Lights for mainly macro

sureshot

sureshot

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Looking for studio lights for mainly macro photography what do you recommend?
 
Some details of what you will be shooting would help, but my immediate reaction to this is that hotshoe flashguns are usually at least as good for macro photography as studio flash.
 
Insects mainly , i use flash at the moment but would like a continuous light
 
sureshot said:
Insects mainly , i use flash at the moment but would like a continuous light
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Ah, I see - when you said studio lights I assumed that you meant studio flash.
I can think of no reason to use continuous lighting for this
 
sureshot said:
What would you recommend?
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Hotshoe flash, which is what I assume you are using now.

The main disadvantages of hotshoe flashes, for most types of photography, are
1. No modelling lamp
2. Very low power
3. Very limited range of modifiers that work well
4. Very slow recyling
But, for your application, the lack of a modelling lamp is the only real limitation.
Low power doesn't matter, you don't need much power when you're that close to the subject
You don't need modifiers either, because it's all about relative size not actual size, and in relative terms a flashgun is massive at close distances compared to an insect
And recycling is only slow at high power settings, you don't need high power and so the recycling is very fast.

I would ask the question another way - what advantage do you think that continuous lighting has?
 
If you're doing dead bugs, then I can see using constant lights... polarizing filters for them can help as well. Otherwise, speedlight(s) and forget the polarization.

I have to disagree with Garry about the modifier though... speedlights are very "hard"/directional irrespective of the distance due to the fresnel lens. And due to the short distances, and the need to freeze motion with live bugs, the speedlight tends to become the main/only light in the image. But it doesn't take much of a modifier to get really nice macro light from them (I have a 12" velcro on softbox thing). The contrary to this is that "large/soft" light tends to kill texture/detail. The really advanced guys will use multiple lights with a harder one from the side at a lower ratio to pull up detail... I'm not *that* into macro stuff.

Macro insects, especially high magnification, is a bit of a specialized field. I'm sure someone with more experience will come along with more/better ideas.
 
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sk66 said:
If you're doing dead bugs, then I can see using constant lights... polarizing filters for them can help as well. Otherwise, speedlight(s) and forget the polarization.

I have to disagree with Garry about the modifier though... speedlights are very "hard"/directional irrespective of the distance due to the fresnel lens. And due to the short distances, and the need to freeze motion with live bugs, the speedlight tends to become the main/only light in the image. But it doesn't take much of a modifier to get really nice macro light from them (I have a 12" velcro on softbox thing). The contrary to this is that "large/soft" light tends to kill texture/detail. The really advanced guys will use multiple lights with a harder one from the side at a lower ratio to pull up detail... I'm not *that* into macro stuff.

Macro insects, especially high magnification, is a bit of a specialized field. I'm sure someone with more experience will come along with more/better ideas.
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Certainly true to a considerable extent, but just flipping the wide panel down fixes it. Or a small piece of tracing paper over the flash head.

Tons of macro lighting rigs here https://www.talkphotography.co.uk/threads/show-us-your-macro-rig.132158/
 
sk66 said:
If you're doing dead bugs, then I can see using constant lights... polarizing filters for them can help as well. Otherwise, speedlight(s) and forget the polarization.

I have to disagree with Garry about the modifier though... speedlights are very "hard"/directional irrespective of the distance due to the fresnel lens. And due to the short distances, and the need to freeze motion with live bugs, the speedlight tends to become the main/only light in the image. But it doesn't take much of a modifier to get really nice macro light from them (I have a 12" velcro on softbox thing). The contrary to this is that "large/soft" light tends to kill texture/detail. The really advanced guys will use multiple lights with a harder one from the side at a lower ratio to pull up detail... I'm not *that* into macro stuff.

Macro insects, especially high magnification, is a bit of a specialized field. I'm sure someone with more experience will come along with more/better ideas.
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Actually, polarisation is better with flashes than with constant lights.
I agree, I don't have much experience of this particular genre and hopefully someone who does will chip in, but I did spend quite a lot of time getting a specialist photographer's lighting set up for beetles and things, and my takeaway from that session is what I put in my post - very short working distances, massive lights relative to the size of the subject, not a lot of room for light placement. From memory I used two flashguns and some bits of reflective material.
 
sk66 said:
Why? Other than the loss of light from relatively weak sources I don't see a reason. With constant lights it allows you to see the results of the orientation.
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Trust me, I'm a photographer...
:)

Yes, there's a definate advantage in being able to see what you're getting.
But to get the best from a polarising screen, it's necessary to cross-polarise, i.e to polarise the light as well as the lens. My own experience is that polarising a filament light works extremely well, although there is a massive problem with the polarising sheets being totally wrecked by the heat, but nobody uses filament lights any more, unless they want to cook the subject as well as photograph it, and cross polarising with discontinuous spectrum lights (LED or Fluorescent) works badly.
 
I used this setup a few years back http://owenlloydphotography.com/?p=295 As Steven said - it's a small push-on softbox that gives a basic "light all around" solution that doesn't reveal texture too well, but does work well with the colours. Later I had a dabble at using a dark field setup here http://owenlloydphotography.com/?p=1029 Needs work, but a lot more texture.

You'll typically be using smaller apertures (around f/16 say) and want to freeze any movement, so I wouldn't recommend continuous lights for insects - they're not powerful enough, so you'll need to use longer exposures, and those beetles can really move :).. Flies especially are also attracted to or confused by strong light sources.
 
This guy is using little/no modification of the lights (i.e smaller)... but he is only lighting one part of the insect at a time :eek:. I feel pretty confident in saying I/most can't compete with the IQ he's getting/delivering... nor do I have the motivation to even attempt it!

 
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