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A Bug's Life


CleanGSR

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I thought I'd start a thread to share what I've been up to with my photography lately. Despite a ton of local requests, I am not doing portrait work anymore (except personal use)...I just don't find it enjoyable. My main focus lately has been macro's and specifically insects. So, I'll share some of my stuff.

 

My setup:

 

D90 w/ MB-D80

Tamron 180mm f3.5

Kenko Pro300 1.4 TC

68mm kenko ext. tube set

SB-600

custom made 5x7 inch softbox

a super super steady set of hands

 

Up first....my favorite shot I've ever gotten. This was at almost 2:1 handheld of a hoverfly...he was maybe 6mm long

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Here's a few of some Robber Flies....some seriously predatory insects

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..more to come......

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creeps me out

 

how do you get the all black/green backgrounds?

 

Black background is when I have the aperture and shutter speed set to block out ambient (background/natural) light.....and there is nothing near the background to be lit by the flash.

 

Green or other backgrounds are when I set my settings to leave a little background ambient light to make the background leaves or grass still visible...but blurred due to the very small DOF.

 

Easiest way I know how to explain it....basically whether I have my settings and flash set to either light some of the background or to not light some of the background.

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Thats pretty awesome man. You sold any of these?

 

Not really. I haven't really marketed myself at all to sell any yet. I am working on getting a portfolio book together and seeing about having local stores hang some stuff for sale on their walls....just been too busy with school and work to get it done.

 

Per request...here's some more.....we'll go with spiders this time around.....

 

Green Crab Spider

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Rabid Wolf Spider

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Ghost Spider

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Infamous Black Widow

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Wolf Spiders (babies)

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HANDHELD!? My god you must have the steadiness of a micro surgeon! From my shots I must shake like I have cerebral palsy. Your shots are the best I have seen and I search for macro shots on the net. I saw a colorful dragonfly from a German photographer but he had to spray the fly down with water so it could not fly and then I read later he photoshopped the colors. Yeh, yours are science quality.

 

I need to know more about how you use the softbox...I need to learn more about macro.

 

I use my wife's cameras a D90 and D5000 but I get the best shots from my Canon SX1is so that is not saying much about my capability and a funky little clip on macro lens. I do have a Nikon(Nikkor) AF-5 Micro 105mm 1:28G to use but all I know is it is a macro and I do not know anything about the other designations since it is my wife's set up. I had given up for the moment because macro can be so frustrating, even getting insects to "pose" for more than a second. Get too close for their comfort and they just disappear.

 

I can't say enough about your work, it is all great!

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HANDHELD!? My god you must have the steadiness of a micro surgeon! From my shots I must shake like I have cerebral palsy. Your shots are the best I have seen and I search for macro shots on the net. I saw a colorful dragonfly from a German photographer but he had to spray the fly down with water so it could not fly and then I read later he photoshopped the colors. Yeh, yours are science quality.

 

I need to know more about how you use the softbox...I need to learn more about macro.

 

I use my wife's cameras a D90 and D5000 but I get the best shots from my Canon SX1is so that is not saying much about my capability and a funky little clip on macro lens. I do have a Nikon(Nikkor) AF-5 Micro 105mm 1:28G to use but all I know is it is a macro and I do not know anything about the other designations since it is my wife's set up. I had given up for the moment because macro can be so frustrating, even getting insects to "pose" for more than a second. Get too close for their comfort and they just disappear.

 

I can't say enough about your work, it is all great!

 

I will try to do a post on my blog and link it here about how I manage to shoot handheld. There is a specific technique to it, but yeah, shooting at 252mm and nearly 2:1 handheld is no easy task. That said, I can now go out and shoot for 20-30 minutes and come back inside with a dozen or so keepers.

 

My softbox setup...well my current softbox is not as long (making it more manageable), but you can get an idea from the Macro Rig section on my blog. It has pictures of my setup...though I never actually use the hood as it decreases my working distance and scares off the bugs.

 

By the way, I own both a D90 and D5000....D90 works much better as the viewfinder is A LOT nicer and makes focusing easier. With the D90, 105mm Micro, and a SB-400/600 you can have photos everybit as good as mine...that setup would be just as good on quality as what I have.

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