Macro Flash Setups

[SeriousCat]

There’s been a couple of people talk about their macro setups lately, I’m interested in your tips / techniques when it comes to the flash side of things.

I’m utterly hopeless when it comes to using the flash photography. I’ve got a 580exII and just pretty much point it as far down as it can go, this is straight ahead so usually there’s a bit of direct light on the subject but I’m guessing that most of it comes off bounce from the leaves etc around. A lot of my macro shots come out in half shadow, but then others are fine in terms of the light. I’m not changing the flash direction in between, so it must have a lot to do with how the light is bounced.

So, my question is how you use a standard flash effectively when taking macros. Do you always have a diffuser, and does this create enough bounce to get light directly on the subject. Or do you have an off camera rig?

Cheers,


Daniel

[hash]

If you wanna do it on the cheap, just get a TTL cord for your flash and hold it near the lens. It will do for starters. standard diffuser works good. so does a bit of white card opposite to the flash for bounced goodness

next step would be a ringlight adaptor like a ray flash, followed by actual ring lights.

I remember somesort of ghetto ring light adaptor built by someone in the forums (*cough* munkiboy), I gave him crap about it but it actually worked.

I was going to build a fibreoptic light guide for my flash but never got around to it.

[Pinkeh]

How about using a torch? I use a small torch lighting up the object since i dont have a flash yet and it sort of works primitively. I was trying to light up M&Ms with my 100mm macro lens

[SeriousCat]

I reckon I’d have a bit of trouble holding a flash as well as focusing / keeping it all steady. Might have to look into clamping it to the lens or something.

[sgn]

or bounce instead of direct flash... point your flash upwards and bouce it off a light or white surface.

[hash]

I'm pretty sure Kirk make flash/lens mounts for specific lenses. Most instances with macro, if the subject isn't moving, you'd mount camera on a 'pod anyways so your hands are free. If the subject is moving, or you can't/don't wanna use a 'pod, you can still hand hold camera and flash and dial up shutter speed past 1/400th (be sure to have FP sync, or whatever canon calls it is enabled). Because flash is so close to subject, power is seldom a problem even if you have lens at f8+ and no other light source. Problem arises if you wanted ambient light in the capture as well, in which case you will most likely need a static subject or full midday sun (especially if you are stopping down to get DOF)

additional thought, you can just tape some white card to the flash head to throw more light downwards but lens shadow will become a problem.