anyone knew how to get images even close to this? I've been playing around with macro for a while now, ad with a reversed 28mm lens on extension tubes I can get pretty close up, but I have no idea how to get colours anything like this.

I'm guessing he can't have used image stacking as the scenes seem quite dynamic and the critters all seem very alive.

I'm seriously intrigued.

Any suggestions of where to better post this, please let me know.

Thanks loads,

Jay.
 
Ask the mother in law to sit very still :)?

Seriously tho no idea what lens he used (would love to know? some macro with some TC?) however I would imagine the shots use off camera/ring flash & either a lot of patience/luck!
 
Chilling and stacking would be my guess.

Edit: you can have a guess at the lenses from the Flickr groups he is in.
 
Link.. 5Dii and MP-E 65mm f/2.8
 
Jayceyned said:
Apologies, but what's chilling?
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Often when taken pictures of bug's etc, photographers will stick them in the fridge for a but to cool them down and as such slow them down :D

Matt
MWHCVT
 
MWHCVT said:
Often when taken pictures of bug's etc, photographers will stick them in the fridge for a but to cool them down and as such slow them down :D

Matt
MWHCVT
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Some insect photographers use hairspray.

Allegedly. :thumbs:
 
There simply stunning photos, how much would a lens like that cost out of interest?
 
Chilling... I get it.

Thanks so much for all of your help. Really appreciate it.

Maybe I should start to think about a real macro lens as opposed to reversing etc. food for thought.
 
BenUK said:
There simply stunning photos, how much would a lens like that cost out of interest?
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Just checking we're not in Talk Basics, nope.. ok.. link
 
The MP-E 65mm is a mad lens. Brilliant, but mad. It starts at 1:1 magnification (i.e. you can fill your frame with an an object 22x15mm) and it goes all the way to 5:1, at which point an object 4x3mm fills the frame. It doesn't have a focus ring - instead, you dial in your chosen magnification and then move the camera backwards and forwards until the subject is in focus. Mad, but brilliant.

Note that, as well as the ~£800 for the lens, you need a Canon DSLR, a decent tripod, a macro focussing rail, and some sort of macro flash or ring light. If you can find an MP-E second-hand then you could get away with spending less than £1000 all in, but not much less.
 
StewartR said:
Note that, as well as the ~£800 for the lens, you need a Canon DSLR, a decent tripod, a macro focussing rail, and some sort of macro flash or ring light. If you can find an MP-E second-hand then you could get away with spending less than £1000 all in, but not much less.
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I don't normally venture out of Talk Basics but what is a macro focusing rail? Also why do you need a macro flash (what is the difference) or ring light instead of a regular speedlight?
 
Thanks Sledger,

that's awesome. Have watched the video but need to watch again (not at work) with audio. Awesomt to see that he's taking those images with a reversed lens and not one of the dedicated macro lenses - I have some hope that if I practice practice practice I might get there one day.

So awesome. Will post some images here when I finally get out to have a proper go again
 
I can answer...

a focussing rail is a rail that attaches between your tripod and camera base, and it allows you to move your camera back and forth by minute amounts. It basically allows you to focus really accurately as when you're magnified so much, you have such a tiny depth of field that you only get around 1mm or so that in focus in a photo (assuming that your not photographing a flat thing, and it have some depth to it... like an insect).

A ring flash is basically a flash unit that fixes to the end of your lens and looks like a big doughnut - your lens pokes through the middle. It lights the scene directly in front of your camera lens, as your on-body flash fires forwards and will likely miss the small spot in right in front of the middle of your lens. You don't necessarily need that though, like the guy in the video above: he's made an angled diffuser attachment that points downwards just in front of his lens and on to his tiny subjects.

Hope it helps?
 
You can use the MP-E65 handheld and get photos like that, but it's not easy. And most of the time it needs to be done indoors as any slight breeze will move the subject seemingly by miles. You also need very good light (Canon MT-24 at £500+) or similar and a very steady hand or focussing rail.
And about the cost of the lens, I've just sold mine for £650. I bought it in october as a christmas present and in between times I had an accident and am struggling to move into position to take the shots. Indoors I've managed to take a photo of the eye of a sewing needle which comes out around 15" when viewed at full size. Amazing.
 
Jayceyned said:
I can answer...

a focussing rail is a rail that attaches between your tripod and camera base, and it allows you to move your camera back and forth by minute amounts. It basically allows you to focus really accurately as when you're magnified so much, you have such a tiny depth of field that you only get around 1mm or so that in focus in a photo (assuming that your not photographing a flat thing, and it have some depth to it... like an insect).

A ring flash is basically a flash unit that fixes to the end of your lens and looks like a big doughnut - your lens pokes through the middle. It lights the scene directly in front of your camera lens, as your on-body flash fires forwards and will likely miss the small spot in right in front of the middle of your lens. You don't necessarily need that though, like the guy in the video above: he's made an angled diffuser attachment that points downwards just in front of his lens and on to his tiny subjects.

Hope it helps?
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Thanks, that does help :). Re the lighting I more meant why couldn't youjust use a speedight and either bounce it off the ceiling if you were indoors or point it downwards?
 
You can, although, like in the image above, thnk it will need to be diffused in some way. Bouncing off a ceiling may not give enough light as you might be shooting at around f/16 @ 1/200 s?
 
Set_Nights said:
Re the lighting I more meant why couldn't youjust use a speedight and either bounce it off the ceiling if you were indoors or point it downwards?
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If you bounce it off the ceiling, it won't be bright enough, and it will be too diffuse.

If you point it downwards, the lens itself will get in the way and cast a shadow over the object. (Remember, with the MP-E you're photographing an object which is only a few mm across, right in front of the lens.)

Your basic solutions are:
1. Ring flash or similar, where the flash is mounted on the end of the lens.
2. Off-camera flash.
3. Some sort of gizmo to channel/direct the light onto the subject - like this home-made effort I found on Flickr.
 
I see, thank you :). I don't really have any experience of macro but it makes interesting reading! Sorry for taking things off topic :bonk:!
 
I would say the photographer used a 1:1 macro lens. That's the best tool I'd recommend for such macro shots.
 
kestral said:
Do Nikon do an equivalent lens?
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Third party lens companies usually have nice macro lenses. Officials tend to be expensive - not saying third party ones aren't.
 
kestral said:
Do Nikon do an equivalent lens?
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The same question popped into my head, but upon watching the clip Sledger posted, the guy uses a fast prime and a reversing ring ( plus external flash) Which looks to be a significantly cheaper alternative.
 
Thats my sock said:
Which looks to be a significantly cheaper alternative.
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:thumbs: Reversing ring £5, Macro lens £500.
As there are no elctrical contacts to change it a lens with an aperture controll ring would be better.
Also, the wider the lens you reverse the higher the magnification. Using my 500d with reversed kit lens at 18mm, I could fill the screen with a subject 4mm x 6mm!

ETA: Wow!! Just watched that video :)
 
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Amazing Photos and i always wondered how they did it!

Love this...

17991139
 
Totally stationary insect frozen or dead.It is the only way a photo like that can be taken.
 
look in the "Macro and Close-Up" forum,
there are guides, and in the "show us your rig" there are lots of examples of how people do lighting.
 
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