one of my favorite MACRO model – Tiger Beetle

I love to capture this beetle but too bad this beetle is skittish/shy .. and not easy to get close so have a closer shot .. so most of the shots I use SIGMA150 instead my MP-E65

1. the green one .. and most difficult to get close

… tiger beetle …

2.

tiger beetle

 

3.

tiger beetle

 

4.

tiger beetle

 

5.

tiger beetle

6.

tiger beetle

 

 

animation make this beetle look scary

... tiger beetle animation ...

 

 

2012 Jan – MACRO Outing & Workshop [postpone]

due to the CNY and some schedule job, sorry for postpone this

When : 7-8 Jan 2012

What : MACRO basic with Post Processing workshop

– understand basic light, DOF, and how to design own Diffuser

– setting for MACRO .. why , what to change

– Post Processing workflow , how I stack pictures

Where : Kuala Lumpur – PJ area

Who :  those love nature, small tinny creatures … but prefer to own macro len, raynox, Extension tube… (but I have 1 Raynox, 1 set of Canon ET to borrow)

How Much : RM350 per person (MAX 8 ppl)

2/8 seat taken

 

... how to design diffuser for reflection object ...

 

... stacking .. pictures ...

some time .. it is just the moment and luck

I want and love to capture a lightning picture for long .. but I just have no luck so far .. even able to capture 1-2 strike (small or thin) one …

and it is not difficult to capture the lightning .. but it is as simple as how I shoot star

but we need the luck as it is not too much lightning will happen at close spot here …. as below picture, I was rushing for a project and saw the lighting non stop striking so I drove to near by place with a “path” to make my simple composition …. and I just can choose too much as the lightning only strike at this angle ..

 

… lightning …

and it is just simply a lucky day for me …

 

*** little sharing

I am not an expert of lighting photography, but I use the way I shoot star but as in the evening the shutter may not be too long so the capture can be 1-10s …. and we just have to merge multiple pictures into one if the lightning sequence is not too close ……

to extend the exposure , i make use of Lee Filter GND .9h as ND8 to extend the exposure 3 stops so .. I have more lightning capture into single frame … HOPE this help

 

How I have more MACRO DOF …

As we know anything >1:1 macro, we have very limit DOF … I had it share before … what we DOF have while we shooting macro e.g. at crop body, F16 at 1:1 .. the dof we have is just ~1mm … so how we have more DOF ?

1. angle is important , if we want the main objects “focus”

e.g.

limit DOF

at certain angle, we have not possible to have both object focus .. e.g. choose one , shoot small to crop , or using stacking method I use (discuss before HERE)

by using the stacking … we can get both beetle focus as below

 

or discuss http://liewwkphoto.com/blog/?p=922

 

of if we do not want to do much on post process… choose the best angle to have both object focus e.g.

 

more beetle collection click HERE

Miss Toba Lake, Indonesia …

North Toba

update 2013 Jan 8

... beautiful Mount Sebiyak ...
… beautiful Mount Sebiyak …

 

thanks Jamal & Ali to bringing us there for wonderful trip 2010 Oct … and I promise to make a re-visit there again but not fail to do so as 2011 just too many plans …

a place that good for landscape, human interest …. etc .. and my previous sharing HERE

people here are friendly, view here is gorgeous, food is good too …. so have to start plan one trip there again on 2012 ….

more Toba Lake picture from me click HERE

MACRO … soon …..

I had slow down a lot on macro for pass 6 months ….

my previous testing on my lighting …. is mainly for Canon MP-E65 or you may refer here and only once I test my SIGMA150 light HERE

and now …. I am working on my new SIGMA 105 OS … as below .. just a start for how I bring my flash closer …. and making the diffuser in progress …….

macro ... coming
macro .. coming ...

 

and stay tune .. more testing result for 5dm2 + SIGMA150 and 7d + 50mm MACRO

Nightscape – Other light sources ?

Night-scape we normally refer shooting in dark … or under bright moon light. But then the light source still very limit…. we can always make use of other light source to make our picture more dynamic

here are few samples , I try to make use of some other light sources …

1.

