Tag Archives: photography

Macro

Macro Photography Techniques – Part 2

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This is the 2nd technique I’ve used when taking macro photos (also the one I’ve used the most).

Macro Photography Techniques

  1. Close Focus Lens
  2. Teleconverters
  3. Extension Tubes
  4. Reversed Lenses
  5. Macro Lens
  6. Combining Techniques
  7. Close Up Filters

Teleconverter with a Close Focus Lens

This technique requires a teleconverter. A teleconverter is an accessory which mounts between your camera and your lens. The effect is increase of focal length. In this case you will probably want a 2x Teleconverter, which is designed to double the effective focal length of your lens. However it does not change the minimum focus distance, so you end up with the same lens, focusing at the same distance, but you get twice the magnification of the image. You can also get Macro Focusing Teleconverters (such as this) which have their own focusing ring, and allow extra magnification, and a good level of control over the magnification.

Drawbacks? Of Course…

The downside of this technique is that a 2x teleconverter, while doubling your effective focal length, it also reduces the effective aperture (incoming light) by 2 stops. So if your kit lens happens to be a Pentax SMC DA 18-55mm f3.5-5.6, and you are wanting to get maximum magnification (55mm @ minimum focus distance) adding a 2x teleconverter will mean that the lens (wide open, where it is a bit softer) becomes 110mm at f11.2. So in order to get a fast shutter speed you will need either high ISO (noisy) or a flash. I have had very good success just using the onboard flash though.

A teleconverter will also exaggerate any quality problems in the lens you are using. If you lens is a bit soft, it will be twice as soft using the 2x teleconverter. So you must be cautious about how you use it. This is where using a flash is also helpful, as it allows you to use a smaller aperture, which will mean the lens is going to be closer to its sweet spot for sharpness.

Another obvious drawback is that you need an extra piece of equipment. I was able to acquire an older 2x teleconverter to fit Pentax K mount on ebay for about $15. It has no “A” contacts (for camera autoexposure) or autofocus. Ideally you would want to have the “A” contacts for auto exposure, however, auto focusing is not required for this technique as you will be using manual focus mode set to minimum focus distance anyway.

Focusing

The same method for focusing is used as for the previous technique. You can read up on that here, in Part 1.

Results

Here are a couple of photos taken using this technique, including settings.

SMC F 35-70mm @ 70mm (effective 140mm), f11 (effective f22), 1/180 sec, ISO 200, onboard flash
SMC F 35-70mm @ 70mm (effective 140mm), f16 (effective f32), 1/20 sec (this should be shorter), ISO 400, onboard flash
SMC F 35-70mm @ 70mm (effective 140mm), f11 (effective f22), 1/180 sec, ISO 200, onboard flash

For those of you who already have teleconverters, why not give this technique a try, and post up the results in the comments.

Macro

Macro Photography Techniques – Part 1

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This is the start of a series of posts on Macro Photography Techniques which I have successfully used. Each part will be a different technique. Feel free to add any ideas you have as comments, and also to post your macro’s if you have used the techniques before, or after you go and try it!

Macro Photography Techniques

  1. Close Focus Lens
  2. Teleconverters
  3. Extension Tubes
  4. Reversed Lenses
  5. Macro Lens
  6. Combining Techniques
  7. Close Up Filters


The Close Focus Lens

The first technique in the series will be the most obvious one, a close focus lens. A close focus lens is a lens which focuses quite closely, but is not a true macro lens. For example, the Pentax standard kit lens is the SMC DA 18-55mm f3.5-5.6. This lens focuses down to 25cm, which (at 55mm focal length, fully zoomed in) gives a reproduction ratio of around 1:2.9. A true macro lens will allow focusing down to a 1:1 ratio (older Macro lesnes are actually only 1:2). Even with 1 of these types of lenses some great macro shots can be created. Most DSLR owners will have a close focusing lens as most kit lenses are close focusing so its a technique anyone can try (and most would have).

