Home · Register · Join Upload & Sell

Moderated by: Fred Miranda
Username  

FM Forum Rules
Nature & Wildlife Posting Guidelines
  

FM Forums | Nature & Wildlife | Join Upload & Sell

  

Archive 2015 · Not giving up

  
 
davidearls
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Not giving up


Still "working out" for my morpho butterfly shoot on Mar 3. Right now I'm trying combinations of gear to use during the shoot, and low-light long exposures force me to engage lots of technique.

This one comes through a 400 f5.6 on a 25mm extension tube on a 5D. It's a 2-second exposure at f16, ISO 400. The mass of the 400 (long and light) make it a real challenge for long exposures, because it's so difficult to avoid motion while the shutter is open.

The magnification achieved on the 400 with a tube is about .23, so the details are not as precise as when you shoot with a shorter lens at higher magnification. So with this sort of set-up you strive more for drama than detail.

I made a decision to place the bloom low in the frame since the light source is above. C&C always welcome. Much to critique I hope.



© davidearls 2015




Feb 24, 2015 at 10:18 AM
Tim Kuhn
Offline
• • • • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Not giving up


Hi David, great to see you posting again. I myself haven't been around much the past few months

My first thoughts upon seeing this are drama and texture. I find the "pose" to be thought provoking and the overall feel to be calming. I think there may be too much room up top but that could be a matter of what I'm accustomed to. Overall I really like the shot, very well done my friend. You have me thinking with this one.

Tim



Feb 24, 2015 at 11:31 AM
davidearls
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Not giving up


Tim,

Great to hear from you. I was wondering if you were still around, and glad to see you are. I'm giving myself lots of practice before I try to take a photo of something that can move

Appreciate you critique. You certainly expressed everything I was thinking about when I composed the shot, including the uncertainty of the bloom placement. But,as they say, it's out there now...



Feb 24, 2015 at 11:54 AM
douter
Offline
• • • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Not giving up


You captured a very nice "kiss of light" in this David.
Douglas



Feb 24, 2015 at 02:16 PM
StephenS_CP
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Not giving up


I'm curious what is driving your need for what seems to me is a pretty exotic set up, certainly not for this picture of this flower. You indicate you preparing for a "morpho butterfly shoot", but if you can accommodate 2 second exposures and plan light placement taking pictures of butterflies, then they certainly aren't in motion and long telephoto lenses with extenders seem the long way around to accomplish your morphology images with black backgrounds.

Its a lovely shot, but can't it be achieved using more easily managed tools?



Feb 24, 2015 at 02:37 PM
danski0224
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Not giving up


I don't know what a "morpho butterfly shoot" is, but the rose is very nice.

I assume that a tripod was used?



Feb 24, 2015 at 03:53 PM
davidearls
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Not giving up


OK, this is long.

First off, "morphos" are blue morpho butterflies from Costa Rica. Tripod is an industrial strength hoary Gitzo with a geared platform you crank up and down.

I'll be taking two cameras to the shoot. One will be my Canon 70D with a non-focusing Leica 100mm macro lens. Focusing and magnification result from distance from the subject and correct extension of the bellows. You do your setup and then you wait for the shot to come to you.

Then for the butterflies, I thought I would take an AF lens. Problem: the only two AF lenses in my kit are the 400 f5.6 and an ancient 600 f4. I love the 400 for its snappy and accurate AF, and it's the shorter of my choices.

Problem: minimum focusing distance is 3.5 meters and intrinsic magnification is .11. Not nearly enough to get any of the detail you crave from a butterfly. Ergo the tube, which extends magnification to .23 and decreases MFD by about a quarter. Now the problem shifts, because you no longer know either the minimum or maximum focusing distances.

So you practice. Practicing outdoors with this setup is uncomfortable in single-digit temps, so you practice in your basement. And you practice with something that can't move. Like a flower.

