Some macros with flash

using the Godox 860

Part of a Euro banknote

Thx to the flash allowing a fast SS and a small aperture for DOF, these are all handheld, thx also to IBIS and OIS

Bob

This is with an old flash fired into a white umbrella.  Nice lighting.

Thx Andrew. Your comment  pushed me to completely revise my setting of the flash to get a much milder light avoiding harsh contrast. Posted in a new series

Bob

That is nice lighting, what did you do?  I've got rid of my big flashgun and the umbrella is a bit of a bind if it is windy.  Nice if it rains!

Thx In the first series the head of the cobra flish was oriented dircetly to the subject with a small softbox but even with the diffuser it delivers a harsh light.

After your comment I gave a 45 ° up orientation to the head of the cobra, used the diffuser gris and the small wite screen that you can pull upin the head of the flash.

and if the flash has not the wite scren an even bettrer solution is

https://www.amazon.fr/R%C3%A9flecteur-Externe-Recto-Verso-Compatible-Marques/dp/B073MHC4WB/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=diffuseur+flash+cobra&qid=1678637454&sr=8-1

Then you only have to play i,n M mode with settings : ISO, aperture, SS, power of flash, and angle of the head.

I spent recently sometime to correctly master these parameters and now I get good results with my Godox

Bob

Hmm.  I won't be able to do anything like that.  I'll have to experiment with the umbrella, but I think my flash isn't powerful enough having downsized the gear.

In macro, the flash being quite close, its power is not a deal breaker. What matters is its type cobra or not and if cobra, the height vs the length of the lens to avois shadow. Which means with a small lens, a small cobra will do it perfectly.

And this one

https://www.amazon.fr/Yctze-R%C3%A9flecteur-Photographie-Portable-%C3%A9clairage/dp/B0B6JDHH3J/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=reflecteur%2Bde%2Blumi%C3%A8re&qid=1678700110&sr=8-5&th=1

in 30cm size is probably more convenient than umbrella ??   

The operative distance is of course from the flash, to the umbrella and then on to the subject. My image was a 45GN flash and needed f11, so I guess the umbrella wasn't that reflective either.

I've used reflectors to modify daylight, I wonder how much better silver is than white?

I'll have to experiment when the flower season starts.

Very interesting and ... impressive..

But we are not in the same planet : my macro practice is while trekking or at least walking in nature anf all my gear has to fit in my backpack, without  a sherpa aid ...

So I can get beautiful macros only with the Godox, the macro lens or ext tubes or Raynox bonnette on the 70-300mm and that's all ! The Godox is sufficient to avoid any vignette and big enough to avoid shadow (tested with the 18-300mm Tamron at 300mm)

Add an extra battery and you can produce a few 1000s shots...

A trekker has to do some compromises between photo and hiking ... Despite my rather big Lowepro 500, cannot carry gear to do proper focus bracketing with tripod and my sherpa's salary exceeded my funds .....

A draught animal is the way to go.