Like Jim, I think that a smaller reproduction scale would may be help to achieve the needed DoF. But as you say it, there are optical limits concerning DoF. However, I believe it possible in this case (depending on the size/depth of the insects). And as Jim, I think that would allow a larger output and even better IQ.

However, those shots are already outstanding, Mark!

Thierry

I've got about $50K tied up in assorted Broncolor packs,heads,accessories,etc but
believe it or not I've shot this series with a pathetically small prosumer Nikon SB-30
flash placed generally around 18 inches away from the subject and hooked up 'manually'
to the 1Ds2 (now 1Ds3) using a Nikon off camera cable that hooks into the hotshoe.

The tiny flashtube in this flash helps create the crisp,dark shadow.
The shadow is further 'burnt in' in post

Mark

I considered it but didn't test it.
Since the insects are alive and my window of opportunity is usually very short I suspect
I would have difficulty having the insects stay put while I bracketted the focus.
Some certainly would sit still for the 5-10 seconds needed to get two or three frames
off in the same position.

I'll give it a fresh look. Thanks for the reminder


Mark

As you and Thierry have suggested,it certainly is worth taking another look at a MFDB.
If I can sort out the focus/depth challenge the resulting files would be stunning in their
detail.

Mark

Today the centre of Tallinn was invaded by a Finnish 'old timer' truck club. Some lovely examples of trucks, but too crowded to take any decent pics. Some of the drivers were characters too:



40mm @f5.6, ISO 50

I use this program - it needs a number of focus tweaked images to really work properly - its in a way very similar to whats needed for the HDR programs - but with insects I am not sure how your going to keep them still long enough to get very many. The same can just be achieved in layering masking the focused files. I should add the the program is very slow to work and its not always a successful final image that it produces - but it gets close.

Have you tried putting them in the freezer for a min first - its how you keep spiders on set where you want them until they come back to room temp.

I have been doing a similar (subject matter wise) thing with my local museum, working with their entomology collection, I shoot on a Fuji GX680III, with a Leaf back. I have found the lenses to be the key, I don't know if they are technically diffraction free, but I am quite happy to use them down to the f32/45 range with no noticeable loss of sharpness.

Cheers,
Jason.Click to view attachment

Top Leica M8

Bottom 1ds2

Click to view attachment

JR

Hi Jason

Thanks for chiming in on this topic.

Are you able to get anywhere down to the range of 1/2 to 2.0X lifesize with the Fuji system?

Mark

James:
MF 3D quality in the 1Ds pic. Which lens?

Thx
Eduardo

Nice job matching the colors from the two cams. Did you do the pre-press?

And yes, the 1ds2 was a brilliant camera. I sometimes miss my 1ds2. The files are thicker than the 5d files, and there is a tad more headroom.

May I ask the final destination for these images? How will they be printed? Just trying gauge how well the M8 reproduces for, say, a double truck. I always found that for full length, the 1ds2 was a little light for a double truck on a web press.

These images are impressive. I guess this is the professional approach. If you want to photograph something, do it properly. Get your lighting right. A highlight in the eye is essential and an interesting shadow under the grasshopper is something you'd probably never expect to get in a natural surrounding.

The grasshopper has been turned into a fashionable item like a lady's shoe or the normal female model.

One effect that struck me, after the intitial impression of 'how wonderful', was the fact that these insects could actually have been literal models, made of plastic; inanimate constructions. There's really no way of knowing.

I'm reminded of engineering principles when I vew these photos (although I'm not an engineer).

I guess I have a different thought about what reproduces large.

These images are destined to print large from double truck, full page and even poster size.

Obviously the M-8 and the 1ds2 won't have the detail of a 31mpx camera, as long as everything is sharp, in focus and exposed properly, though honestly since the first 1ds I've never had a client question or even mention the detail of the files.

Still, it's more important to get the shot than to have 35% more detail and though I could and normally would have shot most of this medium format, the time was limited, I had a lot of setups per day, in difficult conditions and I didn't want to run tethered just so I could see a decent preview, so I shot with those two cameras.

Also riding on the hood of a jeep at 25mph does not make for a great place to try to tether a computer.

For the M-8 I used a 28mm lens, for the 1ds2 image it was an 85 1.2 propably set around 1.8.

