SJP – Tips & Lessons

Today I will talk about basic digital dark-rooming.

When you received your DSLR camera you most likely received software to fix your photographs. Before digital cameras, we would process our photographs in a darkroom. I had so much fun playing with the photographs back then. Because of digital photography, the craft has changed, I now process my files using Adobe Lightroom and to detail the photo I use Adobe Photoshop. I always photograph in RAW format. Shooting RAW gives you more flexibility to change your picture. I will show you later how to batch process but today is an introduction to correcting your photos with the CD/DVD you received with your camera, so let’s start…

To view the rest of the article click here!

Just an fyi…after I have completed this series of Basic Macro Photographing techniques I have decided to keep this blog for my tips and lessons.

Thanks everyone that sent me emails on what they would like!

Cheers,

Janice

Hello all,

Some of you may know by now that I’m working on my new blog site. I still post here the tips you can read about giving you the new link…so here you are. Hope you sign up on this new site to receive information on Lessons & Tips regarding photography.

Check out “Fun Gadgets for Macro Photographing”…would love for you to comment!!

Cheers,
Janice

Please click here to read my information on Cameras, Lens’s & Tripods for Macro Photographing.

Thank you,
Janice Sullivan

Hello everyone,

Today I would like to show you some examples of how to photograph reflective objects and of course I will discuss the info based on macro photography.

Unwanted reflection can be distracting especially when your subject is in your face like a Macro photo.  Of course it’s always fun when you’re artistically photographing reflection but that’s for a later article.

With many glass objects, like light bulbs, we can reflect light on the glass to create a black or white rim to show the viewer the depth of the object, but with this bulb I need to show the painted artwork.  So we must defuse the light.

When we photograph macro most of the subject is in the shot, which can be difficult when working with reflective objects.  As you can see from figure 1 the light bulb is very reflective; you can see me in the bulb.  If you want to view the figures up close click on them and to get back to the blog use your back arrow key on your browser.

Figure 1

In Figure 2 I put a tent around the bulb but as you can see that the refection of the camera lens is in the shot.  Not Good.

Figure 2

Figure 3 is and example of the tent I used.

Figure 3

In order to minimize the reflection of light hitting your macro shot, start with the example in Figure 4.  Set two lights on each side of the subject and cross the light source beams.  You will actually see the reflection diminish, but if you’re still having problems use a polarizing filter; that’s what I had to do for this shot.

Figure 4

I purchased my polarizer from B & H – my favorite place to shop.

Figure 5

I knew that a black background wouldn’t work with this bulb so the white tent was perfect.  In Figure 6 you can see how I set up the object.  In Photoshop I removed the wire and cleaned up the bulb figure 7.

Figure 6

Figure 7

Of course I love to see everything up close so I gave my clients some fun shots of the inside of the bulb and the actual painting on the bulb (my favorite shot).

Figure 8

Figure 9

My next example is my fingernail.  If you have read my blog before you know that I love the creativity of my Manicurist Jennifer.  This time she put sparkles on my nail and I loved them so much that I had to photograph it.  As you can see from Figure 10 the flare is distracting and takes away from my sparkles so I photograph my nail with black velvet (velvet is excellent to use – it absorbs light so it won’t bounce on your subject) as my background. I diffused the light source hitting my nail with my translucent reflector.

Figure 10

Figure 11 is an example of my Translucent Reflector.

Figure 11

Now we can see my sparkles in figure 12, which puts a smile on my face

Figure 12

So remember…

• Diffuse your light.  You can use a tent, white silk, white tissue paper, translucent reflector…
• Use a polarizer filter on your lens
• Cross your lighting – see Figure 4

Yes, it takes time to work on reflective objects and when you Macro you really see the imperfections but it’s worth it in the end.  You will have an awesome photograph to show your clients or just for your own self-gratification a picture that our eyes would not see if it wasn’t for your time and creativity.

Have fun!

Cheers,

Janice

Hello everyone,

Today, I would like to talk a bit about cameras, lenses, filters and adapters that pertain to macro and close-up photography. The following equipment is linked to B & H because it’s my favorite place to shop. Of course you can research other businesses to purchase the following goodies. I know that some of my photographer friends also shop at Adorama and Really Right Stuff.  So let’s get started…

CAMERAS
Point & Shoot cameras today are wonderful for the hobbyist. You can use the special macro mode with a flash to get a nice shot, but if you’re like me and want a variety of ways to focus close-up, then purchase a good single lens reflex camera (SLR). Take the time to read up on the various cameras out there because once you decide what you want it will set the tone for the rest of your equipment. B&H has info for you to read up on if you are debating about the brands of cameras out there. The links below has information on point & shoots and on single lens reflex digital cameras.

• Point & Shoot Buyers Guide
• Mid-Range DSLR Information

I like this point and shoot; you can click on Figure 1 and it will take you to the information on this camera. Briefly… it’s waterproof, shockproof, 12.1 megapixels, with stabilization built into it… very nice!!

