When I’m shooting detail shots, such as ring shots, at weddings, I will use Luxli lights. They offer me the ability to change color temps, etc. Flower shots, I will sometimes use and OCF or use a small deflector.
I now use a twin macro flash kit as most things I look for are in quite dark areas , the hot shoe mounted flash was ok but with the twin kit you get the light directly where you need it. they are also removeable from the ring as well so that's another handy point. downside would be that they eat batteries so need to remember to take plenty when I head out.
Thank you Andrew that was a really informative video. You explained things clearly and in a way that does not feel intimidating. I have been avoiding taking a flash with me but now I am excited to try lighting some macros!
Excellent video, and you have inspired me to get out and do some macro. I have all the equipment I need, and it gives me an excuse to take one of my AD-200's out of my studio and get outside for some fresh air and fresh creativity. Oh, and I even noticed the small minipod you had under the AD-200. I've got one ordered from Amazon. Thank you so much.
That Coral Fungus was gorgeous! (the golden spiky one at 12:27) We get quite a lot of them where I live, but they tend to be off-white. I find I spend a lot of time on my knees on wet earth for this kind of work, so, a pair of knee-protectors are helpful. Hell, I'm usually alone in the forest, there is no one about, and it's not a fashion show. (I'm also 67, so I need to be a bit more careful about the cold and wet.....we get to ache more easily) Fungi can grow and change rapidly during the day, so I find it useful to retrace my steps at the end of the day and take another look. You absolutely do need to develop an 'eye' for seeing fungi. I take my time to stare at a patch of ground for a few moments before I get the 'How did I miss that?' realisation. Forests are great, we are surrounded here, but for photographers, they can be a bit of a sensory overload.
Thanks so much, Philip! I'm not quite 67 but even I could still do with some decent knee protectors -- I always end up feeling the aches after a day of macro on my knees! I think a small foam mat could be a handy addition to my kit bag just to take the edge off!
I guess it was destiny since I asked you about lighting and you released a video the same time. Definitely learnt something that I can apply to my beginning of macro once I'm able to travel myself. I do wish you'd spoken about flash itself though. When I was messing around in the garden I had some difficulties understanding what amount of power I'd need. I know I can play about and sort of figure it out with time, I just didn't want to fill my SD up with terrible photos for weeks on end before I start getting a hang of things. Cheers.
I was just browsing through some macro lighting reviews and stumbled upon your video/tutorial. WOW quick, to the point and very instructive!! Thank you!
Excellent video Andrew and something that I had never considered before. It's amazing how the shot can look just by altering the angle of the flash. Now subscribed 🙂
Thank you Steve! It makes a huge difference, even just a tiny little change in lighting angle. And the great thing is it's so easy to experiment in one scene by just moving the light around and seeing how it changes!
Great video Andrew and I love the way you are using flash in your macro photography, an incentive for me to get outside with new ideas. Thanks for sharing 📷👍
This has really given me some inspiration. I took some images of mushrooms a few weeks ago with a 24-105 and it was amazing to see the results of that. I’ve since bought a macro lens and now all I want to do is go nuts with it, it’s a whole new world of photography I’d never really considered before.
Thanks Chris! It makes such a huge difference, doesn't it. I think it's only when you actually use the tools and compare the shots side by side that you see the difference it can make. It's still a creative difference though and I guess not everybody would want it but I really like the look you can get when using light in different ways.
Hi Andrew, I really enjoyed watching this video tutorial, I've been into photography for the past 2 years, I love macro but have never used lighting, only the early evening sun. You've inspired me to get some portable lighting gear to hopefully up my game, best wishes and keep up the good work, G :)
very useful tuto, beautiful images. Starting macro with sony A74 and sigma 105mm macro i intended to buy a mf-r76 ring or mf-12 not funny to attach in the forest,... your method is quite versatile with different angles,... I have godox V1 and ad200 pro. good idea to use this small manfrotto tripod and raise it with your bag, instead of having a second mini-tripod in bag or gorillapod. I hope I will find other macro tutos on your channel.
Many thanks for a very useful video Andrew. I like the creative variations you got from moving the flash around. I have tried taking macro photos of insects on flowers with a flash in one hand and a small MFT camera in the other but I'll try your method as it looks like you get much more control.
Hi John, thanks for watching! Your way sounds spot on. The main thing here is to experiment with using the flash off camera to give more direction to the light so having one in each hand sounds ideal.
In the film days, flash was a big no no on Fungi. Today its very different. I don't use flash but I do use reflectors & have recently bought a small led light for when it's very dark. Great video, thanks.