JR

I have similar thoughts to James about what reproduces large.
Quite often if you look at big images closely, the quality is really not up to pixel peeping, but as they are meant to be seen at a distance it really doesn't matter. In fact a double page spread in a magazine is likely to a greater angle of view than most large display prints, so that's where it needs to be good. Besides, grain/texture of big prints can look great.

Yes, the max I have done so far is about 1.1:1 so that is bang in the middle of that range, I am using the 80mm extension rails.

Well I have a Phase P45+ to demo for a few days. I just received it this morning and had to take the obligatory photo of my dog to make sure it works and to figure out using it. Up until now I have shot with the Leaf 65 and the Mamiya 645ZD.

I have also just now been trying out Capture One 4.1 so that is new to me too.

I promise to shoot more interesting photos in the next few days.




Click to view attachment

Two canines stopped by my studio a couple of days ago.

Might have a been a quickie test, but nice shot. The detail from MFDBs continues to amaze me (1Ds2 shooter using alternate glass).

Leaf Aptus 22, Sinar P2, 180mm (I think) with lots of extension.
Background gradient and screen gradient courtesy of Photoshop...
originally black velvet backdrop with the phone screen turned on but the pixels of the screen just looked huge.
Notes are just something I whipped up in 3D.

1 light, bounced around a bit.

Andrew, it's nice:) Is that any particular melody?

Thanks Michael.
Actually I downloaded some Vivaldi sheet music, as I thought is might be fun to put something
real there, but it would have taken me too long to layout in 3D.
I put that one in the too-hard-basket... and just put a few random notes there.
I may try a different layout some other time that can fit more notes in it... then we will see.
cheers
Andrew

Click to view attachment

I have to admit, it's just a scan from a negative film
Hasselblad 503CW + Kodak Tri-X400 + 150mm CF + bellows and available light.

Well I did some shooting with the Phase One P45+ in the last few days. As I have mentioned before, in the past I have used the Leaf 65 and the new Mamiya 645ZD. Both have given me superb images on ads and editorial assignments. I also continue to shoot medium format film.

So these are my immediate impressions from someone who has not used a Phase back, especially a 39 mpx back.

The back is simplicity itself to use, the menus are obvious, the screen easy to read. It operated flawlessly. Battery life was a little less than what I expected but not an issue, at least for my shooting. In sunlight the images on the LCD are useless, cannot be seen. For all the complaints about the Mamiya back, for me the LCD on the Phase was not that much more helpful either in sunlight or indoors where you can see it although the Phase LCD seems sharper with better color.

Shooting at 1.5 seconds per frame is maybe slow but the strobes take that long to cycle anyway. Even without cycling strobes I could live with that.

Capture One software to process the files seems like the way to go, for sure! They process quickly and they just pop. Much better than Adobe programs.

The downside with this back is the huge information in the file! Less than perfect makeup on a less than perfect complexion and you are going to be in for some skin work in PhotoShop. But this back can sure put out a photo. Colors, shadows, highlights and sharp. Very impressive. But it also does slow down my otherwise capable computers.

I used the back on a Mamiya 645AFDII with the 105-210AF Mamiya lens.

As a note, I only posted these comments just to share my first impressions AND NOT to start any kind of argument about one brand or another.

Thanks

Some Beauty from the other day.
No crop done yet!
These beleive it or not are only slightly retouched... The Girl Had incredible skin.
I'll post a 100% crop Later. in the web view they look retouched.
Snook
Mamiya RZII P30 180mm F11 Just Bought the macro and cannot wait to get it. Anybody know which tubes I should get for like eye and lips? For 145 macro? the 1,2 or all 3.
Thanks.
Click to view attachmentClick to view attachmentClick to view attachment

Glad to see someone using a manual focus camera for beauty? How fast can you shoot this way?

Why would it be difficult to shoot beauty with an MF camera? I used to shoot beauty with a 4x5 and on occasion still use an RZ. Just curious.

I love shooting it with my RZ..
I never used an RZ before.
But I love it!!
Very cool looking also with the bellows hood etc..
Until I figured out a friend (x) ripped off my Bill Maxwell screen I was having troubles focusing. Bought just a vertical Mamiya and Focus is pretty easy """ now..
I always hated the format of my Canon.
I love looking through the WLF also.
Kinda of like when you go wacom tablet you won't ever go back to mouse again.
I feel the same about the WLF... :+}
Snook

Because models (at least the ones I get to work with) produce better with a much faster pace of shooting...
I have used a 4x5 for fashion in the past... models hated it...

