Ryan S December 11, 2014 Share December 11, 2014 Okay, now that I own a decent DSLR, I want to learn how to take awesome macro pics of coral, like so many WAMAS members do all the time! What camera do you use? What lens? RAW or JPEG? Processing with: Lightroom, Photoshop, Elements, Other? What adjustments do you usually make in the photo editor? Do you use a tripod? Do you use a top-down porthole? Tips/Tricks? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Rhoads December 11, 2014 Share December 11, 2014 I use a 5$ magnifying glass held right up to the lens. I am happy with that method vs buying a proper camera lens. Not that I claim to have the best pics (I don't adjust for lighting and such as I have not figured all of that out yet). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob A December 11, 2014 Share December 11, 2014 I bought one of these things from amazon, http://www.amazon.com/Fotodiox-Canon-Extension-Extreme-Close-Ups/dp/B003Y60DZO/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1418328672&sr=8-3&keywords=macro+lens It's just a set of tubes that space your lens away from the camera body a little bit. I have a Canon EOS Rebel dslr. I haven't tried editing any of the shots, I just took regular exposures and even did it by hand (without a tripod). You have to manually focus with this thing. I don't know how it compares to a real macro lens. Also, I paid like 5 dollars for it so you might find it cheaper than listed on amazon if you poke around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul b December 11, 2014 Share December 11, 2014 I am also not very good with extreme close ups even though my Canon SX20 has an extreme close up setting. But I keep trying Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zygote2k December 11, 2014 Share December 11, 2014 I usually hire a photographer... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GraffitiSpotCorals December 11, 2014 Share December 11, 2014 We use a cannon rebel t2i with a few different lenses. These were taken with the 100, which doesn't have image stabalization. I took these freehand with the pumps off and only a few bulbs on. Amanda edits them for me in Photoshop to make them look like the actually do in the tank and these came out great. We shoot in raw and I haven't learned how to use the white ballance yet. I use a top down box for macro shots. She normally has to adjust the color temp and a few other things a little bit because they come out more blue than they look with all the bulbs on. Also lowers saturation and vibrancy most of the time. Here is the thread with the pics I took last. http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2461607 I have to say, so many stores and online shops take pics and edit them to look so much more vibrant and colorful, even to the point to where its extremely noticable. Cherry corals makes their acros look so saturated with the pics, and they are great corals too. They should just edit them too look like what they really are. I guess it brings in more sales the way they do it though. Amanda is a great photographer in general and has lots of gear to take family portraits and such. I like taking the macro pics the most and am no good at doing anything other than shooting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wangspeed December 12, 2014 Share December 12, 2014 I agree. Too many over saturated pics. It's really annoying. I prefer pics like Battlecorals'. -- Warren Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob A December 12, 2014 Share December 12, 2014 Oh, I meant to post some sample pictures from my cheap lens extension system I will get those posted tonight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrueTricia December 12, 2014 Share December 12, 2014 I use a 5$ magnifying glass held right up to the lens. I am happy with that method vs buying a proper camera lens. Not that I claim to have the best pics (I don't adjust for lighting and such as I have not figured all of that out yet). Seriously? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Rhoads December 13, 2014 Share December 13, 2014 Seriously?Yep. I am on my phone now,but the pics (some of them) from my threads in the FS section right now were done that way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob A December 13, 2014 Share December 13, 2014 (edited) Here are some pics and a link to my pics taken with the cheap macro extension. I only played with it one time... https://www.flickr.com/photos/87816634@N03/ Edited December 13, 2014 by Rob A Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
epleeds December 13, 2014 Share December 13, 2014 I just took Jason's idea and used the portal I got from marine depot and my iPhone 6 and took these pics. Not too bad considered I took them through the glass. However I like a top down using an avast look down and a macro lens Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
epleeds December 13, 2014 Share December 13, 2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan S December 13, 2014 Author Share December 13, 2014 I don't want to spend $500 on a nice macro lens, that's for sure. I am very intrigued by the cheap reverse lenses, or the cheap extension tubes. Do they allow for sharp macro shots, even though they are so cheap? For those of you with the Avast Top Down Porthole, I notice there is a regular length and a long version. Would the long version mainly be for people with those longer $500 macro lenses? And the regular be for people using a shorter lens like this? Would there be any advantage to the longer porthole if someone didn't have a longer lens to use? Probably not? Debating on which I should get. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob A December 13, 2014 Share December 13, 2014 Shots taken with the cheap tube extension in my post above (post #11) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squishie89 December 13, 2014 Share December 13, 2014 I use a few things. 