Recommendations flashes for studio macro

[len]

Hi,
I'm thinking about how to light my studio macro stacking rig and I'll appreciate your advice on the following subjects:
1. How many flashes should I use? In the field I usually use a single master flash with a diffuser. Some use twin flashes kits. In the forum, I saw several people using up to 4 flashes. Any magic number here?
2. How to trigger the flashes? If In-studio lighting requires more than one flash what is the best way to trigger it? Use wireless trigger on the camera. use master flash with optical slaves. cables?
3. Which flash is recommended? I see that many people here use Godox or Yongnuo any recommended models for slave flashes?

Thanks,
Len

[klevin]

I'm curious to see the answers too, but wonder why you want (or need?) flash? I do stacking indoors with regular led light panels. Not ideal, but it works and it's easy. For more targeted illumination, I'd like to have something like the old style fiber optic illuminators, but with LED and affordable, but haven't seen anything yet.

[Adalbert]

Hi Len,

I use 4 YN 660 triggered by the YN RF605C.
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=12 ... 0269581589
They allow 1/128 power and zoom 200mm.

But the battery covers are very problematic.

Best, ADi

[Chris S.]

How many light sources does one need for studio macro?

I no longer use flash in macro studio, preferring continuous light, but suspect I can still offer a viewpoint. I have three halogen illuminators hanging on a shelf over my rig, with a variety of fiber optic (FO) light guides that bring light to the subject. This FO light guide collection includes single end, double end, and four-end light guides, plus more esoteric light guides, such as ring lights--which I almost never use. If I put four-headed light guides on all three illuminators, I can get up to twelve individual light sources. I doubt I've ever used all twelve at once, but often use six or eight.

One light source: I find it possible to illuminate many subjects with a single light source plus diffusers and reflectors. But whenever I do this, I ask myself if adding one or more light additional sources would improve the result. My brain then says, "Don't be lazy--try and see," so I try with two light sources.

Two light sources: In nearly every such case, a two light-source approach, plus reflectors and diffusers, produces better results than a one-light-source. How, exactly? With two light sources, I see improved modeling, better rendering of subject texture, and a generally more-pleasing result. With some subjects, using two light sources also increases resolution. (Why? Look into "utilized aperture"--one needs to fill the entire entrance cone of the objective with light bounced off in-focus portions of the subject, in order to obtain the objective's full resolving power.)

Three or more light sources: To do traditional studio lighting with small subjects, provide the following:

• Key light (main story-telling, shadow-producing light)

• Fill light (diffuse light used to control the density of shadows produced by the key light--may require multiple light sources plus diffusion). You don't want to eliminate the key-light shadows, as these convey the subject's shape; you just want to make sure you can dial in the level of detail visible in these shadows.

• Kicker or back light (with opaque subjects, place this light behind the subject, but off-angle to the optical axis to not be directly seen by the sensor. This produces rim-lighting on the edges of the subject that provides clues to its shape; with translucent subjects, place this light a bit less off-axis, aimed to not be directly seen by the sensor, but shining through the subject to provide clues about its internal structure/color)

• Background light (shines on a card or other backdrop behind the subject, to place the subject with in a visual space--makes the image comfortable to human eyes/brains, which are used to seeing objects within an environment).

Adding these up, we have roughly four light sources. It can be less, as a single light source can be pressed into more than one role. Or it can be more, as sometimes one role is best filled by two or more light sources.

I doubt that many studio photomacrographers think in these terms, which are traditionally taught for studio lighting of people and other non-macro subjects. But I'd argue that this approach should be learned as a useful element in a studio photomacrographer's repertoire.

Then there are significant exceptions: A lot of studio macro is done with broad, diffuse, low-contrast lighting. I'm not a big fan of this largely contrast-free approach--I think controlled contrast can convey a great deal of visual information. But "diffuse, low-contrast, light cloud" approaches certainly help avoid gross lighting errors, and are time-efficient in high-throughput photomacrography, such as cataloging museum collections. In such cases, broad and low-contrast lighting can be a compromise that makes a high-volume project practicable. A good example is Sam Droege's approach of using two flashes, each masked to prevent light falling directly on insect subjects, bounced off the inside of a polystyrene foam cooler so that light hits the insect subject nearly randomly from all directions. Another exception is when one is trying to showcase an interesting, very small element of a subject; in this case, one lights first to define that element, then adds fill light, and maybe even a bit of key light, to give that element context.

This winter, I plan to move from halogen to high-CRI (95) LEDs from YUJILEDS. Not sure I need twelve LED light sources, but wouldn't want to work with less than six to eight. Notably, my fiber optic light guides, and the LED's I plan to replace them with, are much smaller than typical flash units. This permits a level of precise aiming that might be far more difficult with flash. And if I want any single element to have broader impact, I can turn up its intensity and broaden its diffusion.

And I'm still a bit torn. Should I place high CRI LED COBs in halogen illuminators that I've gutted, and continue using my FO light guides, with their available fineness for placing light? Or should I place these LED COBs on heat sinks and use them directly, with flags and even lenses to control their span? Am open to suggestions. My lighting stage (pre-halogen) is Magnetic lighting stage for Bratcam.

--Chris S.

[Pau]

Interesting illumination (enlightening ) lesson!

This winter, I plan to move from halogen to high-CRI (95) LEDs from YUJILEDS. Not sure I need twelve LED light sources, but wouldn't want to work with less than six to eight. Notably, my fiber optic light guides, and the LED's I plan to replace them with, are much smaller than typical flash units. This permits a level of precise aiming that might be far more difficult with flash. And if I want any single element to have broader impact, I can turn up its intensity and broaden its diffusion.

And I'm still a bit torn. Should I place high CRI LED COBs in halogen illuminators that I've gutted, and continue using my FO light guides, with their available fineness for placing light? Or should I place these LED COBs on heat sinks and use them directly, with flags and even lenses to control their span? Am open to suggestions. My lighting stage (pre-halogen) is Magnetic lighting stage for Bratcam

Time ago we discussed the first approach: viewtopic.php?p=197054#p197054 , do you remember? and Saul ended with a good solution
I haven't done further tests, if you do, please keep us informed!