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b0ngman
Stranger
Registered: 10/31/05
Posts: 64
Last seen: 11 years, 7 months
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Re: Mushroom Photography Tips [Re: Ran-D]
#16734487 - 08/20/12 09:35 PM (11 years, 7 months ago) |
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you guys should try using a wide angle lens at minimum focusing distance. A telephoto or macro lens is only gonna give you a very narrow frame of view and is gonna result in boring shots that you can get with any camera/lens + cropping.
Here is an example of a mushroom shot with a fisheye. This is not my shot but illustrates well the shot I would try and get. The wide angle at minimum focusing distance allows you to get the mushroom to be "in your face" and clearly draws the viewers attention to it but at the same time allows the viewer to see a very large amount of background and really puts everything into context.
some pocket cameras can get plenty wide. Just go as wide as you possibly can, get as close as you possibly can, and choose the most interesting angle without shooting directly into the sun.
Edited by b0ngman (08/20/12 09:38 PM)
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b0ngman
Stranger
Registered: 10/31/05
Posts: 64
Last seen: 11 years, 7 months
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Re: Mushroom Photography Tips [Re: b0ngman]
#16734539 - 08/20/12 09:45 PM (11 years, 7 months ago) |
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If you have an SLR I would not hesitate to buy this Rokinon fisheye. You will be able to get the shot above + a fisheye is a fantastically fun lens (especially while tripping... lol). A lot of people have trouble with spending $500 on a fisheye from The big names. This fisheye lens is made by a Korean company that owns Rokinon and Samyang. They produce all manual focus lenses for 1/4 to 1/2 of the Nikon/Canon counterpart.
The good thing about a fisheye its infinity focusing distance is 2 feet... so whenever your subject is beyond 2 feet focusing is cake. Also, your DSLR means you have infinite film basically so no worries if the focus is off in your first shot.
Here is that fisheye, it's legit:
http://www.amazon.com/Rokinon-FE8M-C-F3-5-Fisheye-Canon/dp/B002LTXQUE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1345520432&sr=8-1&keywords=rokinon+8mm+fisheye
Edited by b0ngman (08/20/12 09:46 PM)
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Liberty King
Liberty Seeker
Registered: 09/22/09
Posts: 778
Loc: Canada's Darkside NS
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Re: Mushroom Photography Tips [Re: Ran-D]
#16777920 - 09/02/12 06:17 PM (11 years, 6 months ago) |
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Rite on guys thanks for the input.. I'm just waiting for the lib season to start here, it's close though, I saw frost here this morning! I'll check back once I have some pics to critic!
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koraks
Registered: 06/02/03
Posts: 26,697
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b0bgman, wide angle macro shots are definitely cool! Good advice right there.
Now for the iffy details: that minimum focus distance tends to be a bit of an issue with ultra wide angle/fisheye lenses. Yes, the hyperfocal distance is usually quite near, especially at the closest focus point. But...only 1/3 of your depth of field is in front of the focal spot, the other 2/3 are beyond it. In practice, that means that even with a small aperture setting (and hence the huge amount of diffraction that is inherent to any very short lens), you won't get tack sharp images. Unless, of course, your mushroom is really big, like the one in the example pic you posted.
Easy, you say! Just use an extension tube and shorten the focus distance even further! Yeah, true, but imagine you're using a 12mm lens, which on a cropfactor dSLR gives a nice and 'wide' perspective. Imagine you also have a 12mm extension tube. That means the reporduction size is 1:1. Yes, that's why I took 12mm focal length and a 12mm extension tube: it makes the math easier In layman's terms, this means that your amanita that you wanted to creep up to will be way too large - it will drop outside the frame on all sides. Plus, you need to creep up to your mushroom so your lens literally touches the mushroom. Apart from composition issues, this also brings all sorts of problems with shadows and whatnot with it. So with an extension tube, you will probably miss out on the focus distance that you would ideally use with mushrooms, which is something like 3-6 inches with most mushrooms and a really wide lens (12-14mm).
Is there an alternative? Yes, a screw-on macro lens. But that will bring an enormous amount of vignetting with a very wide lens.
To be honest, I haven't found a satisfactory solution for this yet. Maybe exactly the right combination of lens and extension tube will work. Or use a screw-on filter and take cropping into account when framing the shot so you can work around the vignetting.
Of course, for web purposes such as the image posted here, just about anything will do. But for a really good image, I haven't solved this puzzle yet. I'm open to suggestions on this. I must say that I haven't personally used the lens you link to. But with a minimal focus distance of 30cm/ca. 2ft and the huge vignetting (it's an 8mm fisheye after all), I'm not too sure I'd shell out the $250 or so to try it on for size.
