Bi-weekly Photo Comp Week #22 - Macro

[Solo]

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The rules are as follows:

• Entries will accepted until 11:59pm (GMT) Wednesday 24 April
• Each competition's voting will last for one week. The winner of that round will choose the next theme.
• All entries must have been taken within the last 6 months and preferably after the announcement of the theme.
• Entries must be posted as a thumbnail no larger than 700px on the longest edge. Full sized images may be as larger as you'd like.*
• You must submit only your own photographs, do not post anyone else's work.
• Only one photograph per person, marked with Final Entry. You can change your entry, but must remove your current entry first and clearly state that you have posted a new entry.
• You must not vote for your own photograph when the Poll is up. Only vote for a photograph taken by another entrant.
• The photograph must be submitted with the following information: Subject, Date and Camera used and, if you'd like, the major camera settings - shutter speed, ISO, etc.

*While full sized images may be as larger as you'd like, you should try to limit them to approximately 1200px to enable viewing the entire image without scrolling. It's much easier to see the full effect of the shot when you can view it all at once and not have to pan.

Current theme, chosen by Week #20 winner Wfooshee

Macro. Could be perceived macro, as well, like a closeup of something small, but not necessarily actually magnified. Basically small things up close.

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[TB]

Love me some macro. 👍

Final Entry

Wasp Nest: The Beginning
Canon T1i
55mm, with extension rings
ISO 100, f/25, 3.2 second exposure
External flash fired @ 1/64 power, camera right
click for larger​

Notes: I found that on the floor of my mechanical/laundry room floor last summer, moved it to a shelf, intending to take a shot of it and never did. Until today. never saw any wasps in the house so I have no idea how it got there.

And a behind the scenes set-up shot. The quarter is for scale.

 

[nobuffalo]

Very similar set-up to TB except with 80-200mm and 50mm back to back and manually triggered flash.

Final Entry

Macro
4-11-12
iPhone​

 

[MatskiMonk]

Interesting, other than the Macro setting on my Sigma 300, I'm not equipped for this, but I like the fact that it might be more of a technical challenge.

 

[wfooshee]

That's why I included the phrase "closeup of something small" in my category. Find a butterfly, zoom in, and shoot.

I wasn't looking to require extension tubes, reverse-mount adapters or the like, but I thought it'd be fun to let folks with those toys play with them.

I'm looking into digging out an old film rangefinder I have, with some close-up adapter lenses that snap onto it, and seeing what I can do.

 

[MatskiMonk]

Interesting..

..

edit:

So, I had a little more of a play, may as well enter this...

BMW Bulb
April 2013
EOS 60D, two lenses, botched set-up involving an ironing board, a sock and a tripod... no idea what's going on
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[nobuffalo]

^ That turned out great! BTW earlier I said I had two lenses back to back but I guess they were really front to front. I just had mine taped together...

A pin-hole can also provide a very close image, although it's not gonna be the sharpest but that's with all photos taken with a pinhole. I think it's also possible to just hold a lens to a camera phone and get a semi-close shot, I think. It's kinda tricky though.

I'm looking into digging out an old film rangefinder I have, with some close-up adapter lenses that snap onto it, and seeing what I can do.

I thought about holding an additional lens up to my rangefinger to see what I could come up with but I can imagine it would take several rolls to get the focus and exposure correct, not worth my time at the moment. If I had an adapter lens as you do I would definitely give it a try.

 

[wfooshee]

Yeah, it's actually a pair of adapters, one for closer than the other, and then you can stack them as well, for ultra-close. They came with a chart for how to set the rangefinder distance for actual focus, but the chart was for each, and not for stacked. I made one for stacked back in the '80s by building a rack of pegs and shooting them, recording the settings and seeing what came out.

Sound like a lot of work, don't it?

EDIT: Just realized I have another old camera of Dad's, a Voigtlander Ultramatic. Although it doesn't work, I have an adapter to fit its lenses onto my Nikon. In Dad's bag is a set of 3 closeup adapters for the 50mm lens, and those are called Focar A, Focar B, and Focar C by Voigtlander. So, from a 1960's camera I have a 50mm f:2 lens and 3 different closeup adapters, and an adapter ring to mount that lens on my Nikon.

So now I have a reflex lens that will macro! Manual stopped-down exposure, but I can deal with that, as long as I can see and focus.

 

[Sprite]

Final Entry

Peacock Feather


Click For Lightbox

Setup
Fuji X-E1
PK-FX Adapter
Screw Mount to PK Adapter
31mm Extension Tube
Chinon 28mm Lens
F2.8
ISO 200
2 Second Exposure
Tripod

Taken 12.04.2013

Here is the set up just for the curious

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[jjaisli]

I'm not sure if this truly fits the concept of Macro Photography in the traditional sense, but it does seem acceptable based on the parameters described by wfooshee:

Macro. Could be perceived macro, as well, like a closeup of something small, but not necessarily actually magnified. Basically small things up close.

And it was a very tiny flower, although it's difficult to tell from this photo. At any rate, this is my first submission to this thread, so please be gentle.

Final Entry​

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Larger Version Here​

"Tropical"​

Equipment: Canon T1i / Canon EF 50mm
ISO 100
f/7
1/400 sec
Polarizing filter on the lens


At the time of this shot, it wasn't quite the affect I was going for. I was at a garden near Hana, Maui, lying almost on my back and looking up at this flowering bush. And I was more interested in centering the flower in the middle of a rather intricate spider's web, built all around it. But I think, due to a combination of settings, the wind and my filter, the web is all but invisible. In the end, I ended up liking the shot for what it was.