15:30 this amazed me. I have been taking photos with the outcome of the left one with my Canon 80D all the time. I guess lighting knowledge was what I was lacking!
Alternative to a remote flash controller one can buy a second flash that is capable to synch with and control light output to both master and slave. I usually use the on camera flash to bounce up or to one side and adjust the light output to both flash units as needed.
This was very entertaining! Although I'm kinda departured from being a photographer to videographer, those skills still apply to video with proper continuous lighting.
Hi Andrew I've been doing macro photography for some years now and in that time I have only used reflectors to bounce light back on the subject. Your videos have given me a new approach to photographing fungi. I've been out for the last two days we touch and a speed light and also a new creative edge. Great videos your producing cheers for sharing your knowledge.
Hey Justin, thanks so much for your comment! How have you found using your speedlight for macro? Is it making a difference, do you think? I remember it being quite a learning curve when I first started, but it doesn't take long for basics to settle in and then you can start getting more creative. Good luck with it!
I'm a novice photographer and only have a point and shoot camera currently, but I love taking macro and closeup photos. Currently I'm only using natural light but I really enjoyed this video and I think I want to try adding lighting. Thank you very much for the video.
The best camera is the one you have in your hands! If you see a point and shoot as a "limitation", you have a chance to think outside the box and get creative. Photography is one of my favorite hobbies and it's just so calming and relaxing to me.
@@fizzlestyxx8507 You're very welcome! I was out earlier walking around on my day off just enjoying the beauty of winter. Sometimes, I bring my camera and only take a few shots because I just enjoy being outside. Or I plan to go to a spot and keep wandering off somewhere else because I find something else to look at. With a camera, you have to take a little time to look at things from a different PoV. Maybe from below or maybe from above but you see the world a little bit differently.
I like using a small portable led light, but still good power. Not a strobe, but enough most of the time. They are about 4 inches across and weight about a pound, easy to carry, and cost about a hundred dollars or less. You can dial in the intensity and temperature. That allows me to take some amazing handheld macro, without needing a tripod or any equipment, which is great for in the spur of the moment such as walkabout. It typically gives me 4 or 5 stops, so i can use a 400 or 800 iso with f8 to f11 in a darkly lit setting. For more brightly lit scenes, it is still enough to give a fill, and i just move it around with one hand. I also find it handy for insects like praying mantises and spiders. I can prop up the light and position it accordingly, then hand hold the camera.
These are beautiful. Ive been watching your videos the last week and you've inspired me. I'd love to give macro photography a try. Your results are amazing. I was wondering if I would be able to get nice macro shots using Godox ad300pro with a Godox ML-CD15 Diffusion Dome or with a godox V1 with the plastic magnetic dome to go on it (off camera). I don't have a ad200pro or a magmod diffusion dome.
Great video mate. I've been enjoying mushroom photography lately with flash (always off camera) It can make such a huge difference to the scene and like you say, sometimes you need to bring your own light when the ambient light just isn't enough :)
Thanks Paul, much appreciated! It really does make all the difference. I think it's only when you actually go out and give it a try that you realise just how much!
Great tips and sample shots! I have an old old dlsr, and looking to invest in additional equipment. Are there any other light sources to use? Ex. Phone apps or the flashlight on your smartphone?
Point well made and illustrated👍. Most of my macro images are made indoors, under controlled conditions that include lighting subject w/LED lights - small, powerful enough, modifiable, off camera, easy to see effects in real time. Have yet to apply added lighting to outdoor macros, but will try. Have you tried LED lighting outdoors? Would appreciate your thoughts, and perhaps a vid on LED macro lighting to supplement this one. Cheers!
Hey Paul, thanks for watching! I find LEDs are great and like you I mostly use them indoors -- particularly for my product photography where I use large LED monolights with softboxes, snoots etc. I have used LED outdoors, but the smaller LED lights don't put out as much power as a small speedlight and so they're not quite as easy to work with I don't think. I'm definitely planning an LED Vs flash video at some point soon so keep your eye out for that!
Thank you, I've learned a lot from this video. I'm trying to lean how to do macro filming and I have a little LED filming light - would that be good enough for photography too or should I look into buying a flash?
Hey thanks for watching! LED lights are a great place to start, particularly if you have one already. Flash tends to be more powerful and I find easier to work with. They're also quite cheap so I do think it's worth giving it a try at some point! I'm planning a flash vs led video soon which I hope will help!
