Macrophotography Trick

[lastchance]

As the cup shows good soft light is important to quality photos. I am getting very close to starting a photo shoot for a book we are writing on AK fly patterns. There will be well over 200 flies I need to shoot and some are far too large for the cup... I will use a series of strong lights (LED120 Plus x2 as primary sources http://www.cameralandny.com/camerage...ed120pluslight ) reflected through a diffuser and probably use a secondary diffuser also.

The flies will be in a Nor-Vise and the primary problem righ tnow is the fact many of the flies are articulated, tubes, or stingers... Supporting the flies from behind to make them float invisibly... and being able to change them quickly will be tough. I usually use a metal tube with a loop of fine mono hidden in the dressing and anchored through the backdrop...

Just pointing out how much easier it is to do one quick, simple shot in a Dixie cup!

So, you turn off the flash on the point and shoot camera when you are using the cup method? You know you can buy large styrofoam cups, too.

[Luke McLeod]

Hi Luke. I like the black background myself. It looks much more professional. I have access to a Digital Nikon D-50, but I do not have a macro lens with it. I have Nikkor 70-300mm and Nikkor AF 28-80mm lenses. Did you use a macro lens or a regular lens? I have the same kind of lighted magnifyer as you.
Bruce

Bruce, I did not use a macro lens, just the 14-42mm Zuiko Digital lens that came with the camera. It is a little closer to a macro than your 28-80mm, but you'll notice in the above photo that I have the zoom almost all the way out. I'm not sure I can find a cup big enough for the 58mm lenses that I use, but maybe a soup container would work. I do plan on using the cup method with one of my old P&S cameras, but the other one has a lens that does not stick out from the camera, so that method will not work.

Hap, I am not trying to run down the cup method here, I plan on trying it myself. I was just presenting a way that I came across to provide good strong light and an under exposed background using available materials rather than purchasing $150 (LED120+) to $600 (SRF-11 Olympus ring flash) of professional grade lighting. I meant no dissrespect to you or the method you use. It is simply a different way of doing things. Luke

[hap]

Luke
Neither did I... Quite the opposite actually. The cup method is effective and easy... And the intended lens alone will likely greatly exceed the budget for a couple lights and a camera body or two... Camera gear gets pricey, fast!
art

[hap]

For small technical object photography I have used clear, smallish plastic containers draped in cheesecloth many times. It is easy to get uniform lighting without shadows that way...

[Luke McLeod]

Well, I tried it all. Magnifying glass in and out as well as the cup method and I found something out: a 10yr old Kodak digital (standard and digital zoom) and a 5yr old off brand el-cheapo P&S digital (digital only zoom) will not shoot flies, no matter how hard you try. They will not focus on a fly 5" or 5' away (actually, the cup is less than 5".) I will see if I can borrow my mothers newer P&S Sony (EZ-Something-Or-The-Other) and see if I can make any of these methods work.

I also tried the no magnifier method with the E-520 and there doesn't seem to be too much difference, except that it is much easier to keep the reflection out of the picture.
The result: (Sorry it's a little off center.)

[johnstoeckel]

... I'm not sure I can find a cup big enough for the 58mm lenses that I use, but maybe a soup container would work. I do plan on using the cup method with one of my old P&S cameras, but the other one has a lens that does not stick out from the camera, so that method will not work.

I think any white / semi translucent container would work. You basically just need something that will diffuse light. I know one guy who said he used a large white plastic vitamin bottle. I expect that a plastic milk jug or such would work with a larger camera. Check your recycling bin and use your imagination