Frogspawn Macro Photo - Updated with ANOTHER New Shot

[superduperwesman]

Had a little time today so I thought I'd try to practice a little with my camera.

http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m141/superduperwesman/Frogspawn.jpg

Hopefully get it figured out with a little more practice but I kinda liked this one.

[dylanserbin]

That's so cool!

[superduperwesman]

ahah yeah I thought so too :)

[MrsBugmaster]

Nice pic. what camera and lens did you use?

[superduperwesman]

Nikon d90 ( http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/d90.htm ) w/ Nikkor AF-S 105mm f/2.8 VR Micro ( http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/105vr.htm)

It's a fairly decent camera as far as I understand. Too bad I still suck at using it. All in good time.. all in good time. I'll be winning POTM in no time ahah JK

[sphelps]

A good start, what you need to do is turn the flow off and get that thing to sit perfectly still. Take a nice slow exposure, keep your aperture up in the high mid range and most importantly get that iso down, way too high. You can aim a little lower on the exposure to give a better feel for the light and create some light shadows and avoid over exposed areas. Also make sure you're aligned perfectly with the glass.

Try
ISO 200
Aperture priority set to F/16
exposure: -0.7 (partial or center weighted average, which ever works best)
Then go from there.

[superduperwesman]

My shutter speed would have to be really low given that f-stop? and the photo would be way under exposed? I think I need to lower my iso and up my exposure f-stop and shutter speed?

[sphelps]

My shutter speed would have to be really low given that f-stop? and the photo would be way under exposed? I think I need to lower my iso and up my exposure f-stop and shutter speed?
Yes your shutter speed will be slow but that's fine if things are still, make sure you use your remote or timer. The slower speed will compensate for exposure, you set the offset to -0.7 to be a little below the norm.

[superduperwesman]

I'll take one like that tomorrow and post it but I'm telling you it'll be sooo under exposed or the shutter speed will have to be super slow. Are things really that still with the flow off?

[imisky]

with the ISO at 3200 thats what is giving the photo its grainy look. i think i would try a setting a little wider than what sphelps suggested at:

ISO: 100/200 (depends if you have highlight priority set)
aperture set at: f4-5.6
shutter speed: whatever gives you a metering of slightly under the center weight.

i take all my photos at f4-8 and usually by f8 i have pictures which are sharp from corner to corner so imo theres really no need for f14-22 in our application when it comes to taking tank shots. Shooting at a wider aperture this will give you alot faster shutter speed.

[sphelps]

I'll take one like that tomorrow and post it but I'm telling you it'll be sooo under exposed or the shutter speed will have to be super slow. Are things really that still with the flow off?
Like I said if it's still it doesn't matter. If the water is stagnant what will move the coral?

The one thing I liked about that lens was how small the aperture gets. Remember this one? Check the specs, you might be surprised.

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a174/sphelps/Tort.jpg

Aperture: F/57.0
ISO: 160
Shutter Speed: 1.6 seconds (16/10)

[superduperwesman]

with the ISO at 3200 thats what is giving the photo its grainy look. i think i would try a setting a little wider than what sphelps suggested at:

ISO: 100/200 (depends if you have highlight priority set)
aperture set at: f4-5.6
shutter speed: whatever gives you a metering of slightly under the center weight.

i take all my photos at f4-8 and usually by f8 i have pictures which are sharp from corner to corner so imo theres really no need for f14-22 in our application when it comes to taking tank shots. Shooting at a wider aperture this will give you alot faster shutter speed.

Highlight priority?

[superduperwesman]

Ok I'm gonna give it another try tonight or tomorrow and I think I can do better but I also think your tank must be better lit then mine?

[sphelps]

Ok I'm gonna give it another try tonight or tomorrow and I think I can do better but I also think your tank must be better lit then mine?
Yeah it would be which is why I suggested starting with F/16, that shot above was at F/57!

[superduperwesman]

Dang! Not sure if mine even goes that high?