Very interesting video. I'd like to know if there's a reason why you're using AD200 specifically? It is obviously more powerful compared to generic hotshoe-mounted speedlight but do you really need all that power for macro work? Also with flashes such as TT685 or V860II you'd have an option to mount the flash on top of your camera while you can also use them off camera as you do in your video. I'm always curious about different options though so what made you choose AD200 for your macro work? :)
Great video, very informative. Love your images throughout the video with and without a speedlite. Have subscribed for sure. Thanks again for posting it.
Beautiful video. I bought a macro lens a few weeks ago and wasn't getting the results I wanted (too dark, too shallow, etc.). I considered returning it but thought I'd look up a few tutorials to see if I was missing anything. Found your channel and I'm hooked. What you say about the philosophy of macro at 13:41 brought me close to tears. That slowing down and connectedness to your environment is what originally drew me to photography and I needed that reminder. I'm totally inspired again and am looking into a flash system for my A7IV. Just wanted to say thanks!!
Thanks for the great videos Andrew, please keep them up, i'm learning a lot from you. On your AD200 what is the name of the diffuser you have on the front, I have been looking but cannot find the type you use. Many Thanks Charlie
Thanks so much for watching, Charles! On the AD200 I use a generic collapsible soft box sometimes (just search for collapsible speedlight soft box on Amazon) and I also use the MagMod accessories (particularly the MagSphere) which are more expensive but have a really fast and flexible way of working when you’re on location.
Some good advice and techniques as usual. My thoughts, as I watched on my TV, is that the photos still seemed quite dark. Was this done on purpose and you brought out shadow detail in post or is my TV too dark?
Please clarify what is being shown: the camera view shows a bright image; one picture with AL showed a dark image and with the flash a better coloured image.
Im looking to get my first flash. I want something versatile but was torn due to weight and worry of missing out on features. I was between the v350 and v860iii. Any suggestions? My gear is already quite heavy. Additionally, you seem to be the first content i can find using magmod for macro. How does it compare to something like the popeshield? Have you tried using the magbounce instead of the magsphere?
So at the end when you photograph the small mushroom, did I hear correctly that you used 1/10th of a second while handholding the camera with the off-camera Godox?
I've not used the MF12 so I can't say for certain, but when I have the time I prefer using off-camera flash like this to give direction to the light. When a flash is mounted on the front (as I believe is the case with the MF12, or similar 'ring-light' style lights) it gives a flatter look to the image without those dramatic shadows. Just my opinion though!
Very interesting video good to see the comparisons. What is your opinion on the advantages of flash over some of the more modern LED lights such as the Lume Cubes for example?
Thanks for watching, Anthony! Flash has the benefit of being more powerful and fires so quickly that it freezes the subject, even if you use slower shutter speeds. It's also easier to use modifiers like MagMod or collapsible softboxes. LED can be great and I do sometimes use a small Rotolight LED panel, but that's really only if I'm shooting in very dark places (deep in the undergrowth) as it's not powerful enough to make much impact in the sunlight. I'm planning an LED Vs flash video sometime soon so keep an eye out for that!
Only just seen this and it looks interesting. I usually avoid macro lights around the lens (ringflashes, etc) as they're designed only to light forwards and give very flat, almost shadow-free images. They're often great for portraits as you can achieve a really flattering light. And while sometimes macro shots look great with that kind of lighting, my personal preference is for more directional lighting where I can create shadow and mood by not only paying attention to the light but the shadow as well. MF12 lights do look like they can clip off and be used off camera though so I guess it's the best of both worlds. I just like the ease of having my AD200 to hand and just throwing it down anywhere with minimal fuss!
Hi Marc, I do sometimes. Grids especially as they're great for focusing the light, although I don't often use them on location for natural subjects like these as I tend to be able to get the results I want without them. The Sphere is my go-to modifier out of the range.
I'm just starting, so this might be a dumb question, but why does the background look darker and the subject look brighter when you use a flash? You seem to be making shadows more black. I'd expect everything to be more white? You mention "changing my settings to cancel out all the natural light", but I don't know what that entails. You speed up the shutter speed only?
I do indeed. I find I can usually get better results, particularly when working with off camera flash. I've always shot in manual though so I find I'm just as quick as I would be in another mode. It takes some getting used to but it's worth it in the long run I feel!
For the most part, off camera flash is pretty much chosen for macro photography. In view of your video presentation, I am not sure if this is a true macro presentation, but rather photographing small objects from a short distance to the camera. To me, macro photography is the use of a macro 100mm 2.8 lens (sometimes with extension tubes) to get into a very close up view of an object as if appearing through a microscopic. For example, show the close up textures of mushrooms rather than the whole mushroom, which is not really classified as a macro image. Macro photography enbraces textures of objects, even the testures of the compound eyes of an insect. Now this would be true macro.
