Hello from North Wales

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

pgk
Posts: 46
Joined: Sat May 15, 2010 11:37 am

Hello from North Wales

Post by pgk »

Hi. I'm Paul and I'm a North Wales photographer specialising in underwater photography. I shoot a lot of macro underwater and currently use a Canon 5D2 with 100usm macro and 60 EFS macro (with a 12mm extension tube this lens just covers full frame). You can see a few of my macro images here:
http://www.paulkayphotography.co.uk/Pau ... ter_2.html
http://www.paulkayphotography.co.uk/Pau ... ter_4.html
http://www.paulkayphotography.co.uk/Pau ... ter_6.html
Although I've shot plenty of macro at around 1:1 before, I am now building a macro set-up for higher magnification seashore photography and also for micro aquarium work (I'm making very small aquaria from transparent plastic boxes with cut outs and large coverslips fitted over them). I want to shoot in the 2~15x range I think. So far I've modified a Leica R tube set to fit Canon and added several more tubes to give me a very portable and rigid system and am awaiting a Thorlabs translation stage to get it all up and running. Any comments or tips on field equipment will be welcomed when I've started to use it and can post some images.
Paul

Craig Gerard
Posts: 2877
Joined: Sat May 01, 2010 1:51 am
Location: Australia

Post by Craig Gerard »

Superb images Paul!

Welcome :)

Craig
To use a classic quote from 'Antz' - "I almost know exactly what I'm doing!"

Harold Gough
Posts: 5786
Joined: Sun Mar 09, 2008 2:17 am
Location: Reading, Berkshire, England

Post by Harold Gough »

Wow! That lobster (crawfish?) portrait is stunning. (A strong candidate for the monthly Appreciation award?).

We don't get many marine inverterbrates shots here. (I'm not too sure of the scope of the microscope specialists).

Harold
My images are a medium for sharing some of my experiences: they are not me.

Cyclops
Posts: 3084
Joined: Sat Aug 05, 2006 5:18 pm
Location: North East of England
Contact:

Post by Cyclops »

Welocme aboard Paul!! Great shots there :D
Canon 5D and 30D | Canon IXUS 265HS | Cosina 100mm f3.5 macro | EF 75-300 f4.5-5.6 USM III | EF 50 f1.8 II | Slik 88 tripod | Apex Practicioner monocular microscope

pgk
Posts: 46
Joined: Sat May 15, 2010 11:37 am

Portable set-up

Post by pgk »

I've finally sorted what I hope may prove to be a usable set-up for use on the seashore. It might be of interest to others as I've used existing, readily available parts - mainly used Leica/Leitz items - and have converted them for use on the Canon with a Leitax mount. A mix of RRS, Kirk, Arca and Overxposed components together with a Thorlabs stage have finally completed this. My aim has been for rigidity at the expense of some versatility - I opted for tubes rather than bellows and as can be seen these are reinforced with bungee! I can increase tube lengths in 25mm increments (bottom centre) and have several adapters including Leica 39 screw thread (bottom left). Any comments will be welcomed regarding any improvements or suggestions.Image
Paul

dunksargent
Posts: 251
Joined: Sun Apr 25, 2010 2:50 pm
Location: Cambridgeshire UK

Post by dunksargent »

Hi Paul, Good to see you here and your setup looks 'THE BIZ!' . Look forward to seeing the results.

Cheers

dunk in Peterborough UK
And now for something completely different.

Aynia
Posts: 724
Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 7:42 am
Location: Europe somewhere
Contact:

Post by Aynia »

Wow. Superb images - especially the Scottish lobster!! How did you light them? Just flash, macro flash, or some kind of light?

I'd never venture that far underwater, but I am curious about the light because they are beautifully lit.

pgk
Posts: 46
Joined: Sat May 15, 2010 11:37 am

Post by pgk »

Aynia

Thanks.
I usually use a single flash unit - most underwater ones are typically wide beam - usually in front of the lens, low and to one side. This seems to give effective results as the size of the tube and reflector is pretty large compared to many subjects.

dunk. Its a small world these days!
Paul

dunksargent
Posts: 251
Joined: Sun Apr 25, 2010 2:50 pm
Location: Cambridgeshire UK

Post by dunksargent »

pgk wrote:Aynia

Thanks.
I usually use a single flash unit - most underwater ones are typically wide beam - usually in front of the lens, low and to one side. This seems to give effective results as the size of the tube and reflector is pretty large compared to many subjects.

dunk. Its a small world these days!
Very small indeed ... especially in the Photomacrography Forums

Cheers

dunk

:lol:
And now for something completely different.

