Tiny snail, big camera
Would really like to know a little more about what you used to make it, e.g. lens, aperture, iso, processing - or at least the parts that are not your trade secrets!
Thanks for posting, it's a winner
I've set this up ready for an A2 print
I'm a big fan of contre jour lighting, and outdoors I would have tried to get the sun behind him, but there was none, so I used my trusty Yongnuo, gelled with a warm gel, zoomed to 70mm and placed about 6 feet away beyond the snail, so that the light was specular like the sun and placed just out of shot. Lens flare and contrast was controlled further with a large black card strapped to the lens.
Macro is always more impressive when you are at eye-level to the subject.
I bought him indoors and put him on some dewy leaves carefully brought inside. I placed a pot of herbs in the background about a foot away and nearly in the way of the light so they would also be lit.
I set up the camera on a tripod and got a chair, because I was expecting to need a lot of patience.
There was no need for fill light or reflectors as I was so close there was plenty of light bouncing back onto the subject.
ISO 200, f16, 1/50th, FA645 120mm macro, 40mm extension tube.
Best
My outfit: K1ii - Pentax D FA 24-70mm f2.8 - Pentax DA* 300mm f4 - Pentax modified DA* 60-250mm f4 - Irix 15mm Firefly - Pentax FA 35mm - FA 50mm f1.4 - Tamron SP 90mm macro - Pentax AF 540 FGZ II
Welsh Photographer
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Pentax K7 with BG-4 Grip / Samyang 14mm f2.8 ED AS IF UMC / DA18-55mm f3.5-5.6 AL WR / SMC A28mm f2.8 / D FA 28-105mm / SMC F35-70 f3.5-4.5 / SMC A50mm f1.7 / Tamron AF70-300mm f4-5.6 Di LD macro / SMC M75-150mm f4.0 / Tamron Adaptall (CT-135) 135mm f2.8 / Asahi Takumar-A 2X tele-converter / Pentax AF-540FGZ (I & II) Flashes / Cactus RF60/X Flashes & V6/V6II Transceiver
Incidentally Nigel, the Flash was on full power, like the sun
I have 2 very capable Metz 58s and a couple of old Pentax 540s, but the Yongnuos keep getting the gig I love those things
Well done Mark, very impressive.
Regards
David
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1753 posts
16 years
Plymouth,
UK
The 645 takes some getting used to as a macro camera, as 1:1 macro on such a large sensor isn't really very impressive. So big objects or, in this case, lots of extension tubes is the order of the day.
This little fellow is about 7mm.
As it was a horrible day, I rigged up a warmed-up flash some way away to simulate the early sun.
They actually move really fast and never stay still.
Click to go large
Plymouth Photographer