You're taking photographs and you want something you feel good about after taking shots of the laundry detergent boxes and paper towels. If you're me, that means low-light long exposures. I've done them with the shutter open as long as 2 minutes. There's nothing to teach patience better than sitting in a nearly dark room with a camera shutter open. You put your foot down, you get some shake. Stillness is king. I'm convinced you can see the stillness in the shot.

Long answer short, yes, I could have gotten something sort of similar with a shorter lens, a less ungainly setup, higher ISO, a faster f-stop and higher shutter speed. But the setup is part of the process for me, and i enjoy it. I won't be doing 2-second shots of butterflies, but the rusty skills I sharpen from this process should serve me well. Better over-prepared than under-prepared.

There's madness behind the method behind the madness...



Feb 24, 2015 at 07:06 PM
danski0224
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Not giving up


Could you use two or more tubes?

I have only messed with tubes a little bit, trying to mess with them some more.

I suppose, with the AF lens, you could install the tube(s) and then focus on a fixed object, noting the near and far focusing limits.

When I have done this, it is surprising just how much is lost from the "infinity" end.

More tubes does seem to start to mess with AF performance, seems to make it jittery or hunt... my guess is that the camera is reading a certain lens and aperture yet the metering doesn't jive internally- or it is just light loss.



Feb 24, 2015 at 07:44 PM
davidearls
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Not giving up


danski0224,

It's just light loss. Any AF lens starts to hunt when light is low, and may not find the subject. Part of the problem. Naturally, even MF lenses become problematic, because there is less light - worsened by long focal length.

I have a 2nd 25mm tube on order, and will post successes (if any) or report failures. It's a journey...



Feb 24, 2015 at 09:21 PM
surfnron
Offline
• • • • • • •
Upload & Sell: On
p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Not giving up


This one works really well for me David. I'm with Tim though - maybe a little less space on top ~ Ron


Feb 24, 2015 at 10:52 PM
Karl Witt
Offline
• • • • • • •
Upload & Sell: On
p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Not giving up


Hello 'spiderman'

Geeeesh it is great to see you surface here on the forum my friend. I too have been rather absent but still have a love for the good people here.

This has me thinking.......we all know that is trouble
Here is what I see/feel in this shot..........
Mixed emotions about the background, I see it carrying some brownish yellow light which may be robbing bit from your red rose? Maybe it could be darker or more toward a neutral black??

The rose is lovely, the hint of details below it work for me too I just wonder if a few less parts of yellow may breathe a bit more vibrance into its coloring? However it has a warmth to it that is just charming

All good to you sir



Feb 24, 2015 at 11:05 PM
davidearls
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Not giving up


Wow. to hear from so many old friends in so few days. No wonder i loved and missed FM.

A question - if art's intention is to pose questions instead of answers - what if the rose, past its best, is withdrawing from the frame? Conversely, what if the rose, past its best, is poking its head into the frame anyway?

Ron, great to hear from you. Karl, great to hear from you. BTW, the BG is already as black as I can make it without alteration in PP. All this image has is minimal sharpening.

Thx to all for critique.




Feb 25, 2015 at 12:31 AM
can0nfan2379
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Not giving up


Nice still life


Feb 25, 2015 at 02:42 AM
StephenS_CP
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · Not giving up


Thank you for the explanation. You should certainly feel good about this image.




Feb 25, 2015 at 03:28 AM
surfnron
Offline
• • • • • • •
Upload & Sell: On
p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · Not giving up


Hey David - have you considered renting a lens for your trip - something like a 100mm macro?

Just a thought...
Ron



Feb 25, 2015 at 09:27 AM
davidearls
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · Not giving up


Oh, Ron, Ron, Ron... That would take all the fun out of it


Feb 25, 2015 at 12:58 PM





FM Forums | Nature & Wildlife | Join Upload & Sell

    
 

You are not logged in. Login or Register

Username       Or Reset password



This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.