Lighting macros

Everybody has their own priorities, and their own style.

I like to shoot bugs and flowers, out in the garden. For bugs, I'm shooting handheld. In order to maximize DOF, AND freeze motion and eliminate camera shake, I need small apertures and fast shutterspeeds. Those things, taken together, just about require flash. At f/22 and 1/250, even direct sunlight isn't enough.

I've struggled to get natural looking light with flash, and have found that the pop-up diffuser really gives me that.

For flowers and still life shots, I've set up a tripod and held a large popup diffuser in front of direct sunlight. That gives lovely, soft light, but it's much more work to set up, and all but impossible with live bugs. With bugs like bees, dragonflies and butterflies, it IS impossible. By the time I get my gear set up, those bugs would be in a different town.

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Regards,
Duncan C
dpreview and PBase supporter.
http://www.pbase.com/duncanc/image/61499136/small.jpg
http://www.pbase.com/duncanc
My macro gallery:
http://www.pbase.com/duncanc/macro_pictures&page=all