Beauty is more like shooting products. They don't move that much. The girls usually sit on a stool.

I don't shoot that quickly with fashion. With the Canons you end up firing off 1000 frames, 2/3 of which are an attempt to keep the pace. The girls get into the groove of their own poses, which are only as good as the model. I find that you get the best out of a model, with fashion, when they trust you, feel comfortable, but are tired. They step out of their routine, practiced poses and transform. With beauty, I get the best out of the girls after lunch, when they are feeling relaxed, and trust you. I always have flowers around when they come in and hang out with the model and the MUA.

This is the Fifth one that will be the a cover.
Not sure if the 100% crop worked.. let me know if you can see the texture of the skin?
Thanks..
Amazing the quality---To Me..
Snook

Click to view attachment

Deleted Post

zzzzz

How do we erase a Post???
Something happened and it posted several times but I never pushed submit post???
Sorry!
Snook

8 of 12

http://www.russellrutherford.com/desert_editorial/


JR

Vitaletta chapel, Val d'Orcia, Tuscany. Mamiya 645 AFDII/ZD in IR mode, 89B filter over 75-150 zoom. PTGui stitch.

Picture never came through...
Here it is number 5:+}

Click to view attachment

and the Close-upClick to view attachment

Amazing!

Wow these really are great - and you're right about that model have perfect skin. I'm not familiar with the RZ so apologize but is the 180mm lens the soft focus one or regular? Your image has a very nice look to it - can see all the little details of her skin, pores and little peach hairs but in a very nice kind of way - gentle even.

I wonder if this is what Andre and James are talking about when they said the RZ was good for skin?

snook,
this should give an idea. Shot on RB and 180 mm with bellows fully extended on 37x37 sensor(H20). Left is with ext tube 1.

This shot is from a couple a days ago

Rollei 6008Integral
120mm 4.0 macro
Imacon Ixpress 96

Thanks a lot Sid..
I just picked up an extension tube #1 off e-bay... Cannot wait to get it..
I also just bought a 140 Macro "M"
Which should make a nice combo...:+}
Thanks fro the comments.
Snook

from a recent daylight catalog shoot. But it looks like the uploading resulted in weird colors, even thought they are sRGB...

Pretty girl...
What did you shoot with and at what?
You said all natural light...
Looks great
Snook

Nice work Snook. What's that background made of, crumpled seamless?

Funny you should ask...
We were shooting with grey paper and the art director wanted to try something a little more "modern" shiny.. I had some stainless steel backgrounds but the got left out on the last job and got warped from a rain storm.. arggg
I found some Celo/gel that was semi transparent with like a pearl silver reflection and we just crumpled it up and taped it straight to the warped stainless steel plank I had behind her.
I like the texture it got from the side lighting and where it burnt out closest to the flash to the right and Left.

Funny how retouched it kind of looks but when you look at it rather large her skin is FLawless and has ALL the texture.

Thanks for the nice comments
Snook

It was the regular 180...
Cannot wait to get the 140 macro...:+}
Suppose to be really nice.
Snook

203,

Really nice light, her skin looks great. Is it window light or continuous?

Love the detail in your beauty shots Snook, very nice

I added an image with a similar crop,

Used large zebra stripe silver/gold reflector from left side of camera (right side of model)

Hasselblad H3DII-39, HC 50-110mm

Thanks. It is daylight only, bouncing off the Empire State Building and some brick office buildings outside my studio windows...I also had a black v-flat on camera-right to create deeper shadows. Also there is zero retouching here.

I try to use only daylight whenever I can, as it is so multifaceted and can really surprise you on a daily basis. My studio light changes minute to minute, due to reflected light from buildings in the neighborhood, light gleaming off of windows on those buildings, clouds, haze, light bouncing off of parked cars across the street, etc., etc., etc.

Love it.

I am all for pretty girl shots and I have no idea whether you simply want bland compliments or whether some sort of critique would be useful or not, but here goes (takes deep breath at this point)...
To me you have overcooked the eyes in post-processing. I noticed similar problem with the first of your images in the swimwear thread (the rest were very nice). If you have a reflector to the right of the model and the left side of the face is clearly in shadow, then the left eye should be darker than the right, where it is not actually. The result is she looks a bit like a Stepford wife.
Sorry to be critical and you may well have no problem with this, but I have noticed that one or two people on this thread have not taken criticism well or been sensitive about other things.