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Macro Lighting Best Practices III - in the studio - the technique
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- čas přidán 5. 08. 2024
- Macro Lighting - Best Practices in the Studio - Technique - Show Notes
Hello all! Welcome back to Allan Walls Photography!
Before I forget, if you want information about the equipment that I use and/or discuss throughout the three chapters of this video, you can find all that, with links, in the accompanying article, published on my website and available right here:
www.allanwallsphotography.com...
This is the very last video of the entire Lighting for Photography Series, AKA - Part VII, Chapter III - “My Best Practices for Lighting in Macro Photography”. By the time I was finished editing the thing, it topped out at one hour and forty minutes! Obviously, I wouldn’t do that to you! So I went back and split the material up into three separate chapters (clearly what I should have done in the first place).
Surprisingly, the edited content broke down into three, roughly equal, standalone videos:
1. Macro Lighting - Best Practices in the Field
2. Macro Lighting - Best Practices in the Studio - Equipment
3. Macro Lighting - Best Practices in the Studio - Technique (this video)
This is the third of those chapters. But before I go further, my sincere thanks to my wonderful Patreon supporters and to the marvelous human beings who have made donations through my donation page (www.allanwallsphotography.com.... None of this would be possible without your support!
If you are not among these fine individuals, but would like to support my efforts and help keep the videos coming, please consider signing up as a Patreon patron, which can be done by going to / allanwallsphotography . I could certainly use your help!
In Chapter Three - this one - we build on everything we have covered during this series, and I lay out my recommendations for shooting macro in the studio. The techniques and ideas that I talk about are the same things that I do in my own photography, just as they are the same things that I teach my students. We cover a lot of ground, talking about visualizing your shot, selecting the right lighting, and setting everything up to get the best possible images. I also walk you through an example of how I set up my lighting for a rather unusual subject (maybe “weird” is a better description?).
By the way, if you like the demonstration format used in that part of the video, and if you want me to do more demo-based videos, tell me what you want me to shoot. Just leave a suggestion in the comments. If I get any requests, I’ll put together a full video covering the catching, prepping, cleaning, posing, lighting, shooting, editing, printing, and sharing of one single image. But you have to tell me what you want me to tackle. I think it would be great fun! Please don’t ask me to photograph anything aggressive, deadly, or smelly.
Where was I…? Oh yeah, the other two chapters of this video are already available here on CZcams, so don’t forget to check them out too.
Have fun, and if you learn something new, consider subscribing to the channel.
If you want to make some new friends and share some of your work, consider joining our very excellent Discord Group. It is free, it is friendly, and we have loads of fun. Here is your invitation code:
EYjgq42
Just head over to Discord and enter this code to join! Easy peasy - see you over there!
If you have somehow managed to watch every single one of these lighting videos, you are amazing! But if you haven’t, you are still amazing.
Stay safe, be good, and help someone,
Allan
Foosball. The game of table soccer. Lot's of fun!
Always learning from you.
Such an informative series, thanks so much!
I really like this topic with you. I know there is difference between tutor to tutor and I don't absorb what ever every people teach on here, but yours are spectacular and thank you for being so nice to me.
Thanks a lot Allan. Extremely informative set of videos relating to light! Now it's time to get down to my celler experimenting!
outstanding video series allan! learned a ton. you pointed me in a bunch of good directions. thank you so much for sharing your expertise.
Thanks a lot for excellent photography works including theory and practic and even generously sharing process of working.
So happy I stumbled onto your page! Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant. Filled with non stop Great advice, tips and suggestions for photographers of Any level. 🤙
Thank you for a fascinating series!
Cheers, Michael!
Allan this was the MOST useful video I have ever watched and learned from. Thank YOU!!
Thank you Carl, and you are welcome!
Job well done! An amazing amount of editing! Great scenes of Alabama, and thanks for the "shout out", I am brand new to UV photography and having a ball with it, You earned the light by reviewing it and telling my I had the "real thing". Invaluable. Like the humor. I also like the warning about avoiding pitfalls of copyright infringement.
Great series Allan. Thoroughly enjoyed watching them. Greg
Cheers Greg, much appreciated.
Hi Allen,
Another great video.
Always look forward to watching them, Been a fantastic series, so much to learn and to practice.
Stay safe, all the very best.
Dave
Thanks Dave. It was fun to do, but I'm ready to move on!
Allan, many thanks for the whole series. Not only did I learn something in every video, I thoroughly enjoyed your humour along the way and always look forward to your videos coming out. I wouldn’t call myself a macro photographer as I shoot mainly wildlife but I have learnt so much from all of your videos, thank you so much. All the best, Richard.
Thanks Richard! I am so glad you have found the videos helpful!
Allan the whole series has been informative and very entertaining, thankyou :-)
Thanks Ron - I'm glad you enjoyed them. And you get a gold star!
You showed a simple set up in the cage. Very nice and very helpful!!! If you have time, can you make a video of a more difficult setup and a more extensive explanation? It would be very educational. Thx!
Hi Kees, yes. I was planning on doing several complicated setups using different shapes/sizes of insects. The ones that are really difficult to light well. It was my plan to complete the basics lighting series and then get into the real-world application of everything we talked about. It will be fun!
@@AllanWallsPhotography Im very, very glad to hear this!!! Top, that was where we were waiting for :) We are waiting for it !!
Thanks Allen, this has been a huge help for me.
For future videos would you consider one where you discuss how you find subjects for the macro, where bugs hide and what grabs your attention in nature?
