Photography, photos you took, photos you are in, photos you like, the lot!

[hermes2015]

Some results of my experiments to try and do macro photography with a normal lens. I used a Nikon 135mm f/2 DC lens on a Nikon D600 camera at about 1100mm from the objects. I shot in NEF (RAW) format at f/5.6 and ISO 100, then cropped and converted to TIF, resulting in large files of, on average, 60MB, before focus stacking with Helicon Focus 6. The stacked photos were then compressed to JPG for posting here. In each case I'm showing one of the near photos and one of the far photos, then the focus stacked photo.

I was quite surprised at the quality of the results, considering how far the camera had to be from the objects. This is because that lens cannot focus closer than about 1100mm. The shots cannot compete with photos taken with a dedicated macro setup, as used by JJ and Tank, but I think my setup is a reasonably good poor man's macro photography technique for non-moving objects.

This was the tablescape setup


Tablescape Near


Tablescape Far


Tablescape Focus Stacked. Those black rods are 0.5mm pencil leads.


Tablescape mm Scale


I also used my trusty old TAG watch (in need of a clean and a battery) as a subject.

Watch Near


Watch Far


Watch Focus Stacked


Watch Clasp


I want to do some more tests and will post them here.

[Tank]

Very good. I shall have to look into this focus stacking!

[hermes2015]

Very good. I shall have to look into this focus stacking!

I can advise, when the time comes, if you want to try it. I don't think it will be workable with your beetle photos, because no movement is allowed. Also, there are some artifacts you can see in the thread in the mm scale photo.

What is remarkable is that I get sub-millimetre resolution at that distance from the subject, as seen in the bits of fibre on the table in the watch shots. But that is admittedly a very sharp lens. I also could not detect any chromatic aberration.

[Tank]

"I don't think it will be workable with your beetle photos, because no movement is allowed. "

There are cameras that incorporate Focus Stacking that can be used live! An Olympus comes to mind. I follow a guy, Geraint Radford, on FB who uses the kit. His shots are stunning!

https://www.facebook.com/geraintradfordphoto/

[Tank]

An old trick to get insects to keep still is to stick them in a fridge for an hour or so as they have to warm up before they can move.

[hermes2015]

An old trick to get insects to keep still is to stick them in a fridge for an hour or so as they have to warm up before they can move.

That should work for children as well.

[Tank]

An old trick to get insects to keep still is to stick them in a fridge for an hour or so as they have to warm up before they can move.

That should work for children as well.

They need too much air. The effect tends to be permanent.

[jumbojak]

You should pick up a reversing ring Hermes. They aren't expensive and, despite being a pain to use at times, mine has been an excellent learning tool. Not that I think you need to learn anything about photography. You might find it interesting though.

[jumbojak]

[hermes2015]

You should pick up a reversing ring Hermes. They aren't expensive and, despite being a pain to use at times, mine has been an excellent learning tool. Not that I think you need to learn anything about photography. You might find it interesting though.

I've been thinking about it, but then I will probably not be able to focus with digiCamControl when I want to do a set of photos for stacking. Is there no way to control the lens if one uses a reversing ring? My interest would usually be to shoot things more or less the size of the watch down to jewellery rings, so I really don't have to go smaller. I was just trying to see how low I could go with my 135mm lens. I was taking some stacked photos of rice grains and pins this afternoon and even they were quite good with my setup.

[jumbojak]

With the ring focus is entirely dependant on the distance between the lens and the subject. It's a challenge but a rewarding challenge.

[hermes2015]

With the ring focus is entirely dependant on the distance between the lens and the subject. It's a challenge but a rewarding challenge.

I was afraid of that. I take 30 or more photos in each stack, so the manual option to focus each shot is going to be too painful a challenge for me.

[jumbojak]

I've started looking at reverse macro as something similar to the available light photography you do with your f/1.4 lens. You can't get everything in focus, and that's okay, you just have to pick your subject carefully and find features that are appealing. Very small features...

[hermes2015]

"I don't think it will be workable with your beetle photos, because no movement is allowed. "

There are cameras that incorporate Focus Stacking that can be used live! An Olympus comes to mind. I follow a guy, Geraint Radford, on FB who uses the kit. His shots are stunning!

https://www.facebook.com/geraintradfordphoto/

My camera can't do that, so I will just have to do it, like Frank Sinatra, my way.

[hermes2015]

I've started looking at reverse macro as something similar to the available light photography you do with your f/1.4 lens. You can't get everything in focus, and that's okay, you just have to pick your subject carefully and find features that are appealing. Very small features...

I agree 100%. It's only in forensic and product photography that it is necessary to get everything from front to back in focus. My experiments were just for fun and to develop a technique I can use to take pics of jewellery.