Photographing Small Subjects

Just bought that first macro lens? Post here to get helpful feedback and answers to any questions you might have.

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Deanimator
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Photographing Small Subjects

Post by Deanimator »

Having acquired handling and viewing equipment, I've obtained my first intentionally captured subjects, an isopod and a small millipedes. They've both been frozen and the millipede relaxed and stored in alcohol. The isopod is still in the freezer.

Now that I have subjects, I'm curious about optimal staging for macro photography.

Most of the online references are for academic collecting rather than macro photography. The photographic references generally speak to larger specimens.

Both specimens are under 1" in length.

Points seem to be the recommended method (point punches are INSANELY expensive) although I've seen pinning recommended.

Knowing most of my specimens would be tiny, I bought 00 and 0 pins.

I have several subject stages, including an alligator clip on a 2" steel ball on a ring magnet and a modified Wemacro clip on a mini-ballhead, mounted on a lab jack

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

dhmiller
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Re: Photographing Small Subjects

Post by dhmiller »

I had my Wemacro stage mounted by a machine shop onto a very heavy piece of steel. Now when I turn the knobs, the stage itself doesn't move. Note that it has no up/down control. which I expected given the name X "Y" R stage.. Big mistake on my part.

rjlittlefield
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Re: Photographing Small Subjects

Post by rjlittlefield »

dhmiller wrote:Note that it has no up/down control. which I expected given the name X "Y" R stage..
That depends entirely on how you mount the stage with respect to the camera. If mounted so the camera stares down the axis of the XYR stage (that is, "into the mouth" of the alligator clip as shown at https://www.wemacro.com/?product=xyr-st ... men-holder), then the micrometers will move the stage across the frame in both directions (X and Y), and the rotation will be around the optical axis.

--Rik

dhmiller
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Re: Photographing Small Subjects

Post by dhmiller »

Indeed, though I tend to work in horizon mode, as I feel the Stackshot is much more stable with its weight bearing on my table then hanging in the air from my light stand... just my approach, I guess.
rjlittlefield wrote:
dhmiller wrote:Note that it has no up/down control. which I expected given the name X "Y" R stage..
That depends entirely on how you mount the stage with respect to the camera. If mounted so the camera stares down the axis of the XYR stage (that is, "into the mouth" of the alligator clip as shown at https://www.wemacro.com/?product=xyr-st ... men-holder), then the micrometers will move the stage across the frame in both directions (X and Y), and the rotation will be around the optical axis.

--Rik

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