Flash vs Available Light for Insects

[Clovishound]

Thought I'd start a thread about this and get some different opinions and perhaps a few techniques from some of you that may be of interest to all. I was out shooting in the backyard today and tried a few different things.

Here is a straight shot of some small butterflies using my Godox 685 with the AK diffuser. I'm using manual mode and 1/200 SS, and F16 for good DOF. It does a good job IMO, and is my go to setup for insects. It is able to stop reasonable camera or subject motion in most situations and gives fairly nice light. I can shoot in almost any lighting condition, including full dark, as long as I have enough light to focus, even if that is from a flashlight. Full sun is a problem, but normally the diffuser, or my hat proves enough shade to mitigate that.

In fact it managed to stop the wings of the butterfly on the right. OK, that was an absolute accident on my part that I shot just as he/she was flying from one perch to another.

Fast forward a few minutes and I spotted a shield bug that was fairly static. I decided that I wanted something a little different. I shot a series of available light shots from 1/30 to 1/60 sec. Only one ended up sharp, and it needed some help from Topaz. I had been hand holding the rig for a while and my arms got a little shaky. I really like the look of the background. Aperture was F11. I guess I should have brought the SS up at least one stop and taken a small hit on DOF, but I thought this one was sharp enough on the back of the camera. In reality it is good enough for social media, but not a serious enlargement.

Here is another similar shot using the flash. I'm back at F16 with this one, but kept the SS down to 1/90 to give a little more exposure to the background. This one is tack sharp in comparison.

I will sometimes use slower than 1/200 to increase the exposure of the background when using flash. I do find that available light gives a much different look, but can't be used practically in many situations because of the quality of the available light, the lack of enough light for smaller apertures, the impracticability of setting up a tripod for slower SS, or movement of the subject due to wind or subject moving around quickly.

I'm thinking that I need to plan on using available more than I am currently because it gives a different look, which can be very pleasing at times.

Thoughts?

 

[Woodyg3]

With a good diffuser, I think flash on macros normally looks quite natural and gives a lot of advantages. I don't have a good flash set up like you do. Wish I did.

 

[Silversnapper]

This topic is especially interesting for me as I'm still trying to come to terms with my shaky hands and an acute lack of bugs of any description therefore any tips and other into I can pick up is more than welcome.

I am practising with the homemade diffuser you commented on here https://nikonites.com/forum/threads/godox-v860ii-n-ttl-flash.49268/page-2 and my current settings are with the Godox 685 in manual mode at 1/128th power, camera on manual; SS at 1/250th and aperture f8 - f11; the subjects being any inanimate object up to 5mm in size. It's rather a frustrating exercise but I am seeing better camera control the more I practise.

I went out last week on a whim to try out my new gizmo - a Raynox 250 but, annoyingly, I forgot to put my Sigma 105mm macro lens back on see here:
https://nikonites.com/forum/threads/silversnappers-happy-snaps.49037/ I didn't take the flash and diffuser with me as it was brilliant sunshine and I was rather pleased to get those images.

We are supposed to be getting a bout of very wet and windy weather so I guess the local bugs aren't going to be in a hurry to venture out again so it will be back to shooting apple, grape and other fruit pips for practise.

 

[Clovishound]

Woody,

I found that the inexpensive pop up diffuser that sells on Amazon for $10-12 works very well. The kind that slips over the lens. It also has the advantages of being cheap, and easy to store in your bag, as well as easy to set up. It takes up almost no room in the bag. It doesn't give quite as nice a light quality as the AK, IMO, but it is close.

I made a copy of the AK out of thick card stock, an old t-shirt and duct tape. It worked quite well, but wasn't terribly durable, or professional looking. Not that the latter matters much to me.

For those not familiar with it, this is the AK.

 

[Clovishound]

Silversnapper,

Good job on the insect photos. I think you will be pleased with the flash shots using a decent diffuser. That will take the harsh shadows out. As mentioned, when the subject is in full sun, I normally try and shade it with either the diffuser, or my broad brimmed hat. That seems to work well. The flash really helps with camera shake, as well as subject movement. You may get some ghost images with bad movement if the exposure of the available light is close enough to the flash exposure. The worst issue I have is that when the wind is blowing and the plants are swaying back and forth, it's almost impossible to focus. I have occasionally been able to focus on the apex of the swing and anticipate the next cycle, but usually, it's not worth bothering.

With slow moving subjects, you may be able to use a tripod successfully. I find that using a tripod makes focusing sooooo much easier. It just doesn't work well with fast moving subjects like bees, or those that don't stay in one place long, or spook easily. That really narrows things a lot, but if that the best way to get sharp photos, it is doable. Doesn't have to be a large, extremely stable tripod either. A small travel tripod should do the job.

 

[Silversnapper]

Silversnapper,

Good job on the insect photos. I think you will be pleased with the flash shots using a decent diffuser. That will take the harsh shadows out. As mentioned, when the subject is in full sun, I normally try and shade it with either the diffuser, or my broad brimmed hat. That seems to work well. The flash really helps with camera shake, as well as subject movement. You may get some ghost images with bad movement if the exposure of the available light is close enough to the flash exposure. The worst issue I have is that when the wind is blowing and the plants are swaying back and forth, it's almost impossible to focus. I have occasionally been able to focus on the apex of the swing and anticipate the next cycle, but usually, it's not worth bothering.

With slow moving subjects, you may be able to use a tripod successfully. I find that using a tripod makes focusing sooooo much easier. It just doesn't work well with fast moving subjects like bees, or those that don't stay in one place long, or spook easily. That really narrows things a lot, but if that the best way to get sharp photos, it is doable. Doesn't have to be a large, extremely stable tripod either. A small travel tripod should do the job.

Thanks, I was pleased with the shots, especially the amorous ladybirds (ladybugs I believe you call them). I can't wait for the bugs to come out and play - I'm getting some funny looks when I stick fruit pips on leaves for my practice shots

 

[Clovishound]

Things are starting to buzz around here. I am currently getting lots of native bees. The wasps and shield bugs are also out in force. Later in the season, based on last year's experience, I hope to start getting some more variety, including anoles and tree frogs. I've considered putting in something with water to help attract things like dragonflies, and other critters. Maybe something as simple as a bird bath might do the trick. I doubt I will go to the expense and trouble of a tiny pond, although that might also reap some nice bird pictures if I were to do it right.

 

[Paliswe]

There's a U-tube channel called Naturefold, run by a young guy, who not only explains what he's doing in a very good way, he also shows stunning pictures of what he finds in the most amazing places in the forests.

 

[Clovishound]

Here's one that is not what I usually do. I was out shooting this afternoon when a damsel fly came up. It was a bit skittish, but with care, I could approach close enough. It landed in a place I could get to it and have a decent background, but I had to gradually sneak up on it. There was no way I would be able to get into a position where the sun wasn't shining on it. I went ahead and took some shots. Here is one. It actually turned out better than I thought it would, but I still would have liked to have gotten it in shade for the flash shot. If you notice, it was taken at F/16 at a 1/180 sec, ISO 100. That is just about a full stop below full sun exposure. I'm sure I would have gotten some dark shadows with available light alone, so I went ahead and used flash.

I guess the white reflections on the top of the eyes were from my flash diffuser. They look too big to be the sun. OK, I got curious and blew up that section. It looks more to me like the sun peeking over the top of my diffuser. If you look at the nearest eye there is a larger dull white reflection with a multicolored smaller and brighter reflection at the top. That one looks to me like the sun just over the top of the diffuser. That would line up with my position and the position of the sun as well. Unimportant to the shot, I suppose, but interesting to me as I wondered where that odd reflection came from.