1. My Nikon D5000 with a 85mm lens (tripod is 95% of the time a must). 2. My cellphone (Samsung Galaxies) 3. My cellphone + http://photojojo.com/store/awesomeness/macro-lens-band/ 4. Sometimes I will also use my Nikon CoolPix Here are some of my favorite photos Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GraffitiSpotCorals December 13, 2014 Share December 13, 2014 I don't want to spend $500 on a nice macro lens, that's for sure. I am very intrigued by the cheap reverse lenses, or the cheap extension tubes. Do they allow for sharp macro shots, even though they are so cheap? For those of you with the Avast Top Down Porthole, I notice there is a regular length and a long version. Would the long version mainly be for people with those longer $500 macro lenses? And the regular be for people using a shorter lens like this? Would there be any advantage to the longer porthole if someone didn't have a longer lens to use? Probably not? Debating on which I should get. I have not been able to replicate anything close to what a macro lens takes uwhen I use the lens filters and extensions. Thoes little filters and stuff work but the picture comes out fuzzy around the edges and not crisp.. They will take close pics but not like a good macro lens. For the price you may be happy though, depends on what you want to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdccroad December 13, 2014 Share December 13, 2014 I use a Cannon SL1 with the stock 18-55 lens that came with it. You can't get as close as a true macro lens, but you can still get some amazing shots. The best piece of advice I received about getting good shots was to set a custom white balance using a White Balance Lens Cap. I picked one up for $10.00 at a local camera shop. Take a picture of your tank with the White Balance lens cap on. Then use that picture to set a custom white balance. Once you do that remove your lens cap and start snapping your shots. Your camera should adjust for the blue after that and still give you the pop your eyes see when looking at the tank. Took these pics yesterday with a cheap top down porthole in jpg and posted straight to the internet. Some are a little over exposed, but most of them came out pretty good. This one looks like it's been touched up, but I guarantee it hasn't. Here is another really nice one Check out the rest of the photo's at http://www.facebook.com/TikiCorals/photos_stream Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Rhoads December 13, 2014 Share December 13, 2014 Some nice pics here! I looked into those extension tubes and have a question for you Rob. They come in what looks like a set that can be disassembled, does each different length work better for subjects that are at different distances? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YHSublime December 13, 2014 Share December 13, 2014 I use a Cannon SL1 with the stock 18-55 lens that came with it. You can't get as close as a true macro lens, but you can still get some amazing shots. The best piece of advice I received about getting good shots was to set a custom white balance using a White Balance Lens Cap. I picked one up for $10.00 at a local camera shop. Take a picture of your tank with the White Balance lens cap on. Then use that picture to set a custom white balance. Once you do that remove your lens cap and start snapping your shots. Your camera should adjust for the blue after that and still give you the pop your eyes see when looking at the tank. Took these pics yesterday with a cheap top down porthole in jpg and posted straight to the internet. Some are a little over exposed, but most of them came out pretty good.[/url] Those are some really great shots, thanks for sharing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NightOwl December 16, 2014 Share December 16, 2014 A few things to get some good shots would be the following:1. Use a tripod.2. Cut off all pumps and let the tank settle for a bit before shooting otherwise you have to edit out "snow".3. Shoot in RAW if you can.4. Shot in Manual mode if trying to show a stationary object.5. Bring your ISO down to 100 or the lowest you camera can support.I have shot on various cameras over the years from an Olympus C70-UZ to my Canons (Rebel Xsi, T4i, and now 70D). A good macro lense helps but is not necessary. I brought a 100mm f2.8 just for tank photography. Some of my early shots that were decent were done with a tripod and some magnifying attachments. Top down boxes are great to give a different perspective. More than anything be patient and master your camera. You can use any photo editing software that works for you. Once you do that you will be surprised what you can achieve. Blues and purples are still hard for me but I just need more practice. Any questions feel free to ask.Hope that helps Below are a few I have taken in the past all of which are dead after my tank crash a while back.. Blue Tipped Acro by LifeThrough_TheLense, on Flickr IMG_2745 by LifeThrough_TheLense, on Flickr Top Down IMG_8894 by LifeThrough_TheLense, on Flickr Longspine Cardinalfish (Zoramia leptacantha) by LifeThrough_TheLense, on Flickr Red Velvet Fairy Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus rubrisquamis) by LifeThrough_TheLense, on Flickr Okay, now that I own a decent DSLR, I want to learn how to take awesome macro pics of coral, like so many WAMAS members do all the time! What camera do you use? What lens? RAW or JPEG? Processing with: Lightroom, Photoshop, Elements, Other? What adjustments do you usually make in the photo editor? Do you use a tripod? Do you use a top-down porthole? Tips/Tricks? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reefer_Madness December 28, 2014 Share December 28, 2014 ^ Those photos are amazing. Wow.... Thank you for sharing thoses Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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