'ave I got somfin' stuck in me teeff govna'?

[Lumen Miner (Mitchell)]

Hi all!

Over the last couple of days, I have been building a portable electric rail system for Macro stacking. It lets me hit a button to creep 1.1mm at a time, which is fine enough for micro adjustments. Then I just shoot the frame, hit the button to automatically slide the camera 1.1mm or more for the next frame... hopefully i'll have time to do a small write-up of it.

This is a stack of 4 shots.
Not sure what this guy is, kind of looks like a giant horsefly with a yellow / black striped abdomen.

I know this is "cheating" to a certain degree. However my lens does not have IS, so doing this by hand is next to impossible.

Thanks for looking.

[trent_julie]

Super shot

[troypiggo (Troy)]

Great work, if a touch underexposed. Looks like a robberfly, but hard to be sure with just that shot.

[Lumen Miner (Mitchell)]

Originally Posted by troypiggo

Great work, if a touch underexposed. Looks like a robberfly, but hard to be sure with just that shot.

Thanks!
I tried but any more exposed and his bristles were blowing out / joining together.
I adjusted the curves on this shot to just prior to blowing out the bristles. But I agree it is under-exposed, I was only using the onboard flash and no side / fill flash. The long lens blocks most of that light, as you would know.

It was probably a bit more about seeing if my contraption worked rather than good lighting / composition.

Originally Posted by trent_julie

Super shot

Thanks heaps!!

[Starman73]

Hey Lumen Miner,

Amazing photo, well done. Love to see more of your work.

Paul

[Lumen Miner (Mitchell)]

Originally Posted by Starman73

Hey Lumen Miner,

Amazing photo, well done. Love to see more of your work.

Paul

Thanks for your comment Paul! Stick round these parts and I am sure you will find more of it. I have to limit myself, or I would fill the forum... Where in Sydney are you? I'm in Hornsby, we should catch up and shoot some tiny stuff together..

[Starman73]

Hey Mitchell,

I happen to be just down the road a little from you in Cherrybrook. I'd be fascinated to see how you do this stuff.

Paul

[Lumen Miner (Mitchell)]

Originally Posted by Starman73

Hey Mitchell,

I happen to be just down the road a little from you in Cherrybrook. I'd be fascinated to see how you do this stuff.

Paul

It is all really very easy to get quick results. Good results take a little longer.

Do you have a DSLR camera? A point and shoot? An old DSLR / SLR 50mm lens? A magnifying glass? There are many easy ways to get "Macro shots".
Some of my highest mag shots were done, with a Digital point and shoot camera and a reversed 50mm lens. I have also got decent shots, just using a simple magnifying glass in front of the lens.

[Lumen Miner (Mitchell)]

Originally Posted by kinetic

Great shot Mitchell! Sorry for the silly question but does the slider plate
increment the whole camera closer/further by 1.1mm or does it move the
focus?

Here's your shot with a basic curve in PS.

Steve

Thanks!

The camera screws on to the plate, which moves the whole camera backwards and forwards. Your focus whilst shooting macro photography is controlled by moving the camera back and forth.

That curve adjustment, is a perfect example of what I was explaining.
See how we have lost almost all definition to the bristles, not only are the majority now joined mid-bristle, they are one big blob connecting to the face.
I would expect a good image to have definition on the hairs, so I chose to go darker. It's more of a lighting issue than a curve adjust issue. I need to light the subject better with less front on flash. That way I can get a well lit subject, with definition to the features and no blowouts.

[dpastern (Dave Pastern)]

Originally Posted by troypiggo

Great work, if a touch underexposed. Looks like a robberfly, but hard to be sure with just that shot.

It's definitely a Robberfly. Nice shot Mitchell.

Dave

[Lumen Miner (Mitchell)]

Originally Posted by dpastern

It's definitely a Robberfly. Nice shot Mitchell.

Dave

Thanks David!