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New to macro, tips for getting black background

Started 6 months ago | Questions
Dann-Oh Contributing Member • Posts: 894
New to macro, tips for getting black background

Hey all,

Recently I started getting into macro.  I am currently using Olympus OMD EM1-3 camera body with either the 60mm F2.8 macro or the 30mm F3.5 macro lenses.  I also recently bought the Flashpoint MF12 for macro.  I am really enjoying the journey so far, I am still just working with single image files.  I have attempted Flowers and Mushroom photos (link the imgur albums)

I am wondering if you guys and gals could help me figure out an easy way to get a black background. I was able to get the black background on the flowers but I has to stop down to F16 (apparently that's too much for micro 4/3 sensors) and then I just basically dumped the black slider to the far left.  The flower images were nearly black without a flash so I think I am doing something right.

Is there a better way to get a black background?

Thanks for the tips I look forward to the journey.

-- hide signature --

I take photos, not particularly good photos, mostly abstract photos. Yeah abstract is what I would call them, you might call them blurry.

 Dann-Oh's gear list:Dann-Oh's gear list
Olympus E-M5 III Olympus E-PL10 Olympus E-M1 III Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 9-18mm F4.0-5.6 Panasonic Lumix G Fisheye 8mm F3.5 +20 more
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richj20 Forum Pro • Posts: 10,181
Re: New to macro, tips for getting black background
dartymix1
dartymix1 Regular Member • Posts: 315
Re: New to macro, tips for getting black background
2

I sometimes use Lightroom masks, and select subject and invert, then  slide the exposure and black sliders.  I can use a brush to darken the rest.

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 dartymix1's gear list:dartymix1's gear list
Nikon D7500 Nikon AF Nikkor 85mm f/1.8D Nikon AF Micro-Nikkor 60mm f/2.8D Nikon AF-S Micro-Nikkor 105mm F2.8G IF-ED VR Nikon AF-S Nikkor 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR +3 more
BBbuilder467 Veteran Member • Posts: 7,057
Re: New to macro, tips for getting black background

Dann-Oh wrote:

Hey all,

Recently I started getting into macro. I am currently using Olympus OMD EM1-3 camera body with either the 60mm F2.8 macro or the 30mm F3.5 macro lenses. I also recently bought the Flashpoint MF12 for macro. I am really enjoying the journey so far, I am still just working with single image files. I have attempted Flowers and Mushroom photos (link the imgur albums)

I am wondering if you guys and gals could help me figure out an easy way to get a black background. I was able to get the black background on the flowers but I has to stop down to F16 (apparently that's too much for micro 4/3 sensors) and then I just basically dumped the black slider to the far left. The flower images were nearly black without a flash so I think I am doing something right.

Is there a better way to get a black background?

Thanks for the tips I look forward to the journey.

When you reach macro image sizes with the micro 4/3, I don't think you can get the under-exposed background using flash like you can with flowers. It might be similar to the mushrooms, where you don't have enough open space behind the subject.

The simplest way in the field is use a colored card or fabric to isolate the subject. At 1:1, a US dime fills the frame, so it doesn't need to be very big.

ken_in_nh Senior Member • Posts: 2,399
Re: New to macro, tips for getting black background

Outdoors or indoors?  For indoor shooting, I bought a 16x20 or so painting canvas, added a base to it, and hung a black shirt over it.  Outdoors, I far, far prefer natural backgrounds.

OP Dann-Oh Contributing Member • Posts: 894
Re: New to macro, tips for getting black background

ken_in_nh wrote:

Outdoors or indoors? For indoor shooting, I bought a 16x20 or so painting canvas, added a base to it, and hung a black shirt over it. Outdoors, I far, far prefer natural backgrounds.

I have been doing a little bit of both.  I just got a piece of black foamcore to try to use in the field.

-- hide signature --

I take photos, not particularly good photos, mostly abstract photos. Yeah abstract is what I would call them, you might call them blurry.

 Dann-Oh's gear list:Dann-Oh's gear list
Olympus E-M5 III Olympus E-PL10 Olympus E-M1 III Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 9-18mm F4.0-5.6 Panasonic Lumix G Fisheye 8mm F3.5 +20 more
BBbuilder467 Veteran Member • Posts: 7,057
Re: New to macro, tips for getting black background
1

Dann-Oh wrote:

ken_in_nh wrote:

Outdoors or indoors? For indoor shooting, I bought a 16x20 or so painting canvas, added a base to it, and hung a black shirt over it. Outdoors, I far, far prefer natural backgrounds.

I have been doing a little bit of both. I just got a piece of black foamcore to try to use in the field.

Landscape fabric works well to isolate subjects and is so light, it won't damage anything draping it over delicate stalks and flowers. It folds and compresses to take up no space at all. It's like a waterproof paper towel in texture.

OP Dann-Oh Contributing Member • Posts: 894
Re: New to macro, tips for getting black background

BBbuilder467 wrote:

Dann-Oh wrote:

ken_in_nh wrote:

Outdoors or indoors? For indoor shooting, I bought a 16x20 or so painting canvas, added a base to it, and hung a black shirt over it. Outdoors, I far, far prefer natural backgrounds.

I have been doing a little bit of both. I just got a piece of black foamcore to try to use in the field.

