on Studio-ish Macro and Reflections

Happy accidents!

I've been having trouble with my new stacked macro lens setup. I stacked a Nikkor 50mm 1.8D on top of my Tamron 90mm 2.5 SP Macro lens with a cheap 52mm-52mm coupler ring. I like the resulting 2.5x magnification but the problem is that the spiders keep on jumping on to my lens. It must be the shiny chrome bayonet mount that attracts them to jump up to my lens.

While out shooting near our black Honda sedan, a spider jumped on my lens. I went to the back of the car so I could lean on the trunk and find where the spider was to remove it. I blew it from the lens to the top of the trunk. The Jumping spider just stood still and I took the opportunity to take some shots. The output was totally unexpected.

I accidentally found a nice shooting location that provided something of a studio feel and at the same time added a reflection. And when lit up by my strobe, the dust added some bokeh to the shot as well. I have tried shooting with the other car which had white paint but the shots were prone to sensor flares.

After discovering the studio like effect of the black paint job, I have had a lot of success shooting on top of the trunk lid. I'll some more photos soon.

on Lightning and Interval Shooting

I just love it when there is a lightning storm. It's like nature is putting on a light show. I can just sit and watch it for hours.

Better yet, I could shoot it.

There have been lightning storms over the weekend. Since I have been under the weather, I decided that I'd shoot the storm tonight just to keep myself busy. But I did it in the relative safety and comfort of our living room. So, I mounted my camera on a tripod, set the interval shooting mode to shoot one hundred ten second exposures at one second intervals. I had a total of three rounds with the same settings and got these three frames.

It was the first time I tried shooting lightning using the interval mode and it turned out better than I expected. Too bad I didn't have a better angle on the lightning cloud or a wider lens. I hope to do better next time.

on Lenses, Grain and Portrait #31

I got an AF Nikkor 50mm 1.8D recently because I wanted to have a portrait lens with auto focus. Although I still love the Tamron 90mm 2.5SP for portraits, I find the focal length too limiting for my taste. And I had a recent shoot with Dawn to test out how I'd do with the 50mm focal length.

Well, for me it turned out great. I had fun with the group and Dawn was so easy to work with. She knew her angles and didn't need much directing for her poses. I'm glad we had a successful shoot because we have been talking in Facebook for a long time about a shoot. It was also good timing that our schedules were free last Saturday because she will be away for three months. But we do have plans for another shoot once she returns from her vacation.

There is really not much difference when shooting portraits with the Tamron 90mm or the Nikkor 50mm for me. It probably has something to do with my style of shooting but I adjusted quite easily to the new focal length. The main difference in the two lens is in sharpness and bokeh. The Tamron is a better performer in both areas but I really wish that it had AF. I am still happy with my 50mm since it does what it's supposed to and it's cheap too.

And at the end of the day, it doesn't really matter what lens I use as long as I get the output that I want. Ordinary people won't really ask me what lens I use as long as they like my photos.

Before I forget, if you've noticed there is a theme for the photos aside from the B&W conversion. I purposely added grain since I really want to shoot a portrait in film in the near future. Grain is good in my book.

Portrait #31: Dawn

 

on CS6, Tunnels and Portrait #30

One photo will make your day...

You can quote me on that statement above. I have said it before and always say it when shooting models or clients. I just need one photo to make my day. Everything else I shoot will just be for posterity sake. I mean, I am already there so might as well shoot some more right?

And last night I really thought I had a lot of time to edit an entire photoshoot set from a month ago. But then I selected my first photo, I didn't stop tinkering until I got what I really wanted out of it. I spent about an hour and a half doing stuff I normally don't do in photos like removing stray hair and all those portraiture stuff. Well, I guess there is a first for every thing.

Oh, and I did it in Adobe Photoshop CS6 Beta release. And I had so much fun because everything was faster and smoother. I learned how to use the color mode in the clone stamp tool and the new feature which is content aware move tool. But I didn't really move the subject around with the tool, I just extended the photo a bit to look more pleasing (in that rule of thirds kind of way). And the action scripts I use don't freeze my laptop anymore.

For those wondering how this shot was done. It was shot using my trusty Nikon D7000 and a Nikkor 85mm 1.8 AFD @ f1.8 and ISO 500 in ambient light. This was shot in a tunnel and I wanted to get the right light to expose my subject as well as the light from the other end of the tunnel for that starbust like effect. I am really liking the 85mm 1.8. I hope I can get one by the end of the year.

The model by the way is Mary Claire whom a co-shooter met while walking his dog. she does professional modeling here in the city. One this I really like about her is her confidence and easy going attitude. Well, come to think of it, those who get into my 100 Portraits project are all easy to work with.

 Portrait #30: Mary Claire

PS: Special thanks to Karina Asetre for the makeup and styling and as usual the Photobomber Crew for the Shoot. Do like the Photobomber Crew Facebook page.

on Spider Sunday

One reason why I love macro: I can find subjects wherever there are plants.

Last Sunday, after our annual reunion, I decided to go looking for new subjects to shoot. And I was lucky when I found four different arachnids in a hedge in front of our ancestral home. I didn't waste the opportunity to add to my growing collection of Jumping Spiders and Orb Weavers. And it was a good test for my new gear.