 

1. Camera LCD

2.

 

2. Highway and buildings …

3.

3. City & Camera LCD

4.

4. torch light

 

5.

5. city light on right

6.

6. moving torchlight

 

and e.g. of picture remove the additional external light source

same view as #6 but without the moving torchlight

 

As everyone say, photography is all about light ….. so observe carefully what other light you can make use in your frame to make better photo ……

 

 

My Gear – Ball Head [FLM]

CB-38 FT with QR70 | CB-32 FP with Fotopro QR | CB-32 FP with QR40

How I choose a ball head or you … good friction , weight and price

1. friction , we do not want our ball head fall lower down after we fix the composition … especially we shoot at portrait mode
WE DO NOT WHAT WE CAPTURED is not WHAT WE WANT 😀

2. weight, bigger ball head tend to have better friction but it weight

3. price, but do we got many good and cheap option ?

 

I own few head to put on my tripod and will slowly share those one by one … but today would like to share my main ball head which is FLM ball head which brought to you by Leephoto from German …..

I only have 2 of it which is CB-32FP & CB-38FT….

the P –> mean it come with the “Pan” nut/option and T —> come with both PAN and Tilt nut/option (view below video for more)

the ball head are solid, hold it and you feel the different.. even the price is bit high if use with the original quick release system .. but we do have option to use cheaper Manfrotto, fotopro quick release system to bring the cost down ….. and it still perform well…

 

some update pictures

###########################

1. FLM CB 38FT with QRP70 – 38F with T5

LEFT - FLM CB38 FT with QRP70 RIGHT - FLM CB38 F with T5
LEFT – FLM CB38 FT with QRP70
RIGHT – FLM CB38 F with T5

 

2. Quick Release different FLM QRP70 – Fotopro T5

LEFT - FLM QRP70  RIGHT - Fotopro T5
LEFT – FLM QRP70
RIGHT – Fotopro T5

 

3. FLM CB 38FT with QRP70 – 32F with QRP40

LEFT - FLM CB 38FT with QRP70  RIGHT - FLM 32F with QRP40
LEFT – FLM CB 38FT with QRP70
RIGHT – FLM 32F with QRP40

 

4. FLM QRP 70 – QRP40

RIGHT - FLM QRP70 LEFT - FLM QRP40
LEFT – FLM QRP70
RIGHT – FLM QRP40

 

 

 

###########################

1. FLM CB-38FT with FLM QRB70 quick release

support 25KG

friction control

panning control

tilt control

FLM CB-38FT with FLM QRB70 quick release

 

2. FLM CB-38FT pan nut/option

FLM CB-38FT pan nut/option

 

3.

FLM CB-38FT tilt nut/option

4.

FLM CB-38FT main ball main control

5. FLM – CB32FP with fotopro quick release

support 20KG

friction control

panning control

FLM – CB32FP

6. FLM CB38FT and CB32FP

FLM CB38FT and CB32FP

for more specifications details pls check at http://www.leephoto.com.my/flmballhead1.html

5. LB30/60 Leveling Base

– this is a base to level the “ball head” so we can improve the panorama capture

– use when the tripod (or ground no flat or balance) so this leveling base can easily level the ball head base

LB60 with FLM 38FT
LB60 with FLM 38FT

#################################

few simple movie show how it work …

how to control tilt and Pan
– the pan is standard but tilt …. after you fix the composition and you want little up or down without affect your horizontal tilt ….i like this MOST ..

set the friction – Yes, we can control it

set the friction

loose friction or low number

tight friction or high number
– like this also .. i can just move my len without open/loose the ball head control …. even with heavy 70200 F2.8 len

you may contact me for FLM ball head price …

liewwk76@gmail.com

 

the Soldier – Termite is cute

not many love them or most of us hate them … they destroy, bite … etc … but when we look close there are cute

... cute termite ...

 

... when this bite u .. u will jump up

 

this is good of MACRO photography , let we look thing differently … not only photography but we should look every at different angle before conclude