Macro Variations

[Nass]

These are some macro variations I shot the day before yesterday. The subject isn't the most interesting but that wasn't the point of the exercise, which was about playing with some different diffuser setups, light angles and backgrounds. I figure that if I can get control and satisfaction over those 3 during the months when there are no insects then that should set me up to be able to do ok once the bugs are around.

The light setup is a smallHD field monitor with PC output showing a photoshop gradient. This works ok although there are colour temperature problems especially when using the 3100K Jansjo lights. Getting light right to the very front is still a problem because the working distance lens <==> model doesn't give you the clearance to point a flash that way. I'm looking for various kitchen containers to make a diffuser that I think will solve it but so far no luck, they tend to be the wrong type of plastic or coloured. I tried a pingpong ball but that's making my stuff really yellow. In terms of PP, Topaz detail, NoiseNinja and CS3 seems to be giving me what I need. Topaz is especially useful.

The stacks are all of 30 or so, so not especially deep. I have a newport but the connection pieces to cam and tripod are custom creations and the guy I spoke to is trying to fleece me for a lot of money - so I'm looking for an alternate supplier.

[Geoff F]

Just a thought, but are you shooting Raw or alternatively, have you tried doing a Custom White Balance?

[Rob Douglas]

I like the lighting on #3.

[Nass]

Thanks, but the colour temperature thing isn't about the image side, it's the default monitor output which doesn't do yellow very well when the cam is set to 3100K. These are Jpgs, not RAWs - they're all stacks of 50 or so shots and most stackers don't do RAW. I don't really need to do RAW because the exposure is usually ok by the time the shots are taken.

[Nass]

Curious, what in particular do you like about #3? The vignette? The deliberate 'half' eyes? Thx!