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Liberty King
Liberty Seeker
Registered: 09/22/09
Posts: 778
Loc: Canada's Darkside NS
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Alrite guys it's me again... "Mr. Can't take a picture to save his life" Day one of Liberty Cap Hunting was almost a bust because of technical issues lol
I own a "Powershot A3300 IS" which takes alright pics but I have never been happy with the Macro, In order ta get a semi clear shot I have to be farther from the mushroom than I like...
I usually resort back to using my GF's "Powershot A460" which is old and clunky but has a setting for "Super Macro" which has captured some of my better Lib pics. Today however everything looked fine while taking the pic but once it was taken it was just an over exposed bright light. I turned off the flash and played with the ISO settings but still no luck... So then I restored it back to the Factory settings and still the same issue... like this
I go on my annual Lib Vacation in a week so I'm kind of freaking out.. I'm hoping I can solve an issue or get a good recommendation for a good Macro Cam for around 200$ I realize a really good camera is out of this range but I'm hoping to find something comparable to the A460's Super Macro setting!
Any help is welcomed and thank you in advance!
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Alan Rockefeller
Mycologist
Registered: 03/10/07
Posts: 48,358
Last seen: 7 days, 19 hours
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Your camera doesn't have manual focus, but the macro can focus 3cm from the lens, which is easily close enough. It might be focusing on the grass instead though. You might have luck getting the camera to focus on something like your hand about 5 cm away by pressing down the shutter half way, then move the camera 5cm from the mushroom and press the shutter down the rest of the way.
Regarding the a460, it appears to be broken. Maybe you can get it to expose correctly with manual mode? http://www.kenrockwell.com/canon/compacts/a460.htm implies that there is some kind of manual mode trick.
Did you try a hard reset as described in http://www.justanswer.com/video-camera-repair/51i5g-help-please-canon-powershot-a460-sudden.html ?
It appears that lots of people have had your problem. Not sure if any of them solved it...
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Liberty King
Liberty Seeker
Registered: 09/22/09
Posts: 778
Loc: Canada's Darkside NS
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Thanks Alan... as usual you're the man lol I'll try some of those but I fear the A460 prob is broken!
The "hand focus" then move the cam trick sounds promising though because I do believe it is focusing in on the grass instead of the mushroom... It takes beautiful pics of other species but P.Semilanceata are such a small dulled color mushrooms it can be very tricky to get them good focus!
Thanks again.... and I'm sure you have a spectacular Camera yourself but any suggestion or things to look for that you would suggest?
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Alan Rockefeller
Mycologist
Registered: 03/10/07
Posts: 48,358
Last seen: 7 days, 19 hours
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A camera with manual focus and manual shooting mode would help you a lot. I always take pics in M now.
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Ran-D
Registered: 12/19/10
Posts: 16,323
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What mode are you shooting in with the AS3300(Program, Live, Automatic...)? Obviously Program is the best because it allows for the most control, but if you are having trouble with that try the Live mode. It makes things much simpler but still allows you to easily control the brightness and saturation of your photo.
Also, are you using a tripod? Even a small cheap one helps, I've found them at the dollar store.
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Bluest cheese
Stranger
Registered: 11/30/12
Posts: 1
Last seen: 7 years, 8 months
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Re: Mushroom Photography Tips [Re: kingkey24]
#17324684 - 12/03/12 02:02 AM (11 years, 3 months ago) |
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Log in to view attachment
\DUDE IM HAVING TROUBLE POSTING PICS IM NEW I AM ALL OF A SUDDEN OBBSESED WITH MUSHROOMSA LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT EVERYTHING TO DO WITH THEM PLEASE HELP I HAD A COUPKLE OF ??? TO .THANKS
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Javadog
Continuing along
Registered: 05/03/10
Posts: 7,385
Loc: USA
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If you click the "Pics" link at the top of every page, a new tab will open in which you will find an "upload" link.
Select this link and specify the files to be uploaded.
Once you have the photos in your Pics, then you can copy the URL that you need to paste into posts by just clicking on the image name.
