Close ups.

[glsammy]

I've been experimenting today, after seeing Lord V's amazing close up shots, trying in vain to get something interesting.

So far my results are....well, see for yourself! The biggest problem I'm getting is timing and focus. The focus point is so small, I miss it every time!

Can anyone guess what this first shot is?



This second shot shows what I mean about focus.. The forms you can get from water is just amazing, if only I could nail 'em!



Almost, but not quite!



I like this one anyway, even if there's nothing in focus. What I've found surprising is the colour effects from the simplest of items.




This final one I also like, even though I missed what I was aiming for.



It was an interesting experiment and one I'll have another go at.


The equipment I used was a mixture of my Sigma 150mm, with various extension tubes, I only used the built in flash for these. I fancy having a go with an off camera flash, but I don't have one yet.

The water container was a clear glass small bowl, the background colour provided by a tea towel.

[WestLothian]

It's indeed a small world (apology for the pun).

Some great shots and dynamic too!



I was experimenting too the top is a polemonium taken through bellows with a 50mm at x4.5
The bottom is a larger drop looking at sweet peas taken with a 105mm and a pile of extension tubes.

[mh68]

Had a mess about myself a while back shooting drips from a tap with my macro setup.Great fun and quite a challenge. Nice images Graham, may be worth trying with manual focus prefocussed to the point you expect the drop to land? Know what you mean about timing it can be pretty frustrating eh?

Mark H

[glsammy]

Originally Posted by mh68

Had a mess about myself a while back shooting drips from a tap with my macro setup.Great fun and quite a challenge. Nice images Graham, may be worth trying with manual focus prefocussed to the point you expect the drop to land? Know what you mean about timing it can be pretty frustrating eh?

Mark H

That's exactly what I was doing! Autofocus is hopeless for these. The problem is that I'm holding the dropper in one hand whilst using the cable release with the other. The slightest movement with the dropper, and the focus point is gone. I'll get 'em one day!

[glsammy]

Originally Posted by WestLothian

I was experimenting too the top is a polemonium taken through bellows with a 50mm at x4.5
The bottom is a larger drop looking at sweet peas taken with a 105mm and a pile of extension tubes.

I like the second one especially. I haven't tried with flower reflections yet, they will follow once I've got these water ones as I want. Probably in six years time then! I like what our Hero Lord V said on Flickr, "about one in ten is interesting" With me so far it's one in 100 is almost interesting!

[mh68]

Here`s one i managed with a dripping tap Graham.Swapped the colour channels around to give a nice effect i think.Using water dripping from the tap meant the focus point was pretty consistent. I can imagine your frustration using the dropper....



Mark H

[glsammy]

Originally Posted by mh68

Here`s one i managed with a dripping tap Graham.Swapped the colour channels around to give a nice effect i think.Using water dripping from the tap meant the focus point was pretty consistent. I can imagine your frustration using the dropper....



Mark H

I like it! Now why didn't I think of using a tap? Too obvious for me. I can see more experimenting to come!

[glsammy]

One point I forgot to mention, all the colours in mine are natural, i.e. I haven't altered any of the colour channels, they're exactly as the camera saw them.

[mh68]

Yep Graham I thought you had left them "natural". Amazing the spectrum of colours you can capture in water drops with the right background.Look forward to seeing more of your experiments

Mark H

[JonSadler]

Hi Graham,

I was playing around in a similar manner to you. Tis a tricky thing to do. This image was manually focused as close to the leaf as the lens would let me. I think a strong flash and magnification help. I know you can stack both the 1.4 and 2x converters onto the Sigma 180 and that should give you some extra zip (see Juza nature for examples of this combination).

There is a lot practicing to be done.....focusing is extremely difficult.

Jon