Photography question of the day...
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Anyone use a 50mm or 60mm Canon macro lens?
50mm http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/pr…
60mm http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/pr…I'm wanting a macro for some small product photography, somewhere along the lines of softball to lighter sized sets / items.
I plan on having a small diffused light, staged setup. Hopefully when I'm not using my camera, the owner of the products will be attempting to use her point and shoot's automatic macro settings at which point my assistance will rarely be necessary once she learns what is required.
In the past I've used a 100mm macro and I enjoyed it as well as the 180mm macro which I can readily rent, however considering the confined space and size of the items, i would prefer a wider angle like the 50mm or 60mm to prevent the photos from appearing too "flat" and give a more natural POV.
I already own 2 Canon 50mm lenses so I'd feel ridiculous having a third but if it adds macro capabilities at a somewhat inexpensive price, it might be worth it.
Input? Examples of your shots?
- vaxorcist0
you try to do as much in-camera as possible....
We use Capture One Pro 6.0, very nice... skintones to die for...
Lightroom is what we used to use for huge bunches of photos to color correct in batches, but Capture One is my current fave....
Photoshop of couse is what we use for tweeking pixels....
"accentuating this light" in post is the lazy photographers way to get something they didn't light right in front of the lens... but of course, color and density tweeks are normal...
- JSK0
LR and PS same thing. LR is basically preset conditions that photographers / colorist would understand better.
- OSFA0
Awesome! great tips guys! Thanks!
But my question now is, after I get the shot and some sort of light where I need it, is there a recommended PS way of accentuating this 'light'? Is it more of a Lightroom job? I just want to make sure I figure out a good way to enhance it or even create it when I need to...
- vaxorcist0
backlight like that with some front fill indicates either a big reflector, sliver which may make your model squint as @nthkl says, or white side, but has to be positioned right..... or more likely mixed light, with a strong portable lighting source, as you have to compete with the sun, hence the 1200 watt-second rented Profoto 7B + beauty dish that's so often on fashion shoots like the above, gelled orange-ish to make it look like natural light even if it isn't.... given how soft the arm shadows are, it looks like they may be using a larger diffusion source, like an octobank or a huge scrim a la Annie Liebowitz... they may have 2 or 3 lights without you knowing it...
Without some strong diffused light or reflector, the models would look more like sillouettes with backlight that strong....
- nthkl0
Natural back light from the sun is key. Not mid day, or it would be directly overhead. I'd setup around 5pm and expect to stay till sun down. You'll need either some wireless strobes with battery packs or a bounce, and someone (Friends come in handy here, especially super nice girlfriends). Don't use the silver reflective side of the bounce, it's usually too harsh for the models eyes and causes them to close their eyes... so go for the white side.
If you had a filler hot shoe flash on your body it would be good too.
the bright gradient on the middle top and top left of those photos looks to be done in post, so get the core of what you need and then work your magic in PS.
- jaylarson0
Some basics on composition:
http://www.johnharveyphoto.com/L…
- vaxorcist0
Older non TTL Pocket wizards and Cybersyncs and Skyports will work with adapters from:
http://www.flashzebra.com/wizard…
You'll have to find your flash in the list... Note that the flashes will work only in manual in this case. I suggest older Nikon SB25/26/28 or Sunpak 433/422/383/333
- linearch0
depends on which PW you get.......the new TT1 and TT5 are brand specific, because they use TTL info from nikon and canon.....the older PW (plus IIs and multimax) are universal.....
- vaxorcist0
If you're worried about budget of $80/flash cybersyncs, you can spend about $20 per flash for wires and splitters from flash zebra.... yes, a hassle, but a nice plan B if your batteries die in your radio triggers and wires can go behind things, whereas optical slaves often don't work behind things, so you have to sometimes move your flashes to where they can see the trigger flash, but at that position they may not have the visual effect you want.. (i.e. backlight,etc) You can also try some aluminum foil cupped around your optical slave so it *might* see the main flash, but it's often a hit-or-miss thing, okay for a still life, but not a shot with a client or subject....
- CGN0
What's the must have two lenses for a canon slr?
- It's good to have at least one F1.8 prime lens, liek a 50mm 1.8 or 85mm 1.8 for bokeh effects,etcvaxorcist
- < i agree with vax - 50mm f1.8 is a great onebigtrick
- Hear hear!!!OSFA
- 24-70L 2.8 is an amazing lens for most situationslinearch
- nice but pricey... also inhales dust sometimes, and 24 prime 2.8 has less barrel distortionvaxorcist
- TY!CGN
- sequoia0
bigtrick is right. if you can achieve the results you're looking for without spending a ton of dough do it.
for me I want to have the most versatile equipment possible. so spending a little extra is fine by me.
sorry if i sounded like a dick. i get carried away sometimes
- bigtrick0
a word - there are two kinds of advice you'll get on gear to buy. one kind comes from the person who likes to buy gear. another kind comes from the person who speaks from experience and knows that $100 saved by buying optical slaves instead of remotes is $100 more you can spend on a new lens or an extra flash (:
- tuan, who makes money as a professional photographer, and spent his thousands of dollars on pragmatic solutions instead of the best gear, and has never regretted it.
- bigtrick0
OSFA, i have paul c buff cybersyncs. they work fine. i've also rented pocket wizards, which are awesome and somewhat of an industry standard, but if you don't need the range and features of pocket wizards, cybersyncs will do great.
http://www.alienbees.com/remotes…
http://www.pocketwizard.com/
- sequoia0
missing "the shot" is not worth saving a couple hundred dollars
- OSFA0
So, if I get some pocket wizards, it doesn't really matter what brand I use? I want to experiemnt a lot, so I'll probably use the flashes as external units most of the time and trigger them via PWs.