(Remember, when you click on the figures to get back to the blog use back arrow key on your browser.)

Figure 1

Of course I want to show you a picture of my favorite camera for shooting macro, which is the Canon 5D (DSLR). If you click on Figure 2 it will take you to a link that shows you several cameras for you to check out. I suggest you read up on the mid range info I gave you previously and then check out this site, but if you’re in a hurry, go for it!

Figure 2

LENSES
Now that I showed you some great cameras let’s get into what is really important, the lens! My suggestion is that you should invest your money on a lens(s). Learn from my mistakes, don’t buy cheap. Save money, set a goal for yourself and stick to it! Put money under the mattress…do whatever you can to save for the best lenses. I know that when I snap that shot, I will have the best clarity, dead sharp area, in focus photograph. At least for me it’s a small area, but I’ll tell you, that small area can be blown up to 24 x 36 and larger and my subject will be sharp.

If you want to view the difference of a standard lens and a macro lens, check out my article on, “Photographing your artwork, craft, or any small subject”.  Macro lenses are used for a 1:1 ratio, the optics are cut just for focusing up close. That’s why you get an awesome shot using these lenses.   Some photographers don’t like the flat look from the macro lens but you can use various lighting techniques to give your subject more depth. If you have never purchased a macro lens I would suggest you start with a 100mm/105mm macro. This is a great lens:

Figure 3

WIDE ANGLE LENSES
Now, if you’re interested in close-ups and not so much on the Macro thing, I would suggest you purchase a wide-angle lens. I personally like the way you can get close to a subject and have the background behind it. It shows us the environment of the subject. This is an example of a nice wide-angle lens:

Figure 4

Figure 5

I used my 50mm for this photo; it’s semi-close:

REVERSE LENS

If you have a great lens and don’t want to purchase a macro lens you can always reverse your lenses. Check out this setup from B&H in Figure 6, so cool!  You can achieve a great macro shot by reversing your lens; just pay attention to your exposure because you will lose light. The histogram on your camera is a must for a perfect exposure.

Figure 6

FILTERS
If you are a hobbyist…try playing with these filters. They’re a fun way to achieve the close-up look, but just fyi…you won’t achieve anything you could with a macro lens.

You can read up on filters at B&H. I also found a set of filters at Amazon.com.

Figure 7

Figure 8

My Conclusion

You can achieve a close-up and macro photograph many ways. For fun you can use your macro mode and flash with a point & shoot or add some filters to the lenses you already have for your SLR. If you are a serious photographer and want the best possible photograph you can make with your talents and knowledge, use a Macro lens or reverse your lens(s). Like I always say…Have fun! That’s what it’s all about.

I found a couple of nice articles for you to check out. I think they did a great job helping others understand the details of macro photography. Hope you enjoy “Macro Photography: A personal equipment retrospective” by Brian Johnston and “A Comparison of Close-up Filters & Macro Lenses” by Tim Trott

Take care and live the macro mode by being creative getting up close & personal!

Cheers,

Janice

Hello everyone,

Today I would like to talk about ways to change the look of your subject by using various lighting techniques. Shooting macro style is fun but sometimes it can become monotonous. The subject is in your face…yes, and it’s cool to see it up close, but how can we make it POP?!

Of course my subject today will be a flower because I LOVE flowers! I used a pink Gerber Daisy to show you various lighting techniques to change the way your subject looks.

My last two photographs show you that you can light your subject as if you were outdoors but you’re not. You can work indoors during that snow and rainstorm!

Just a reminder, if you want to view the photo up close, you can click it and then use your back arrow key to get to the blog again.

All of these pictures were shot indoors.

Figure 1

As you can see in Figure 1, I placed the light in the middle of the flower. This gives the flower an inner halo effect. Your eyes automatically draw you into the middle of the flower.

Figure 2

In Figure 2, I adjusted the photo with curves in Photoshop to add just a bit more pop to the image. Play with the curves and see what you can do.

Figure 3

With Figure 3, I decided to add light behind and below the flower… with the black background this image looks totally different from Figure 1.

Figure 4

I cleaned up the image and played with the curves in Photoshop.

Figure 5

Figure 6

With Figure 5, I only lit under the flower and with Figure 6, I back lit the flower just a tad. You can see that these are the same flower but with the light it dramatically changes the way the image looks and feels as you view it. Also, if you notice, Figure 6 was not cleaned up. If you are working with organic subjects I highly recommend you photograph them fresh so you don’t have so much post work to do!

Add some water and add light for a dramatic look, get up close and personal, and POP! Your photo can really stand out and say, “Hello I’m Here!”

Figure 7

I decided that with all of the crazy weather most of us are having….why not show you that you can light your subject as if you were out on a beautiful sunny day! Let your creative juices flow inside your home!

I bet you thought that Figure 8 & 9 was shot outside…nope! I put this flower in a vase and lit it from above!

Figure 8

Figure 9

So have some fun and change your subject’s look by playing with light; any kind of light you have available.

Cheers,

Janice