Shiny Insect Flash Fun
Moderators: rjlittlefield, ChrisR, Chris S., Pau
Shiny Insect Flash Fun
Originally I shot this insect with three diffused Canon 580 EX II's. The specular highlights were brutal. Then I thought, take the diffusers off and point the flashes straight up to the stippled ceiling and bounce the light back down onto the specimen. Not bad (first image). Then I thought, heck, a 600 ws mono light has got to be better. Well, it is tough to do an A/B comparison when the flower welts (requiring specimen being moved). I tried the 600 watt with bare bulb, 7" reflector and a 24" deep dish parabolic softbox at various heights and distances bounced onto the ceiling. I ended up using the parabolic plus using a sheet of wax paper for extra diffusion above the specimen for the second image. What did I learn today? I don't own a shoot through umbrella which probably would have been better for more diffused light spread. Back to more experimenting... images at 3x, 41 steps at 150µm.
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- iconoclastica
- Posts: 486
- Joined: Sat Jun 25, 2016 12:34 pm
- Location: Wageningen, Gelderland
Re: Shiny Insect Flash Fun
I can see the outlines of the reflected light source (albeit beautifully softened on the carapax in the second image). If I understand you well and your goal is to get rid of these reflections as much as possible, the way to go is to make the light source relatively larger. Think of the beetle as half a silver sphere and ray-trace every point from the centre of the lens. Eventually, the ray should hit the light source. To do so, either move the soft box closer, or get a bigger one. An umbrella is counterproductive since a) the edges retract from the horizon and b) the light escapes from the back, creating secondary light sources where you can't control them.
The second diffuser only comes into the equation when the parts of the back, closest to the canopy, receive too much light compared to the sides. A tunnel or a dome could help there. Alternalively you could use a shooting tent. These come in small sizes too.
The second diffuser only comes into the equation when the parts of the back, closest to the canopy, receive too much light compared to the sides. A tunnel or a dome could help there. Alternalively you could use a shooting tent. These come in small sizes too.
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