I found an orb weaver spinning its web at dusk and I waited until it finished as I could not track its movement as it made the web from the middle outwards. After it finished, the weaver left the web and rested on an orchid root and that's when I got this photo.

I call this Jumping spider a ghost as it has semi transparent legs which blend into the leaves. I was lucky to spot it moving from one leaf to another but it was hard to take a photo as it seemed to be aware of my presence and reacted every time I pointed the camera at it. I took the photo of it on the underside of a leaf.

This next Jumping Spider is quite small and was nicely camouflaged in the tree bark. It is about five millimeters and is quite hard to spot. What I like about this one is that it has blue legs and bronze hair.

For the last photo, I found this on an orchid. Among all the Jumping Spiders I have seen, this is quite unique because it is the only one I have observed to have some sort of a web where it lies and waits. It didn't move a leg when I was shooting as if it wanted to simply hide in plain sight.

I hope someone identifies these arachnids for me. I really wish to learn more about them and I am hoping I would find more of them the next time I visit.

On Sharpness, Composition and Portrait #25

Sharpness and resolution don't matter when there isn't subject and composition -- Kai Wong (DigitalRev TV)

There are times when the photo you like the most in a set is the one that is out of focus, blurred or over/under exposed.

I came in late for a photo shoot. I was drenched in the rain and had a long day in the office. It was on a Monday and people know how much I hate Mondays. But we had Janelle, who I always wanted to shoot, as the model and I didn't want to waste such an opportunity. So I had to make the best of the little time I had (since I came in on the last set) and the smallish makeshift studio setup. I only had my legacy Tamron 90mm f2.5 macro lens with me so all I could do were half body shots and close up portraits. I'm glad I still had some good shots of her.

 

 

And for the photo I'd add to my 100 portraits, it isn't that sharp due to the motion blur but I like it anyways. It is still a good shot for me. It is a unique addition since this is the first action/in motion shot I'll add to my project.

Portrait #25: Janelle

On Close Ups and Portrait #19

"The eyes are the window to one's soul..."

Before I get caught up in editing the panoramas I took today, I'd like to introduce you (my readers, if there are any) to Lean Mariz. I got an invite to a shoot with her and did not know she studied in Cebu and lives about an hour and a half from Davao City; She came all that way just for the shoot. As a photographer you'd have to feel flattered to know that your model came from another place just for a simple shoot.

Lean (le-an), has this amazing look. Her gaze can mesmerize you into just looking; and her smile, well, can make you smile as well. I had to capture that look so I used a macro lens to get up close and personal with her. And for me, it was the right decision. It was hard as I was using a 90mm lens with manual focus and no light metering. But what was good about it was that I could really get close (six inches from her face) and capture the details in her eyes.

And this was a good shoot for me as I found what lens I am most comfortable with. I think I will need to save up for another 90mm macro lens; this time with Auto Focus and metering. Finding my range made all the difference as I can know concentrate on my own style of portraiture. Its back to the telephoto range for me.

I'll end this blog with my two best shots of Lean.

Raw Beauty

Portrait #19: Lean

 

PS: those with 500px.com accounts please do add me up 500px.com/martian1018. :D

Shooting with a Canon System and Portrait #8

"The best camera, is the one that's with you..." -- Chase Jarvis

Last Saturday, I made my cousins proud because I used a Canon system (EOS 550D to be exact). In my hurry to leave the house, I left my battery still in the charger and found out about it on location. It was a good thing there was an extra camera; but it was a Canon. I've always belonged to the Dark Side (Nikon) because I find it easier to use and the colors are closer to reality. It’s just my own preference as both brands are almost equal in terms of technologies and performance.

And it was one of my favorite shoots for the year. Not because I used a Canon system but because it was challenging. I was not in my element as I could not use my trusty 35mm and to adapt to the controls of the camera. All those buttons are confusing! I was not used to taking my eyes off the viewfinder when changing Auto-Focus points so recomposing was a bit of a pain. I had to make do with the gear that I had; learning how to maximize gear is a very good skill.

But still, I think that I had a great shoot even with the challenges I faced.

We also had a new model and I was happy because I've always wanted to shoot a Japanese looking girl; and we were blessed to have Anri who is actually half Japanese. She was easy and fun to work with. Her simplicity made her stunning; it made my life a whole lot easier. Also, we had a new location to play around in; not the usual haunts in the city. Though we did not really have a concept in mind, the location itself was good enough that we knew what we wanted to do.

Here is the first set of the shoot...

And lastly, I didn't forget about my 100 portraits project so here it is. This was shot with a Nikon D90 and an 85mm 1.8 Nikkor.

Shooting with a new system (whether it be canon or any other brand) is never easy but its either you adapt or miss the shoot. I can't tell you that I could have done better with my Nikon rig but at the end of the day you'll just let the pictures speak. And Anri made things easier; and most of the time, it’s the subject not the gear that determines the outcome of the shoot.

ps: Special thanks to Maggie for the 550D and Ken for the D90. And to the photobombers for another amazing shoot! :D