Getting The Most From It – Focusing

The key with a close focus lens is being able to focus on something, with the sensor plane as close as possible to the subject. You need to make sure you are at that minimum focusing distance when you take the shot to get the maximum possible magnification from your lens. The easiest way to do that, is to set your camera (or lens, depending on model) to manual focus, and set the focus manually to the minimum focus distance. Once you have done that, all you need to do is to get nice and close to your subject, and focus by moving the camera (and probably yourself too) further away from, or closer to the subject as required. This will mean you get the maximum magnification because the lens is pre-set to the closest possible focus point. By moving the camera you move the subject into the correct distance and into focus.

This is the focusing technique I use for all my macro photography, so will apply across this whole post series. To help you achieve correct focus most cameras will have a focus confirmation of some kind, even in manual focus mode. Pentax cameras have a focus confirmation beep (which can be disabled) as well as a green hexagon displayed in the view finder once focus is confirmed. However, when using manual focus only the centre focus point can be used, so you must point the centre of the frame at the subject while focusing.

Depth Of Field – It’s Too Narrow!

With macro photography narrow depth of field can become an issue. When you are so close to your subject, and have a longish focal length, it will cause your depth of field to become very narrow. The only way to increase it is to use a smaller aperture (larger f number, eg f22). This will make your shots very dark, or your shutter speeds very long. To overcome this, you could use a flash. An off camera flash is preferred, but the on camera flash can work just fine too, especially with a reflector (I’ll explain that in a later post).

What this means for you, is (as always) the photo becomes a balancing act between shutter speed (fast to avoid blur), aperture (small to get the DOF you want) and ISO (low to avoid noise).

The Results

Here are a few shots I have taken using this method. Including the settings used.

SMC M 28mm f2.8 @ min. focus + cropped – ISO 100, 1/100 sec, f4.0 (from memory)
Tokina RMC 70-210mm f3.5 @ 210mm min. focus + cropped, ISO 200, 1/640 sec, f3.5

Time to get out and take some macros. Don’t forget to post the results in the comments section. Stay tuned for the rest of the posts in this series.

Gear

My Photography Gear

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This is a full list of all my photography gear, I will try my best to keep it up to date as I buy and sell various things

Camera Body

  • Pentax K5-II
  • Pentax K200D
  • Canon Powershot A590 IS (running CHDK software) – LEFT BEHIND
  • Canon Powershot ELPH 300HS (my wife’s camera)
  • Pentax Q

Pentax Lenses

  • Pentax SMC DA 18-55mm AL II f3.5-5.6 - SOLD
  • Pentax SMC A 50mm f1.7 – SOLD
  • Pentax SMC M 50mm f1.7 (has fungus) – BINNED
  • Pentax SMC M 28mm f2.8 – SOLD
  • Pentax SMC FA 100-300mm f4.7-5.8 – GONE
  • Pentax F 35-70mm f3.5-4.5 - SOLD, BOUGHT NEW COPY
  • Pentax Q 01 Prime 8.5mm f1.9 (47mm equivalent)
  • Pentax Q 02 Zoom 5-15mm f2.8-4.5 (27.5-83.0mm equivalent) - SOLD
  • Pentax Q 03 Fisheye 3.2mm f5.6 (17.5mm equivalent)

Russian Lenses

  • Jupiter 9 85mm f2.0 M42
  • Tair 11-A 135mm f2.8 M42
  • Mir 1 37mm f2.8 M42 – SOLD
  • Helios 44-2 58mm f2.0 M42 – SOLD
  • Tair 3-Phs 300mm f4.5 M42

Others

  • Sigma 30mm f1.4
  • Sigma 10-20mm f4.0-5.6
  • Sigma 70-200mm f2.8 II APO DG EX MACRO (w HSM)
  • Sigma 150-500mm f5.0-6.3 APO DG OS (w HSM)
  • Tamron 17-50mm f2.8 - SOLD
  • Hanimar 135mm f2.8 M42 - SOLD
  • Soligor 135mm f3.5 M42 - SOLD
  • Vivitar 135mm f3.5 M42 - SOLD
  • Pentacon 30mm f3.5 M42- SOLD
  • Vivitar 35mm f3.5 M42 (loose rear elements, its my paper weight)- BINNED

