Cuckoo bee (Paper vs foam diffuser test)

lauriek · Post by **lauriek** » Tue Apr 14, 2009 1:11 pm

Cuckoo Bee (Nomada sp.) Please let me know if you don't think this is right, I'm not certain on this one, though I'm pretty sure it's a solitary bee of some kind, it has feathery hairs...

The usual setup, OM38/2.8 @ f2.8, 48 images stacked in ZS

Here's a side on shot;

same setup, 48 images stacked in ZS

lauriek · Post by **lauriek** » Wed Apr 15, 2009 3:05 am

Incidentally I've been doing a few tests, the shots above were with a paper diffuser. The following shot is framed almost identically to the first shot above but was using a foam diffuser...

At web size I think this shot looks better, but at full resolution, more detail is definitely visible in the hairy sections in the first shot. However I think the less diffuse light in this shot gives more definition to the bits of the compound eyes.

It seems like everything in photography, diffusion is a real balancing act!

rjlittlefield · Post by **rjlittlefield** » Wed Apr 15, 2009 7:17 am

Absolutely.

Using paper diffusers and a fiber illuminator, what I find myself doing is adjusting the distance between the fiber bundle and the paper.

This changes the size of the virtual light source, so I can dial in anything from the diameter of the bundle up to a most of a hemisphere, or a combination of those by using two bundles.

This idea is of course cribbed from Charlie Krebs' notes.

Nice illustration!

--Rik

kds315* · Post by kds315* » Sat Apr 18, 2009 12:07 pm

I like the "foam diffusor shot" better, since it brings a higher contrast all over and a few nice highlights.
Which foam did you use??

lauriek · Post by **lauriek** » Sat Apr 18, 2009 4:05 pm

Klaus,

It's that thin white foam you get wrapped round all sorts of electronics these days. I think the best bit I have was wrapped around an LCD monitor...