Lighting Exercise

stevehapp

I finally got my flash bracket made. I just got an el cheapo strobe and trigger off ebay to try it all out.
I mounted it on the side of the flash bracket facing in towards the end of the lens on the left and up just a little.
And i made a diffuser out of a juice popper and paper towels.

So, I went out the back yard to try it out. I was surprised at the number of tiny little bugs in our suburban desert of a back yard.

I wasnt too worried about focus and composition, just lighting.
f/11, 1/200, iso200. sigma 105mm macro lens.

If you have any advice re lighting and exposure I would surely appreciate it.

Cheers,
steve.

1. a spider on the lavender bush


2. bee on yellow flower (wet the bed? )


3. yellow flower with blown highlights


4. another spider on lavender


5. unknown bug on lavendar


I didnt do any post processing on these pics, they are straight out of the camera. On some i did 0fec, and others from +2/3 to 3/3 fec.
The lavendar bush ones are heaps darker and its the same light !

Dodgy pics of camera setup to follow.

stevehapp

And here is my very dodgy setup. I havent cut off the ends of the aluminium yet. doh!

1. The back end shows how the ebay receiver is bolted onto the bracket.


2. and from the front, shows how the flash sits in relationship to the end of the lens. It is sort of like a fill light at 45 degrees.


I wont win any prizes for tidy engineering.
Note the very expensive diffuser holder-on thingie..

Lord Vetinari

The lighting looks very good in these- lovely series of test shots and a good bit of DIY

I assumed you were using the flash in manual with that set up but from your comments re FEC guess the radio ? connection supports ETTL ?

only comment regards the flash arrangement and diffuser would be you might need to be careful you don't shoot some light straight into the lens esp at lower mags.

Brian V.

stevehapp

Thanks Brian. You were my inspiration with the setup.

The flash has no adjustments at all.. ha ha.
I am adjusting the fec and it seems to stop blowing the highlights etc. But then again maybe it is doing nothing at all..
I need to test it. I have no idea if it is ettl or not. doh!

the radio trigger is a cactus pt-04 clone.. I dont seem to get any misfires so far.. like the cactus ones do.

I will watch getting light on the lens. But the sigma 105 has the lens way back inside the column , so I dont think it will be a problem.

stevehapp

I went down the community garden and did some more test shots. It was late afternoon so the light was going.

1. f/11, 1/200, iso200.


2. f/11, 1/160, iso200, inside the hothouse.


3. same as #2

Lord Vetinari

Well whatever you are doing seems to work but the normal way of using a flash like this is to put the flash into manual and vary the power ratio on the flash - eg 1/64, 1/32, 1/16.
Brian V.

stevehapp

thanks brian,

When I get a real flash I will try that.

--

GOLDENORFE

lighting looks good, good exposure on yellow flower shots.
phil
http://www.flickr.com/photos/goldenorfe/

stevehapp

Thanks phil,

Skippy

stevehapp wrote:

I finally got my flash bracket made. I just got an el cheapo strobe and trigger off ebay to try it all out.
I mounted it on the side of the flash bracket facing in towards the end of the lens on the left and up just a little.
And i made a diffuser out of a juice popper and paper towels.

So, I went out the back yard to try it out. I was surprised at the number of tiny little bugs in our suburban desert of a back yard.

I wasnt too worried about focus and composition, just lighting.
f/11, 1/200, iso200. sigma 105mm macro lens.

If you have any advice re lighting and exposure I would surely appreciate it.

Cheers,
steve.

1. a spider on the lavender bush
2. bee on yellow flower (wet the bed? )
3. yellow flower with blown highlights
4. another spider on lavender
5. unknown bug on lavendar

I didnt do any post processing on these pics, they are straight out of the camera. On some i did 0fec, and others from +2/3 to 3/3 fec.
The lavendar bush ones are heaps darker and its the same light !

Dodgy pics of camera setup to follow.

That's an interesting Flash set up you have invented there Steve.
It produces nice light for your shots, I see you said it has no adjustments on it, that's gotta make it harder for you.

Your combination seems to be working for you,
you might be able to pick up a good second hand flash off ebay that has adjustments.

Your doing great .... Skippy
.

stevehapp

Thanks skip, you are too kind.

I will get a decent flash, eventually..