Hello from Portland, Oregon (USA)

Lets get to know each other better. Here's a forum to post images and short autobiographies of ourselves as well as any other info you would like to post about yourself.

Moderators: rjlittlefield, ChrisR, Chris S., Pau

MaxRockbin
Posts: 188
Joined: Sat Nov 08, 2014 11:12 pm
Location: Portland, OR

Hello from Portland, Oregon (USA)

Post by MaxRockbin »

Hi!

I've already posted a few questions in the forums, but thought it'd be nice to introduce myself.

I found this site via extreme-macro.co.uk, which is a site operated by pm.net member Johan J Ingles-Le Nobel. It's a nice site with lots of the info scattered around these forums plus his own investigations.

I only got interested in macro photography by accident when I tried to photograph an interesting bug (a parasitic wasp) I found in my yard. I tried my "macro" zoom, which wasn't cutting it. Then extension tubes, reversing, enlarging lenses, bellows, Zerene Stacker focus stacking software (hugely better than Photoshop and saved me buying a new computer - also discovered on Johan's site).

I think that sequence more or less is a familiar rabbit hole for macro people. Apparently it extends from there to optical breadboards, stackshot automated focusing or microscope focusing racks, and (especially) microscope objectives on DSLR cameras. I ordered my first! Coming soon.

I think pm.net is one of the best forums I've ever encountered on the internet. Instead of the usual mishmash of half truth technical guesses and huge egos, you get enthusiastic (and patient!) support from people with extraordinarily deep knowledge and practical experience.

-Matt Rochlin (aka Max Rockbin - an internet alias from ancient mid 90s times)
PS
Here's a pic I took yesterday of a ladybug - with an enlarging lens reversed on bellows:

Image

35mm Componon, 230mm bellows (rear standard focused), Zerene Stacker DMap - PMax & indiv. frames retouch. About 5x mag I think.
This was kind of a lighting experiment. I wanted to see what happened with flat diffusion used very close to the subject. So a lot of glare had to be removed in Photoshop along with usual contrast/sharpness etc tweaking. This is cropped only a little from the original.

PPS - since I have it handy, here's a Synthetic Stereo 3d version (Cross your eyes to create a 3rd image in the middle to see 3d). It's a lot harder to re-touch stereo so this is closer to a raw image, but you get it basically for no extra work in Zerene (and I love 3d!) so here it is...
Image
(post edited to add stereo image)
If your pictures aren't good enough, you're not close enough. - Robert Capa

GemBro
Posts: 261
Joined: Wed Aug 20, 2014 5:20 pm
Location: Surrey [UK]

Post by GemBro »

Hey Max ... welcome to the forum ... great shot and lovin the deeper red of the bug ... sharp and brilliant seperation from the background ...

Flash? ...
Canon 550D(T2i) ML (Nightly Builds) | Canon 5D MKII | Raynox 250 | Palinar 35mm f2.8 (reversed) | EL-Nikkor 50mm f2.8 N | EL-Nikkor 50mm f4 N | EL-Nikkor 50mm f4 | Bellows | Objectives: LOMO 3.7x 0.11 : 8x 0.20 : 40x 0.65
RiG II - 'Bamboo': Olympus CH Focus Block with Inverted Arca/Swiss | Canon 430 EX (x2) | Olympus T20 flash (x2) | Youngnuo YN-622C Wireless triggers (x3) | Ikea Jansjo 3W LED Lighting (x3)
Stepper Motor Focusing System (Helicon Remote)

RogelioMoreno
Posts: 2979
Joined: Fri Nov 20, 2009 11:24 am
Location: Panama

Post by RogelioMoreno »

Max,

Welcome to the forum.

Rogelio

Lothar-Gutjahr
Posts: 237
Joined: Tue Dec 27, 2011 4:13 pm
Location: Greece Perachora/Loutaki

Post by Lothar-Gutjahr »

Welcome Matt / Max,

nice shots will be interesting to see more!

Lothar

MaxRockbin
Posts: 188
Joined: Sat Nov 08, 2014 11:12 pm
Location: Portland, OR

Post by MaxRockbin »

Thanks all.

GemBro - yes, 2 yongnuo 560II at right angles.
The experiment was to see if a flat diffuser close enough to the insect (2 inches, 5" diffuser) would still show point highlights in the eyes. I got pretty smooth eyes, but the flat surfaces of the ladybug's back had excessive glare (eased in Photoshop).
If your pictures aren't good enough, you're not close enough. - Robert Capa

rjlittlefield
Site Admin
Posts: 23562
Joined: Tue Aug 01, 2006 8:34 am
Location: Richland, Washington State, USA
Contact:

Post by rjlittlefield »

MaxRockbin wrote:I think pm.net is one of the best forums I've ever encountered on the internet. Instead of the usual mishmash of half truth technical guesses and huge egos, you get enthusiastic (and patient!) support from people with extraordinarily deep knowledge and practical experience.
Matt, thank you for this feedback.

Speaking as Admin for the site, that's exactly the sort of community we strive to maintain.

I'm very happy to hear that it's working!

--Rik

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