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EDIT: Thanks wfooshee & MatskiMonk! 👍

After seeing this:

That's why I included the phrase "closeup of something small" in my category. Find a butterfly, zoom in, and shoot...

Maybe I should enter this one instead:

Larger Version Here​

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Hmmm, I'll think it over and leave the original in place for now. Although the Butterfly IS one of my favorite shots. And maybe closer to the 'assignment'.

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2nd EDIT: ACK! Alright, forget the Butterfly. I just realized it's no longer eligible (by 7 weeks). It was taken back in September of '12.

So I might use this one instead...

Larger Version Here​

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I think it's still, more or less, what you were asking for. And I really like this shot. Not because it's such a technically impressive photo (it isn't). But I was pleased that I was able to get the desired effect, free hand, shooting through the glass of a tank, and accompanying salt water, in relatively poor lighting. Thankfully I had the full cooperation of the fish, who was nice enough to swim very slowly for me.

 

[wfooshee]

I would say good to go. I intentionally specified that phrase because I know not everyone has the toys to do genuine macro photography, and it's been truly interesting to see what's come up from it! Way more than I could have imagined! What I had in mind with that was stuff like this:

 

[MatskiMonk]

Looks good too jjaisli, nice colours.

Casey, Macro photo of Macro lens.... lensception?

 

[TB]

Quite impressed with the turnout (and quality) this go-round!

 

[Sprite]

Quite impressed with the turnout (and quality) this go-round!

Agreed, some cracking shots. 👍

 

[wfooshee]

Final Entry

Laptop CPU and Heat Pipe



April 12, 2013, Nikon D7000, Voigtlander 50mm with closeup adapters
1/80 at f:16, built-in flash at 1/10 power​

Toys used:

Almost as big a daisy-chain as Sprite's setup! From my dad's estate I have a Voigtlander Ultramatic SLR, German mechanical engineering at its highest. Shutter-priority auto-exposure, behind-the-lens leaf shutter, no electricity other than what the selenium-cell light meter makes for itself! Unfortunately it's not working..... But I have all the lenses and accessories, and some time back decided to buy one of those Hong Kong adapter rings to mount the lenses on my Nikon. They work, although they communicate no information at all to the camera. I have to put the camera in manual, set the shutter speed, and then turn the aperture ring on the lens mount adapter and watch the meter indicator.

Among the accessories are a set of three close-up adapter lenses that snap onto the front of the 50mm with a friction fit. They can be stacked as well, as I've done here. Chromatic aberration is not great, as seen at the edges on whites, but it works. I used f:2 to find my focus center, then stopped down to f:16 for max DOF, and used trial-and-error to find needed flash strength. (The 1/80 speed was the result of trying to find an available-light exposure. I just left it alone for the flash picture.) The image is not cropped; this is the full frame from the camera (click for 1280-px version.)

 

[Sprite]

Wfooshee I thought I was crazy with two adapters and an extension tube. 👍

 

[wfooshee]

Hey, run what you brung, right?

As stated before, I am really impressed with the effort going into these, and the results. This is top-notch stuff, guys! Keep it up!

And those of you still thinking and hatching schemes in your la-BOR-a-tor-ies, shoot it and post up!

 

[Azuremen]

I feel kind of left out because I don't have any fancy extension rings I'll come up with some kind of close-up shot soon enough though, since I do spend too much staring at blades of grass and what not.

 

[MatskiMonk]

On the subject of set-ups...

Yep..

 

[nobuffalo]

Casey, Macro photo of Macro lens.... lensception?

Clever, ain't it?

That looks wicked on there, imagine the amount of attention you would draw if you were shooting with that in public!

I feel kind of left out because I don't have any fancy extension rings I'll come up with some kind of close-up shot soon enough though, since I do spend too much staring at blades of grass and what not.

Speaking of what always makes cool close-ups...

 

[wfooshee]

On the subject of set-ups...

I was wondering where that color came from. That's very clever! A+

 

[jjaisli]

On the subject of set-ups...

I was wondering where that color came from. That's very clever! A+

Yes, I agree! 👍 Very clever and creative.

 

[35mm]

Quite impressed with the turnout (and quality) this go-round!

This!

And all those rings and stuff...

 

[Solo]

Final

Lego rock star
Panasonic Lumix G2 - 15/4/13​

My set up was much more basic than you guys with your reversing rings and adapters. Simply held my camera in one hand and my f/1.7 20mm prime reversed against the body and held as still as possible, using a desk lamp as a light source.

 

[MatskiMonk]

^ Ha very cool.

 

[jus1029]

My DSLR is not good with macro! Therefore, I don't know if this complies with the rules.

FINAL ENTRY
Dead Beauty



Click for Lightbox!
EXIF info:
Nikon D40X
0.008 sec (1/125)
f/6.3
55 mm
ISO 400
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[nobuffalo]

Macro. Could be perceived macro, as well, like a closeup of something small, but not necessarily actually magnified. Basically small things up close.

I'd say it complies. 👍

Very nice.

 

[jus1029]

Thanks, Casey!

 

[Crash]

I couldn't get my point and shoot to cooperate, even in manual mode, so I ended up having to use my roommate's camera for this shot.

I hope this fulfills the subject. This is inspired by and intended to be a different take on Casey's earlier photo.

Final Entry

Spelling Bee

DSC_7066 by chng8, on Flickr

Nikon D5100
55mm
f5.6
1/60
ISO 250
No Flash​