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Canon Image Challenge | all galleries >> CIC 195: This is Your Life >> Eligible > Improving My Macros
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22-Aug-2019 jimmsp

Improving My Macros

Green Valley, AZ

I have been doing quite a bit of experimenting in the last few days in an attempt to improve on my macro photography. This involves learning focus stacking, trying new focus stacking software, hand holding with an off camera flash, blending shots in Photoshop, etc.
While I am getting better, I don't feel ready for field work while on a hike.

Canon EOS 80D ,Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM
1/60s f/16.0 at 100.0mm iso200
Blended multiple flash shots in PS, camera on a tripod. full exif

other sizes: small medium large original auto
comment
Canon Image Challenge23-Aug-2019 14:17
I have a set of rings as well. I have read about and seen a few shots where an extension is hooked onto a macro lens like the 100mm I have to get some "extreme" macro. I have not tried that yet.

Jim
Canon Image Challenge23-Aug-2019 11:54
If I were a gambling man, I’m not, my guess is Traveller didn’t know what focus stacking was and might have confused it with macro extension rings. I have a set of macro rings, that’s how I first got started in macro photography. Cheap investment it was, about 15 bucks or so. Paul
Canon Image Challenge23-Aug-2019 05:39
T - Re Poland and lightning.
The article says: lightning struck a metal cross atop Mount Giewont as well as a metal chain near the summit
All the folks injured were gathered there - worst possible place to be; at the highest point, next to a metal conductor.

It is appropriate, though, as the monsoons are back in SE Arizona. We had a good lightning show tonight. I stayed away from the tall metal crosses.

Jim
Canon Image Challenge23-Aug-2019 05:36
T - not sure what you are asking about the extensions. I did not use any extensions on my 100mm macro.
I am trying to learn how to do focus stacking well. That is a technique that is primarily software - you combine multiple images that have been focused at different distances, keeping everything else constant. I have been trying to figure out the right number of shots for a given aperture setting, and how to properly manually focus in the right steps from front to back.
Then I am comparing them to a very small aperture, like f/22.

This shot I am showing here is a PS blend of 4 different shots at f/16, auto focus on the center flower, and a off camera flash moved to 4 different positions to try to even out the lighting.

Jim
Canon Image Challenge23-Aug-2019 05:07
Also for Jim

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/aug/22/lightning-strikes-kill-four-in-polands-tatra-mountains

t
Canon Image Challenge23-Aug-2019 05:04
Thanks for the levels tip...good/great detail...but why the extensions...wasn't the 100mm with a .6 crop factor enough?!? Traveller
Canon Image Challenge23-Aug-2019 02:51
Thanks.
The background was a black sheet.
A minor adjustment to levels made it all very black.

Jim
Canon Image Challenge23-Aug-2019 01:56
Excellent technique, sir. What was the background?

Dave