Landscape fabric works well to isolate subjects and is so light, it won't damage anything draping it over delicate stalks and flowers. It folds and compresses to take up no space at all. It's like a waterproof paper towel in texture.

OHH that's a good idea too.

-- hide signature --

I take photos, not particularly good photos, mostly abstract photos. Yeah abstract is what I would call them, you might call them blurry.

 Dann-Oh's gear list:Dann-Oh's gear list
Olympus E-M5 III Olympus E-PL10 Olympus E-M1 III Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 9-18mm F4.0-5.6 Panasonic Lumix G Fisheye 8mm F3.5 +20 more
Rodger in Edmonton
Rodger in Edmonton Veteran Member • Posts: 4,599
Re: New to macro, tips for getting black background

Dann-Oh wrote:

ken_in_nh wrote:

Outdoors or indoors? For indoor shooting, I bought a 16x20 or so painting canvas, added a base to it, and hung a black shirt over it. Outdoors, I far, far prefer natural backgrounds.

I have been doing a little bit of both. I just got a piece of black foamcore to try to use in the field.

Indoors:

Buy a few $ 1 tackboards from the Dollar store and light paint the flower in a dark area.

Apply the inverse square law and put the subject far enough in fron that it will be black as night and if your light  panting strays, it can be pulled down in post easily because  " 1/16" the light falls at this distance as it were compared to the subject.

You can uses flash and it works but it does not have the same feel and charm

The easiest way outside it to follow the same inverse square law and set the flash to illuminate the flower and little beyond. Yo get that jet black Nat Geo ant pic look like the above pix but a little more uniform.

If the goal is to isolate the flower - why not also use shallow DOF - it has great charm too.

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Best Regards, Rodger
Save Lives - Be an Organ or Stem Cell Donor.
Quaecumque vera

Rodger in Edmonton
Rodger in Edmonton Veteran Member • Posts: 4,599
Re: New to macro, tips for getting black background

BBbuilder467 wrote:

Dann-Oh wrote:

ken_in_nh wrote:

Outdoors or indoors? For indoor shooting, I bought a 16x20 or so painting canvas, added a base to it, and hung a black shirt over it. Outdoors, I far, far prefer natural backgrounds.

I have been doing a little bit of both. I just got a piece of black foamcore to try to use in the field.

Landscape fabric works well to isolate subjects and is so light, it won't damage anything draping it over delicate stalks and flowers. It folds and compresses to take up no space at all. It's like a waterproof paper towel in texture.

Great idea BB - beats the heck out of pulling sliders and multiply modes etc

-- hide signature --

Best Regards, Rodger
Save Lives - Be an Organ or Stem Cell Donor.
Quaecumque vera

Dik2 Junior Member • Posts: 45
Re: New to macro, tips for getting black background

Black Dress Velvet, and any white cloth. fold the black velvet so it's just a little bit larger than needed to fill the frame for each setup, and put it on a larger piece of white cloth.

The white will put some light on the back edges and separate the subject from the background.

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OP Dann-Oh Contributing Member • Posts: 894
Re: New to macro, tips for getting black background

Dik2 wrote:

Black Dress Velvet, and any white cloth. fold the black velvet so it's just a little bit larger than needed to fill the frame for each setup, and put it on a larger piece of white cloth.

The white will put some light on the back edges and separate the subject from the background.

Interesting, Ill have to play with this.

-- hide signature --

I take photos, not particularly good photos, mostly abstract photos. Yeah abstract is what I would call them, you might call them blurry.

 Dann-Oh's gear list:Dann-Oh's gear list
Olympus E-M5 III Olympus E-PL10 Olympus E-M1 III Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 9-18mm F4.0-5.6 Panasonic Lumix G Fisheye 8mm F3.5 +20 more
c h u n k
c h u n k Senior Member • Posts: 2,042
Re: New to macro, tips for getting black background

Dann-Oh wrote:

Hey all,

Recently I started getting into macro. I am currently using Olympus OMD EM1-3 camera body with either the 60mm F2.8 macro or the 30mm F3.5 macro lenses. I also recently bought the Flashpoint MF12 for macro. I am really enjoying the journey so far, I am still just working with single image files. I have attempted Flowers and Mushroom photos (link the imgur albums)

I am wondering if you guys and gals could help me figure out an easy way to get a black background. I was able to get the black background on the flowers but I has to stop down to F16 (apparently that's too much for micro 4/3 sensors) and then I just basically dumped the black slider to the far left. The flower images were nearly black without a flash so I think I am doing something right.

Is there a better way to get a black background?

Thanks for the tips I look forward to the journey.

Assuming you are thinking of images you see of flowers or mushrooms outside where the bg is dark to black?

Typically, with settings often used in macro, it completely drowns out all ambient light and the subject is lit with flash or, like I know is done with mushrooms a lot, the camera is mounted on a tripod (or tripod alternative) and the mushrooms are light painted with flashlights etc.

I suggest trying that. Set your fstop to f8 - f/10 and shutter speed at max sync which will make everything black, then light what ya want. Kind of funny because I go to lengths to light the background/avoid black backgrounds.

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 c h u n k's gear list:c h u n k's gear list
Canon EOS 70D Canon 6D Mark II Canon EF 85mm F1.8 USM Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM Tamron AF 28-75mm F/2.8 XR Di LD Aspherical (IF) +7 more
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