Mike Hilditch
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# Posted: 7 Feb 09 20:53 - Edited by: Mike Hilditch
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Hi, okay I am new to Woophy and have just discoverred your workshop section. I have posted some close-up shots already on woophy and have received some correspondence on how I do my shots so here is my simple way - okay not as some experts would but mine.
Firstly I do not use any macro lenses, I have a Nikon 105 macro but find that my best shots especially for not disturbing the insects (or for that matter getting stung by something) is using a longer focus lens. Mostly I have used the Nikon 70-300 VR mouted on a tripod (VR not active when on a tripod) and use mainly a range from 200 to 300mm, manual exposure with aperture at f4 for minimum depth of field. Sometimes I am only using sunlight but with one or two silver reflectors, sometimes I use a dual flash fill-in.
I find that at this range (200 to 300mm) you can visual watch the insects activity at a good distance (2-3 meters 4-6 feet) even sitting down and well relaxed, this way you can spend a lot of time studying them without being cramped right up to them as I have seen many who use short macro lenses (bad backs and stiff legs as well).
Above is a typical photo of my ususal distance for such a shot as the one posted in my photo gallery.
For finnishing my photo's, naturally after cutting out what I do not want, I finnish of my sharpening with USM (unsharp mask) but not in the normal often used fashion of a small radius and large percent, I use LCH (Local Contrast Enhabcement), here is a good link that explains it in detail :-
http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/local-c ontrast-enhancement.htm
My settings are usually in the range of 20-30 % and a radius of 60 to 80. with this you get a good sharpening of the main areas and a contrast lift to the photo that gives it a punch or as some say it makes the photgraph POP.
I also use the same lens for the dragonfly shots that I take but in that case I use the lens hand held with VR on and set to Active mode for panning. Focus us usually preset in manual mode which I quickly adjust for more fine when the subject is in the visinity, I have mentioned on one of my shots that dragonflies are teritorial so you know approximately where they are going to stop their irratic flying for a few seconds just enough time for you to get in a shot (single shot), my success rate now is about one in three shots which has been reduced drastically from when I first started (usually before at about 1 in 10). Anyway I hope this is of interest to some and am sure some of you will come with some even better ways of getting results, we are all here to learn,
Many thanks Mike Hilditch, Norway.
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