Aynia
Posts: 724
Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 7:42 am
Location: Europe somewhere
Contact:

Post by Aynia »

Thanks for the explanation.

I think these are exceptional photos!!!

I wish I'd taken them!!


(I am totally camera-less at the moment which perhaps makes me more envious!!!!)

The BAT
Posts: 111
Joined: Wed Sep 02, 2009 5:32 pm
Location: Ballarat, Australia

Post by The BAT »

Hi Paul,

It's lovely to see you posting on this site. I'm now permanently 'unable' to dive and have been having a lot of fun putting my u/w camera to good use on land.
Your ideas of the small aquaria and sea-shore photography sound very exciting and it might be a way that I could also get back some of my 'sea-legs' ???
I learnt a tremendous amount from you during our discussions through the U/W forums and I'm sure that your experience will be very valuable around here. . . . hopefully.

Bruce

Cyclops
Posts: 3084
Joined: Sat Aug 05, 2006 5:18 pm
Location: North East of England
Contact:

Post by Cyclops »

Fantastic set up there!!
Canon 5D and 30D | Canon IXUS 265HS | Cosina 100mm f3.5 macro | EF 75-300 f4.5-5.6 USM III | EF 50 f1.8 II | Slik 88 tripod | Apex Practicioner monocular microscope

Charles Krebs
Posts: 5865
Joined: Tue Aug 01, 2006 8:02 pm
Location: Issaquah, WA USA
Contact:

Post by Charles Krebs »

Paul,

Welcome! Great images.
(I'm making very small aquaria from transparent plastic boxes with cut outs and large coverslips fitted over them). I want to shoot in the 2~15x range I think.....
... Any comments or tips on field equipment will be welcomed when I've started to use it and can post some images.
I've worked a bit with little tanks like you describe.

One thing that I've thought of trying for some time has been a "micro" tank with a very flexible vinyl or polyethylene front that has a glass lens port that can be attached to the front of the lens. With high magnification through glass (even cover slip thickness) it's best to have the lens axis perpendicular to the glass, which is not always easy to do without compromising an image "composition". A "bag" front would take care of that issue, and allow for much more freedom in the approach to the subject. This would probably only work with larger "mini-tanks" (how's that for an oxymoron!) and with certain subjects and modest magnifications as the movement of the lens would create currents and water level changes that would move small unattached subjects around too much. Might be impractical and more trouble than it's worth, but I've often wondered... :smt017

Yet another "odd" thought I've yet to try with mini-tanks stems from the frustration of being unable to move the subject around to get it at an appropriate distance and orientation to the camera or front window. Have the immobile parts of the mini-scene attached to small base plates of metal. These could then be moved/rotated via a magnet under the base. Again, probably only useful with only certain subjects, but there have been times I would have loved that capability. Worth the trouble...? :smt102

Craig Gerard
Posts: 2877
Joined: Sat May 01, 2010 1:51 am
Location: Australia

Post by Craig Gerard »

Paul,

I noticed a snippet of information regarding Aquarium Slides on Graham's (gpmatthews)website. (right-hand side of page)

Micro aquariums:
http://www.gpmatthews.nildram.co.uk/index_micro.html

Craig
To use a classic quote from 'Antz' - "I almost know exactly what I'm doing!"

The BAT
Posts: 111
Joined: Wed Sep 02, 2009 5:32 pm
Location: Ballarat, Australia

Post by The BAT »

Hi Charles,

There is a company called Ewa-Marine that specializes in 'plastic bag' type underwater housings for cameras/videos. These 'bags' are waterproof and each one contains a quality optic port that the camera lens attaches to and 'sees' through. I see no reason why the process couldn't be reversed with the water and aquatic subjects on the inside and the camera attached to the port from the outside?
HTH. . .

http://www.ewa-marine.com/index.php?id=7

Bruce

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