Lens Accessories

  • Lens cleaning brush
  • Lens Cleaning tissues
  • Lens cleaning cloths (lots of these) – 3 packs are available from DealExtreme
  • Giottos Rocket Blower Medium
  • 67mm -> 77mm filter step up ring (allows 77mm filter on a 67mm threaded lens)
  • Kenko SHQ 1.5x Teleconverter, works with SDM/HSM lenses
  • Quantaray 2x AF Teleconverter
  • Vivitar Auto Teleconverter 2x-22 (allows wide open focusing but has no contacts and no autofocus) – SOLD
  • Vivitar Auto Extension Tubes AT-22 (allows wide open focusing but has no contacts and no autofocus)- LEFT BEHIND
  • 49mm Hoya 3 position rubber hood- BINNED
  • 58mm black metal hood – bought from ebay (for FA 100-300)- LEFT BEHIND

Lens Filters

  • 52mm Kenko MC CPL
  • 52mm Hoya R72 Infrared
  • 52mm ND400 as mentioned here
  • 62mm Kenko MC UV
  • 67mm Kenko PRO1 Digital Protector
  • 67mm Kenko PRO1 Digital CPL
  • 67mm Hoya ND400 (9 s top ND filter)
  • 77mm IR720
  • 77mm Kenko MC CPL
  • 49mm Cokin CPL- LEFT BEHIND
  • 49mm UV x3 (came with various lenses)- LEFT BEHIND
  • 49mm Blue- LEFT BEHIND
  • 49mm Hoya Star Six- LEFT BEHIND
  • 49mm Hoya Centre Spot (blurs out the edges, leaving only the centre of the image clear)- LEFT BEHIND
  • 52mm Hoya NDX400 (9 stop ND filter) – SOLD
  • 52mm IR720 as mentioned here- BINNED
  • 62mm Kenko MC CPL – SOLD

Cokin P Filters and Accessories

  • Chinese copy 3 slot Cokin P holder
  • Chinese copy 1 slot Cokin P holder (wide angle)
  • 67mm adapter
  • 77mm adapter
  • Graduated ND8 Filter
  • ND 3.0 (10 stop) Filter

Flashes and Accessories

  • Sunpak Auto 200 flash (part of Dad’s gear, unsafe for DSLR hot shoe mounting)- LEFT BEHIND
  • Optical Trigger- LEFT BEHIND
  • Hand made diffuser using cardboard, alfoil and plain white paper- LEFT BEHIND

Other Accessories

  • Cable Release Remote – bought from DealExtreme
  • IR Push Button Remote – bought from DealExtreme
  • 3 axis hotshoe mounted bubble level – bought from DealExtreme
  • Pentax D-BG3 battery grip for K200D
Tripod
  • Slik 500 Pro DX w Head- SOLD
  • Manfrotto ART-190 aluminium tripod with Benro KB-2 Ballhead
Project 52

Happy New Year & Project 52 Launch

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As we approach the end of 2009 let me wish you all a wonderful and prosperous 2010. At the same time I would like to announce that I will be starting a project 52 (1 photo per week) for 2010. I will post all shots, all processing info and all locations here on my blog. So back to the celebrations, Happy New Year!

Project 52

Brenizer Panorama, Pentax K200D, Tair-11a

A Backlit Brenizer Angel

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A Backlit Brenizer Angel
Originally uploaded by jezza323

Another Brenizer Panorama from the Toowong Cemetary taken yesterday. This one is again with the Tair-11a on K200D. Its 58 images stitched with Autopano Giga 2 and edited (cropped, curves, colours, exposure brush) in Lightroom 2.5.

