Macro photo exhibition submissions here. NOT THE MONTHLY CONTEST
This discussion thread was locked by AndyS (a host of the Photography group).
This is not a competition and in no way is intended to distract from the monthly contest! Macro is a specialized discipline and anything done here is intended to be in addition to not instead of the next contest! Anything contributed here is no different than a picture posted to the photo group that isn't part of the contest.
The traditional definition of macro is a life size image at the sensor. Well, we have 4 popular sizes in sensors not to mention cell phones and P&S, so for the purpose of this display lets define macro as about 24x36mm and smaller. I say 'about' because what's a mm or two between friends and nobody is going to visit you to measure your subject!
As a reminder of how big 24x36 mm is here are some examples:
Your subject should fit inside this frame.
If you don't have a old slide frame try this. Your thumb should hide the thing you're photographing.
This should also cover up what ever you are photographing.
I'm asking for one or two of your best with a short comment on what it is and how you made it. If we get more than 30 I'll ask for voluntary deletions because after 30 or so GD* will lose interest and stop scrolling. If I see something that doesn't fit the size criteria I'll PM the submission and ask for clarification.
The point here is to show non photographers what macro really is and let them see things they wouldn't see otherwise, the Unseen World all around us.
Submit your pictures as a reply to this post and I will collate them into a final display for public viewing. No voting, no rankings, just a display of what we see in that small world. The same restrictions on size as monthly contests apply. Keep size to 1024 on the long side and one time rights apply. Add a short comment about what and how went into the making.
With that caveat, let's show the public what some call the Unseen World, the world of macro photography; small things made large.
*I'm awaiting Earl G's approval for posting in GD and failing approval the final product will be posted here and in the Lounge or maybe beg forgiveness in GD.
= new reply since forum marked as read
Last edited Tue Jul 4, 2023, 10:27 PM - Edit history (2)
This first one is a detail of my wedding ring. I used some commercial software to accomplish this. The ring is about 5mm in height.
This one, believe it or not, is a detail of one of my rose photos! I used the same software as in the above photo. It's hard to guess the dimension of this portion of the rose, but it's most likely about 5 mm. YMMV!
And here, to help show the scale of the rose photo, is the original file: The detail came from the dark area on the right. The whole rose was probably no bigger than the palm of my hand.
This is a macro shot of a kangaroo paw flower. They are tiny even when open--about one and a half centimeters when open.
Last edited Wed Jul 5, 2023, 10:50 AM - Edit history (1)
I have come to love the close focusing distance of a couple of zoom lenses that give me the distance to subject (10’) where neither of us come to harm.
The first three were taken with a Nikkor 200-500mm + 2X teleconverter @ 1000mm, the bee 1/640, f/14, ISO 2200, the dragonfly 1/500, f/16, ISO 800 and the Mabel Orchard Orb-weaver, 1/320 sec, f/16 ISO 2500.
The fourth photo taken with a Sigma 150-600 + 2X teleconverter @ 1200mm, 1/1600 sec, f/40, ISO 36204. I must have been experimenting to achieve the greatest depth of field possible! All are considerably cropped and adjusted in Camera Raw then Topaz Photo AI for noise.
This photo makes me glad their wingspans are no longer 3' across!
One of the first close-ups/macros I ever took while in Yukon, Canada while on an Alaska vacay.
Canon EOS Rebel T6
EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II
ƒ/5.6 55.0 mm 1/80 125
The very earliest buds of Texas Grapevine. The background is another photograph of wildflowers.
Single Dandelion seed with reflection. The dandelion is sitting on a 10 inch iPad.
Both were taken with a dedicated Macro lens at 1:1 magnification and done in a table top studio with artificial light.
Last edited Thu Jun 29, 2023, 06:20 PM - Edit history (2)
Sorry I'm late to the party. Life intervened.
This is Catoxantha opulenta from Malaysia. The head capsule width, from the posterior margin of one compound eye to the other, is about 7.5 mm. The photo was captured with an old (1970s), El Nikkor 50mm enlarger lens reverse mounted on a Nikon PB-4 bellows with the necessary adapter rings and a 12mm extension tube (for mounting the camera body to the bellows). The bellows was nearly at minimum expansion-- just the various fitting rings and about 2 cm of bellows extension gave me the subject size I was looking for.
This is a focus stacked image. I used 546 photos at 5.0 µm steps with a WeMacro electronic focusing rail, 1/5s, f5.6, ISO 125, studio lighting, then stacked them with Zerene Stacker. I used Photoshop to adjust the stacked image, mostly noise removal, sharpening, and brightness/contrast adjustments (Topaz Photo AI, Nik Viveza, and Nik Color Effects Pro plugins). I do not do any of those adjustments in camera, so I start with the plain, default raw sensor data.
Last edited Tue Jul 4, 2023, 10:40 PM - Edit history (3)
Tulip pistol & stamens
iPhone 12
ProCamera editing
Manual settings
RAW
ISO 32
f/1.6
1/1000s
Sunlight
Jumping spider
Canon EOS Rebel T5i
55-250mm lens
58mm close-up lens
RAW
ISO 500
f/5.6
1/2000s
Sunlight
This bloom is the size of a mosquito. Found in the woods above 5500ft. Elevation.
This was shot with a Sony A330, a bellows, and an old 50mm Minolta MD lens. I also used a focusing rail to better make the fine adjustments for positioning. And it was on a tripod. I think I also used a remote switch to minimize the movement of the camera when the photo was taken, as pressing the button manually would have shifted the camera. While it may sound like a fair bit of equipment, none of it was expensive.
