LIGHTING FOR MACRO

[photomad_2007]

Hello, I have 1 Pentax AF500 FTZ and a SIGMA EF500 Super. Both have manual settings with Zoom and Output level controls. They also work on slave mode. Can any one help me with ideas on how to use these two flashes to get consistent results from MACRO and CLOSE UP Photography. I have also built a DIY Light tent. I tried to take some pictures yesterday by triggering these two flashes with the built in flash of the K10D, but the results were downright bad. None of the pics were even a mile near the acceptable range, and some were total Black.

Can any one help me with some ideas in putting these two flashes to good use in MACRO / CLOSE UP, as I cannoy afford any expenses in buying studio lights, with rising oil prices and inflation.

Looking forward to receiving your guidance.

Best Regards,
Kris

[Jacco]

Hi Kris,

I think you will need to give us a little bit more to go on. How about posting some of those photos so that we may see what your problem can be. And a (screenshot of a) diagram of your set up might also be useful.

Have fun!

[photomad_2007]

Hi Jacco, Thanks for you reply.
It is rather a very simple lay out, the light tent was kept on a table, the two flashes were kept on either side about 2-3 inches from the light tent. The flashes were set on slave mode, one of the flashes I could set the zoom, aperture and power, and the other zoom, and power, I set the power to 1/1 in both flashes, as I was using an aperture of 16, I set the same aperture on the flash with aperture controls.
Since the flashes were close to the light tent, that is close to the subject I set the zoom to the widest setting on both the flashes.
Now I switched on the K10D, flipped open the built in flash, took the shot, and the buit in flash triggered the other two flashes, I dialled down the built in flash to exposure compensation -2 Stops,
Result was very badly exposed photos, some were jet black.
Am not sure how to go about it.
Please let me know if you have any techniques.
Thanks,
Kris

[Jacco]

Originally Posted by photomad_2007

Result was very badly exposed photos, some were jet black.

"Badly exposed" as in underexposed? Can you see in the photo where the light is coming from? Did both your flash guns fire? Both at full power? Or was this maybe a case of 'premature ejaculation' (): were they perhaps triggered by a pre-flash from your peanut on-board flash so that they were already spent by the time your shutter actually opened?

[photomad_2007]

Jacco, Thank you very much. Preflash comes is fired when exposure is difficult to obtain. K10D was on Manual focus and aperture priority. Let me switch over to manual exposure and check this today. Thanks for your help.
Have a nice day.
Kris

[joshman]

i can almost guarantee it's the pre-flash. i have the sigma flash as well and i've had this come up a few times. as bes ti can under stand it, when the on camera flash fires, it actually fires twice, once to gain aproper exposure value, and again to actually take the photo. the speed with which it fires is too fast for use to determine that it's two flashes. anyway, teh first two of these flashes sets off the slave flashes.

so when it come to actually taking the picture (the second flash), the slave flashes don't respond cause they've already fired.

and that's why you photos are black/underexposed, etc.

the easy way around it is to manually do the pre-flash. once focus is obtained, press the exposure lock button (*), this should fire the pre-flash. wait for the flashes to recharged then fully depress the shutter button
hey presto, a picture!

[Ed Shapiro]

Check this out!

One issue that comes with MACRO photography is light loss due to macro accessories such as bellows or extension tubes. Some lenses may require an increase in exposure at macro setting in the 1:1 magnification ratio. It is best to use the camera in manual mode, make some tests and set your exposure manually.

As far as I am concerned Pre Flash is useless. To avoid "red eye" all one needs to do is use off camera flash for portrait and candid work. If this features is effecting your exposure control- shut it off, don't use it for critical work or get rid of it.

Of course, diffusion materials and tents absorb light as well- all the more reason for testing and establishing your own exposure indexes.

Depending on the subject you may want to use light that entails modeling (light and shadow) such as in the photography of biological specimens, small decorative objects and other items that need a sense of dimensionality- sometimes raw light is best for theses subjects.

If you are photographing highly polished or reflective subjects such as jewelry the tenting arrangement is probably best as will need a light field kind of reflection in the object. If you require shadow-less lighting such as in photographing electronic circuitry, surgical fields, intro-oral photography (for dentists) and other situations where you don't want one component of the image to cast shadows on the others, a RING LIGHT is required for this kind of work.

You don't need fancy gear to do basic macro work. Out of doors you can use natural light and simple reflectors made of white cards or aluminum foil. With digital equipment, you can adjust the white balance to accommodate simple tungsten or photo-flood lamps in inexpensive reflectors. Quartz type photographic lamps are a good choice because if there high output the will afford the kind of depth of field and higher rates of illumination that is necessary to provide adequate exposure, what with light loss due to extension issues and diffusion devices.

With film- you might want to use a higher speed emulsion- 400 is a good speed and nowadays there are no grain problems with this speed range. Color negative films such as Portra 400 and the equivalent Fugi product yield great color saturation, wide latitude and good color saturation and contrast.

Hope this helps! Ed

[cannockwolf]

i dont know if this will be of any help but i made this for free, it throws a lot of diffused light on a small area, the template to make it from an A3 piece of card is here Templates for Bounce Cards & Snoots i lined it with some chrome vinyl but just leaving it white would work i suppose.





here it is in action



and created this

[joshman]

nice lightsaber!

i find the red flash is overpowering your strip light, that shadow is very harsh.

[ladonna]

Hello Photomad!

If you have an external flash that you could bounce in the ceiling, that flash would set off your other flash to give correct exposure.
I had the same thing happen to me, my pictures were totally black when I used the built in flash. the built in flash pointed directly at my subject and when I hit the shuttle, the outcome was black.

If bouncing the external flash does not work for you, please let me know what will work. (smile)

[cannockwolf]

Originally Posted by joshman

nice lightsaber!

i find the red flash is overpowering your strip light, that shadow is very harsh.

thanks, i was trying to emphasise the red because that is the the colour of the sith but i see where your coming from, this was an experiment though and was the only picture of the make shift box in action

[photomad_2007]

Hello, Thanks a lot for all friends who have given me wonderful ideas. Thank you very much cannockwolf,Ed Shapiro, for your lengthy replies and your time. I have to make some effort now and try these ideas. Ed Shapiro, your idea regarding the use of RAW light has struck a note, I think I will try to put my halogen lamps to better use. The use of reflectors would surely give form to the subject with subtle shadows.
Thanks again to all the community members, and this proves certainly our punch line 'THE FREINDLIEST PHOTO COMMUNITY'
Have a nice weekend.
Best Regards,
Gopal