Close-Up and Macro Photography

317 Pages·2014·11.54 MB·English

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Heart Center Publications
315 Marion Avenue
Big Rapids, Michigan 49307
[email protected]
First Published 2011 © Michael Erlewine 2011
Second Edition August, 2014
ISBN 925182-72-9
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any
means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or
otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. This
photo book may be shared provided no fee is charged. All are free
to have it for personal use.
All nature photos taken by Michael Erlewine,
© 2007-2014 Michael Erlewine
Cover, text, format, and graphic design by Michael Erlewine.

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Dedication
This book is dedicated to my father Ralph L. Erlewine who placed a
Kodak Retina-2a 35mm cam- era, tripod, and light meter in my
hand in 1956, showed me how to use them, and turned me loose.
Thanks dad!
May these books be of benefit to all photographers and nature
lovers, and may every- one experience the awe, beauty, and
instruction from the natural world as I have.
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Table of Content
Dedication ....................................................................................... 3
The Cosina/Voigtlander 90mm f/3.5 APO Lens ............................. 15
Welcome e-book Readers!............................................................ 16
Types of Close-Up Photography .................................................... 17
Photo Types: Mini-Landscapes ..................................................... 18
Photo Types: Close-up or Macro ................................................... 19
Photo Types: Macro (life size or larger) ......................................... 20
Photo Types: Photomicroscopy or Macro ...................................... 21
Photomicroscopy .......................................................................... 21
Photo Types: Microphotography .................................................... 23
Introduction to Close-up and Macro Photography ......................... 24
Minimum Equipment Requirements .............................................. 24
Megapixels: How Many? ............................................................... 26
DX or FX Sensor? ......................................................................... 26
More on Sensor Size .................................................................... 27
Mirror-Up ....................................................................................... 28
Interchangeable Lenses ................................................................ 30
Depth of Field Preview Button (upper button) ............................... 32
To Flash or Not Flash .................................................................... 33
Onboard Flash .............................................................................. 34
External Flash (SB-400 shown above) ....................................... 35
Viewfinders Are About Light .......................................................... 36
DK-17M Magnifying Eye Piece ...................................................... 37
Histograms: Our Light Meter ......................................................... 38
Quick Release Clamps ................................................................. 40
The Four Camera Modes .............................................................. 42
Program Mode .............................................................................. 42
Shutter Priority Mode .................................................................... 42
Aperture Priority Mode .................................................................. 43
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Manual Mode ................................................................................ 43
How to Pick a Lens ....................................................................... 47
Passion and Persistence ............................................................... 47
Sharpness (Zeiss Otus 55mm, f/1.4 APO) ............................... 49
Fast Lens (Nikkor 50mm f/1.2 .................................................... 50
Focus Throw (Leica 100mm 100mm Elmarit R) ....................... 53
Reproduction Ratio ....................................................................... 54
APO (Apochromatic) Lenses ......................................................... 55
Minimum Focus Distance .............................................................. 55
Lens Summary .............................................................................. 57
The Lens Is the Thing ................................................................... 57
The Quest for Depth of Field ......................................................... 58
Diffraction Fears ............................................................................ 60
Sidebar: Cosina and Zeiss ............................................................ 61
Voigtlander 125mm, f/2.5 APO-LantherThe Three Wise Lens-men
...................................................................................................... 61
Björn Rörslett ................................................................................ 62
Thom Hogan ................................................................................. 62
Lloyd Chambers ............................................................................ 62
Web Sites: Fotozones.com ........................................................... 63
Extensions, Close-up Dipoters, and Teleconverters ..................... 63
Close-up Adaptors and Diopters ................................................... 65
Extension Tubes ........................................................................... 67
Teleconverters .............................................................................. 72
Accessories and Other Topics ...................................................... 73
Lens Hoods Hoods? ..................................................................... 73
Extra Batteries .............................................................................. 74
Flash Cards: How Large? ............................................................. 75
Dust Bunnies ................................................................................. 75
Sensor Cleaning ........................................................................... 76
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Sensor Blower ............................................................................... 79
Hand Blowers ................................................................................ 82
Step-down Rings ........................................................................... 82
Polarizers ...................................................................................... 83
Hot-Shoe Bubble Level ................................................................. 84
LED Flashlight ............................................................................... 85
UV-Filters ...................................................................................... 86
Lens Cloths ................................................................................... 87
Velvet ............................................................................................ 88
Lens Resolution Tests .................................................................. 88
Light Box ....................................................................................... 90
Pinch Cap ..................................................................................... 91
Z-Finder ........................................................................................ 91
Screw Drivers JIS ......................................................................... 92
Lens Caps ..................................................................................... 93
McClamp, Plamps, and Articulated Arms ...................................... 93
Allen Wrenches ............................................................................. 94
Stuck Filters .................................................................................. 95
Super Magnets .............................................................................. 95
Threadlocker ................................................................................. 96
Tools That Help ............................................................................. 96
Storing Photo Accessories ............................................................ 97
Focus Rails ................................................................................... 99
The Wind is No Friend to Macro Work ........................................ 103
Light Tents in the Field ................................................................ 107
Light Diffusers ............................................................................. 109
Higher Apertures ......................................................................... 112
Sharpness ................................................................................... 112
Narrow DOF Greater DOF .......................................................... 113
Beginning with Focus Stacking ................................................... 114
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Additional Considerations: .......................................................... 116
Investment .................................................................................. 116
Playing With Stacks .................................................................... 116
Inherently Flawed ........................................................................ 116
An Art, Not a Science .................................................................. 116
Focus Stacking Problems ........................................................... 117
The Bad Frame ........................................................................... 117
Too Many Frames ....................................................................... 117
Minimal Frames .......................................................................... 117