Processing :-

  • Shot in Manual Mode, ISO 200, f2.8, 1/320 sec shutter – Pentax RAW (PEF), custom white balance.
  • Imported into Lightroom 2.5
  • All shots in pano exported to subfolder “Pano-5″ as 16 bit TIFFs
  • Stitched using Autopano Giga 2
  • Saved-as 16 bit TIFF
  • Imported result back into Lightroom 2.5 library
  • Edited in Lightroom as show below (click pics for more detail). I did use a preset for most settings. Also cropped but not shown.
Exposure Brush to show more detail in the Angel
Develop settings
Panoramas

Tips for Shooting Panoramas

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Shooting panoramas is something I have done a little bit of now. It allows you to really get some great large images, without having a super expensive camera or lenses. Some tips I’ve found from experience.

  • Avoid Parallax – Landscapes work best, where most of the image is at infinity focus or close to it. This avoids parallax error. (see here for a good article about parallax error)
  • Camera Orientation – Shoot with the camera in portrait orientation when doing a landscape orientation panorama, this gives a much better final image, not too wide for the height. With a portrait orientation panorama, shoot with the camera in landscape orientation.
  • Manual Exposure – Set the camera on manual mode, so all shots will be at the same ISO / shutter / aperture. You can use another auto mode to get the required exposure for the panorama. Pick the point in the panorama which will be brightest, and use the exposure information to guide your manual settings.
  • White Balance – If shooting JPG also set the white balance (dont use Auto white balance) so that the white balance is the same for all the shots (if you shoot RAW then make sure you set the white balance to the same for all shots before you merge the panorama).
  • Overlap! – Make sure you overlap shots by plenty. Better to have too many photos to stitch than having gaps. I aim for about 50% overlap. To do this when you compose the next shot in the sequence, have something that was at the very edge of the previous frame, and move it to the centre of the next.
  • Shoot Extra – Go extra around the edges. Dont stop where you want the final cropped panorama to finish. When correcting distortion you can often lose parts of the edges of the image. So go an extra row if you are doing a multiple row panorama, and go for an extra shot at either end of what you would like to show in the final image.
  • Manual Focus – Make sure the camera is set to manual focus. By all means use autofocus to get the correct focus, but then switch to manual. This will make sure the focus doesnt change between shots.

Thats all I can think of just at the moment, I’ll add more if I think of them! :)

Good luck panorama shooting.

Pentax K200D

IR72 Filter exposure issues

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Along with my cheap ND400 I bought a cheap IR72 filter, again just to play with the effect more so than anything else. Again the filter is for my DA 18-55 AL II lens which I would like to replace in the future.

As some people may know, DSLRs have a filter in front of the sensor which blocks most of the IR wavelengths of light at upto 95% effectiveness. This means that when you go and place a filter in front which blocks all visible light below 720nm (like an IR72 filter) your required shutter speeds get VERY long.

Upon receiving my filter I went about taking some shots at ISO1600, 0.5sec, f4.5 handheld (got to love that Pentax Shake Reduction). What I found was that the images just came out like I had a red filter in front, not very IR at all. Today I finally got my tripod out and did some testing, I found to get a proper IR like image I needed to shoot at around ISO400, 30sec, f11 in broad daylight. The effect that you want from an IR filter is tree leaves and grass coming out white, while everything else is more like a black and white image (probably with a very red cast to it from the camera though!)

So here are some key points for shooting IR with a modern DSLR which has the sensor IR block filter still in place.

  1. Shoot RAW – you will need to play with the white balance quite a lot to get a decent image. RAW also allows some give in exposure which means you dont have to get it exact (I am finding it hard to find the sweet spot).
  2. Shoot in Manual mode – you will need to play with aperture, ISO and shutter speed to get a good exposure. The camera won’t really know whats going on.
  3. Go for LONG exposures – If the shots are not coming out how you expect (looking for grass and trees to have white leaves) don’t be afraid to up the exposure some more, and then some more again! Remember I needed to go to 30 secs at ISO 400 to get the proper effect with my camera. Different cameras will have different filters on the sensors though, so play with your camera to find out what works for you.
  4. Check your focus – AF should still work fine, however, it may shift slightly from what is the correct focus distance (due to light wavelengths). So make sure you check that the things you want in focus are actually in focus.