[sphelps]

Dang! Not sure if mine even goes that high?
That with taken with your lens :mrgreen:

[superduperwesman]

Ok so here is the first photo again:
http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m141/superduperwesman/Frogspawn.jpg

and here is the new one with a few others:
http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m141/superduperwesman/Saltwater/Frogspawn2.jpg

http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m141/superduperwesman/Saltwater/Leather.jpg

http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m141/superduperwesman/Saltwater/Mushroom.jpg

Better? Personally I think I like the first frogspawn shot better but I see what you're saying and I got the iso down so I think I'm getting it figured. Except my camera doesn't have the exposure scale in AP priority? Which is annoying b/c all the photos looked fine on the camera lcd but were a little over exposed on the computer so it'd be nice to adjust the exposure just below zero but it'd be nice to see the scale when doing so

[sphelps]

Yes much better, considerably better when you consider that you're closer than the original, it's still a little softer than I would expect though. Are you auto-focusing or manual? Also are you using a remote or timer to trigger the camera?

[superduperwesman]

Yes much better, considerably better when you consider that you're closer than the original, it's still a little softer than I would expect though. Are you auto-focusing or manual? Also are you using a remote or timer to trigger the camera?



Auto and remote

[sphelps]

You could try manual focus and focus on your center DOF which will give the biggest range. I suspect the tank glass is the bigger issue though, I've seen those 10 gallons bow pretty good which could be causing the softer edges.

[Marlin65]

I like the third one nice job.
How do you get F57 is that just the camera mine only goes up to F22 or is that the lens? I shoot a 30D Canon.
You could shoot in Program mode that way you can set all your parameters.

[superduperwesman]

I like the third one nice job.
How do you get F57 is that just the camera mine only goes up to F22 or is that the lens? I shoot a 30D Canon.
You could shoot in Program mode that way you can set all your parameters.

I think it's the lens b/c it doesn't go that high with other lens.

How do you mean set all parameters in program mode? Like my shutter, etc?

[sphelps]

I think he means programed auto (P) which allows you to set up all your parameters manually but selects both shutter speed and aperture. Not really ideal plus you're already shooting in aperture priority which allows all the same parameters to be setup manually with the addition of aperture.

I think it was just a little miscommunication regarding what was ment by setting the exposure compensation. It's not that it couldn't be set just that you don't have the bar on your top LCD, right?

And yes the F number range is a feature of the lens.

[superduperwesman]

I think he means programed auto (P) which allows you to set up all your parameters manually but selects both shutter speed and aperture. Not really ideal plus you're already shooting in aperture priority which allows all the same parameters to be setup manually with the addition of aperture.

I think it was just a little miscommunication regarding what was ment by setting the exposure compensation. It's not that it couldn't be set just that you don't have the bar on your top LCD, right?

And yes the F number range is a feature of the lens.

Parameters = exposure compensation?

Yeah I didn't think I could adjust it but only because the chart wasn't showing up on the lcd or in the view finder... turns out I can set it I just wish it was always showing like it does in manual. I also wish it was on the top lcd ... which it never is

[sphelps]

Yeah I didn't think I could adjust it but only because the chart wasn't showing up on the lcd or in the view finder... turns out I can set it I just wish it was always showing like it does in manual. I also wish it was on the top lcd ... which it never is
Did I ever tell you my camera always shows the exposure graph on the top LCD :wink:

[superduperwesman]

Did I ever tell you my camera always shows the exposure graph on the top LCD :wink:

Good for you ahah

[superduperwesman]

http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m141/superduperwesman/Saltwater/CandyC.jpg

[sphelps]

Looking good! Shooting in RAW mode yet?

[superduperwesman]

Sure am... why?

[sphelps]

Did you increase the clarity in PS?

[superduperwesman]

Yeah ahaha too much?

[sphelps]

Yeah ahaha too much?

No not at all IMO, I was just going to suggest using it if you hadn't already. Looks good, I think you're going to need a new tank to get any better shots :wink:

[superduperwesman]

I need some new stuff... I have nothing left to photograph in it ahah

[superduperwesman]

Found something else to shoot :)

http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m141/superduperwesman/Zoa.jpg

[sphelps]

Pictures are starting to get a lot cleaner, and the composition is better to.