Good luck,
JD
P.S. NO NEED TO SHOUT :0)
-------------------- Boyd Rice told my brother that life is a corny pack of freesakes Myco-tek.org
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jamescorn01
Stranger
Registered: 12/19/12
Posts: 3
Last seen: 11 years, 3 months
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Re: Mushroom Photography Tips [Re: Javadog]
#17416141 - 12/19/12 08:32 AM (11 years, 3 months ago) |
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wow i love your tips.thanks for sharing
-------------------- i love mushrooms
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suchen
Once and Future Noob
Registered: 06/28/11
Posts: 8,841
Loc: Shangri-la
Last seen: 3 years, 3 months
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Re: Mushroom Photography Tips [Re: jamescorn01]
#18058048 - 04/04/13 02:50 PM (10 years, 11 months ago) |
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I have struggled to find a good solution to underexposing the top of the stipe and the gills when photographing mushrooms. The biggest transformation in my mushroom photography recently came from following The Thinker's (or was it vjp's?) advice about making a small light reflector out of scrap cardboard wrapped in aluminum (that's aluminium for you 'cross-the-pond wankers) foil with the shiny side out. Simply place the reflector where it sends light up underneath the mushroom and angle it up or down to shine on the stipe and gills/pore surface. No more underexposing the dark areas of the mushroom! This will also force you to more carefully choose your composition so you find the best light as well as to avoid the reflector showing up in all of your shots. Using the reflector and operating the camera at the same time can be tricky, so having a tripod and sometimes using the timer function are very useful.
You can also purchase a ready-made reflector but where's the fun in that?
Here is an example from before using a reflector in which the stipe and gills are strongly underexposed due to being shaded by the cap:
But now look at the difference with a bit of reflected light:
I hope this helps!
-------------------- Rod Tulloss said: The bulb is the bulb. The volva is the volva. They have a very long term realtionship, but they’re “just friends.”
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Javadog
Continuing along
Registered: 05/03/10
Posts: 7,385
Loc: USA
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Re: Mushroom Photography Tips [Re: suchen]
#18058398 - 04/04/13 04:00 PM (10 years, 11 months ago) |
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Thanks for sharing. That last photo is perfect. :0)
JD
-------------------- Boyd Rice told my brother that life is a corny pack of freesakes Myco-tek.org
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o8u
Taxa Collector
Registered: 10/30/12
Posts: 4,148
Loc: United States
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Re: Mushroom Photography Tips [Re: Javadog]
#18399517 - 06/10/13 09:05 PM (10 years, 9 months ago) |
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When I first started shooting mushrooms, I would always stop down to around f32 to get the deepest DOF, but now I'm understanding that most lenses are sharpest around f8, and image quality suffers at these small apertures. Lately I've trying to shoot no higher than f16, and I've been getting sharper shots, but I'm wondering if it is worth the shallower DOF. Any advice?
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Gravija
Make way for the cavalcade
Registered: 06/28/11
Posts: 9,063
Loc: Chicago, Illinois, USA
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Re: Mushroom Photography Tips [Re: o8u]
#18399545 - 06/10/13 09:08 PM (10 years, 9 months ago) |
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Yes! If you have to stop down lower than f 10 to get your entire subject in focus then you are TOO CLOSE TO YOUR SUBJECT. Back off of it until the entire thing is in focus at f 10 or lower. This is much easier with a camera that has a screen and liveview as you can zoom the screen and manually focus your lens.
-------------------- Listen to my music Here
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o8u
Taxa Collector
Registered: 10/30/12
Posts: 4,148
Loc: United States
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Re: Mushroom Photography Tips [Re: Gravija]
#18399596 - 06/10/13 09:14 PM (10 years, 9 months ago) |
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Wow, thanks man. Right now I'm feeling about my overreliance on tiny apertures. It sounds like I should probably be shooting with my 70-300 lens instead of my 18-55.
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Gravija
Make way for the cavalcade
Registered: 06/28/11
Posts: 9,063
Loc: Chicago, Illinois, USA
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Re: Mushroom Photography Tips [Re: o8u]
#18399618 - 06/10/13 09:18 PM (10 years, 9 months ago) |
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Bring both and use whichever focal plane works best for the shot. If you want your pic to turn out roomy, with a sense of spaciousness then shoot at 30mm. If you want your shot to turn out tight on your subject shoot at 50-80mm. If you want your photo to turn out flat and landscapey then shoot at 100+.
-------------------- Listen to my music Here
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Ran-D
Registered: 12/19/10
Posts: 16,323
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Re: Mushroom Photography Tips [Re: Gravija]
#18399645 - 06/10/13 09:21 PM (10 years, 9 months ago) |
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Damn man I have so much to learn about all this, how do you guys do it? Seriously, all this information is overwhelming for me.
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Gravija
Make way for the cavalcade
Registered: 06/28/11
Posts: 9,063
Loc: Chicago, Illinois, USA
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Re: Mushroom Photography Tips [Re: Ran-D]
#18399678 - 06/10/13 09:26 PM (10 years, 9 months ago) |
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I'll tell you how I do it- I beg vjp and thinker to share their sage wisdom with me. Without those guys I'd still be shooting like a n00b. Enjoy learning to shoot, it is exciting and rewarding.
-------------------- Listen to my music Here
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