Thanks Christiån, that is a great idea - it is now on the list!
Hi Allan. Enjoyed the series, learned a lot. I find that the best way to learn is to first observe an expert and then try for myself. Perhaps you could demo how you would go about lighting and photographing some low cost objects that are easily available from Amazon. That way we could follow along wherever in the world we reside. If you could also make some higher resolution images from the demo available for download we would also have a reference point to assess how well we have done in comparison with yourself. Please keep up the good work. Best wishes, Barry.
Hi Barry and thanks for these recommendations. I was planning on doing some more complex insect demos, but I like your idea of using readily available objects. I think that electrical components might fit the bill. They come in all shapes and sizes, they are generally very inexpensive, and would pose many of the same challenges as insects. And, of course, they are universal. I had better get to work!
Hi Alan, I have FINALLY found the best educational channel for macro/extreme photography! Brilliant. I may have missed this in previous videos but I wonder if it is better using a Nikon mirrorless (Z7) for this in that the timing of the exposures on an automated macro rail is less. Is this correct? please advise.
Hi Robert, thanks for the question. It really doesn't make a lot of difference which type of camera system you use, for a couple of important reasons. The first is that most DSLRs allow you to shoot in mirror-up mode, which basically converts the DSLR to a mirrorless system for the duration of your stack. The second, and more important reason why your choice of camera is relatively unimportant, is that the rate limiting step in the focus stacking sequence is not the duration of the shutter cycle, but the idle time you program between rail advance and shutter actuation. This, of course, is to allow any vibration to stop before the shutter is released, and is usually on the order of 2-3 seconds. So, while you are right to state that the Z7 shutter cycle time may be very slightly faster than entry level DSLRs, due to the fact that there is no mirror to move out of the way, the handful of milliseconds you save is dwarfed by the 3,000 millisecond pause. Bear in mind that the actual shutter speed (the time during which the sensor is fully or partially exposed) will be exactly the same in both the Z7 and the DSLR, as the time it takes the mirror to clear the shutter is not included in the shutter speed measurement (though it will have a small impact on the frame rate in entry level DSLRs). I hope that was what you were asking about. The Z7 is a fantastic camera for macro photography.
@@AllanWallsPhotography Thanks for that, it is all I needed to know.
Allan, starting with a simple standard test object is a great suggestion, and as one thing always leads to another here is an entry to an irresistible rabbit hole to disappear into: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Table_football.
Allen. I used to work with studio lights, portraits and quasi fashion. I’m familiar with working with light, so I have a pretty good idea about what I want to do, although way out of practice. In real life, you can play with the lights and accentuate 3D forms, or highlight rims or edges. I would imagine you can do similar things in macro, except likely to be more subtle and I would think harder to achieve desired result. We would shoot Polaroid test shots to see light affect & result. Shooting digital, do you shoot test shots to try and visualize the light? The limited range of focus would definitely be problematic. Is that an affective approach or am I being too optimistic?
Hi Gary, shooting test shots is critical in studio macro photography. The principles are the same but, as you point out, the scale tends to complicate the execution of your lighting plan. The good news is that in most stacked macro images you only have to nail the lighting for the initial image in your stack - the lighting should remain identical for all subsequent images. At macro scale, the positioning of your light sources can be very challenging, with a few mm or a couple of degrees separating decent lighting from superb lighting. It is not unusual for me to shoot 10-20 test images before I am completely satisfied with the lighting setup.
@@AllanWallsPhotography generally speaking, are you looking at a 1-2 light on subject, plus a few to many white bounce reflectors, or black reflectors. And then another strobe on the background. Is that your basic build? Exceptions happen of course.
@@Just-a-bystander Yes, in general. But there are a lot of exceptions to that general setup. I find using one key, one fill, and one background light to be a great starting point for many subjects.
Hair and make up!! don't forget to check your insect/subject is as clean as it can be, easier to blow or wash the subject than to fart arse about in photoshop.
something for you to think about, when taking a front on picture of a car by a lake during the daytime with its headlights on, you going to be looking at a stacked image to expose for several elements.
here is the challenge to which it is possible, take that shot exposing for the sky, lake, car body, car headlights showing both the lights on, the detail in the headlight lens and any light flare you might want in one shot with no adjustments in photoshop ie no composites or stacking etc, essentially an image straight from camera.
Hi Laura - you know I would never shoot a dirty insect! That sounds like a fun challenge - shouldn't be too tricky, if you choose the right conditions and time of day.
Allen what are your bendy arms called so i can try to fine some in Australia or on Amazon Regards Jeff
Hi Jeffrey, the ones I use to attach my flashes are 11" articulating arms from the company SmallRig. They also make the super clamps that I attach them to the cage with. Loads of other companies make similar arms but I have found these to be more durable and cheaper than most. Hope that helps!
@@AllanWallsPhotography Thanks Allen
just got two off Ebay Thanks Mate
Allan, please don't eat worms.
Not a chance, Ricardo!
I'm sorry I only now (October 2023) stumbled on this video. I really like your videos from this period before you switched to promoting the turbo-expensive gear that dominate your 2023 videos. Simple fact: I'm not buying a 10-50x lens or anything made by Novoflex even if it is great (and cost more than my cameras). This is a hobby, not a business for me. While few of us shoot plastic toy models, this video had a lot that could be adapted to most any of us (even if we don't shoot Nikon or spend thousands to shoot dead bugs). This morning I found a dead beetle when working in the yard. Maybe I'll try to shoot it??? Maybe I'll do better because of your plastic girl???