Run It Again ................................................................................ 117
Don’t Forget the Traditional Photo .............................................. 117
Short Stacks for Macro, Not Micro .............................................. 118
Landscapes ................................................................................. 118
Close-up, Macro, and Micro ........................................................ 118
Not for Micro Work ...................................................................... 119
Looking Close ............................................................................. 119
The Classic Nikon 70-180 Macro Zoom ...................................... 121
Velcro Strips Can Rig Almost Anything ....................................... 122
Far is Now Near .......................................................................... 122
Beauty Begets Beauty ................................................................ 123
What Do All These Photos Mean? .............................................. 123
Get Out There! ............................................................................ 124
The Passport from ColorChecker ................................................ 125
In the Field .................................................................................. 126
What’s in the Macro Field Bag? .................................................. 126
Where Are My Lenses? .............................................................. 128
What’s in my Car ......................................................................... 128
Range Roving ............................................................................. 128
Windependent ............................................................................. 129
Flowerpod ................................................................................... 129
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Close-Up Photography ................................................................ 130
Peering Through a Really Fne Macro Lens................................. 130
Panoramas .................................................................................. 131
Single and Multi-row Panos ........................................................ 132
Panorama Problems ................................................................... 134
Summary..................................................................................... 134
Tripods for Stacking and Panoramas .......................................... 135
The Background in Stacked Panos ............................................. 135
Combining Focus Stacking with Panoramas ............................... 137
An Approach to Macro Landscapes ............................................ 138
Wide-Angle Lenses and Panoramas ........................................... 142
The Classic Nikon 200mm f/4 Macro Lens.................................. 143
Plastic Lens Caps ....................................................................... 144
The Nikon D3x, 24MP Camera ................................................... 145
To Stack or Not to Stack Panoramas .......................................... 145
A Multi-tier Pano Rig from Really-Right-Stuff .............................. 148
The “Growling Swallet” Panorama by Fred Nirque ...................... 149
The Focus-Stacked Panoramas of Fred Nirque .......................... 149
Section “Growling Swallet” Panorama by Fred Nirque ................ 151
Focus Stacking ........................................................................... 153
Two Types of Focus Stacking ..................................................... 153
The Equipment Needed .............................................................. 154
The Actual Technique ................................................................. 155
Software to Align and Merge ....................................................... 156
Focus Stacking Results .............................................................. 157
A Possible Theory ....................................................................... 157
Focus Stacking Apertures ........................................................... 158
Stacking Issues ........................................................................... 159
Background Too Much in Focus ................................................. 159
Tripods for Macro Use ................................................................ 160
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My Experience with Tripods ........................................................ 161
Lightweight Tripods ..................................................................... 161
Strength ...................................................................................... 161
Three or Four Leg Sections? ...................................................... 162
Center Columns .......................................................................... 162
Using Tripods in the Field ........................................................... 162
Reflections .................................................................................. 163
Carrying Tripods ......................................................................... 163
Using Tripods .............................................................................. 163
Keep It Tight ................................................................................ 164
Tripods I Use ............................................................................... 164
The Lester A. Dine 100mm macro f/2.8 Macro ........................... 165
Camera Body Cap ...................................................................... 166
Fighting the Wind and the Light .................................................. 166
Retouching Stacked Photos ........................................................ 167
THE BASIC IDEA ........................................................................ 169
More Notes on Retouching ......................................................... 178
What Does Retouching Involve? ................................................. 179
The Nikon 105mm f/4 Macro Lens .............................................. 180
Focus Stacking Software ............................................................ 181
Summary..................................................................................... 182
Patience and Exercise ................................................................ 182
The Nikon 35mm f/1.4 ................................................................. 183
Focus Stacking Notes ................................................................. 184
Time Consuming ......................................................................... 184
Space Expensive ........................................................................ 184
An Approach ............................................................................... 184
Impressions ................................................................................. 184
Outdoors ..................................................................................... 185
Equipment for Focus Stacking .................................................... 185
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Cosina/Voigtlander 125mm f/2.5 APO-Lanthar ........................... 187
Light ............................................................................................ 187
Light and Shadow ....................................................................... 188
Small Kit ...................................................................................... 189
Carrying It All .............................................................................. 190
Software You Will Need .............................................................. 191
Boots on the Ground for Wading ................................................. 192
Focus Stacking Detractors .......................................................... 193
Increments .................................................................................. 193
Tripod .......................................................................................... 193
Ball Heads ................................................................................... 194
L-Bracket..................................................................................... 194
Gotcha! ....................................................................................... 194
Found Beauty .............................................................................. 195
Not Art ......................................................................................... 195
Battery Checker .......................................................................... 196
Light Uses ................................................................................... 196
The Kinds of Light ....................................................................... 198
Reflectors .................................................................................... 198
Flashlights ................................................................................... 198
Flowerpod ................................................................................... 199
Clips ............................................................................................ 199
Knee Pads .................................................................................. 199
Rain Protection ........................................................................... 200
Water and Food .......................................................................... 200
Color Spaces .............................................................................. 201
Cosmetics Mirror ......................................................................... 202
Macro Photography ..................................................................... 202
As Exercise ................................................................................. 202
Equipment: What Do We Need? ................................................. 203
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