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Robert Frank Gabriel

10 Years Ago

Tech For Flora Photography..i'll Show You Mine; You Show Me Yours...

I do most of my flower photography with a long zoom lens 55-250. I generally have the lens set at 250, with a F stop set at 6.3 (to blur out the background), and the shutter speed hopefully no slower than at 60 (I seldom use a tripod as I am to impatient and I like to move around my images). I set the ISO at 400 just so that I can get a faster shutter speed.

I can always "add" color to my flowers once I put them into a photo editing program. And, of course, I ALWAYS use RAW over JPEGs. RAW images allow us to be more creative in our photo editing.

Sigh, I do wish I had a more expensive digital Canon Camera. I use both T1 and T3 Canons. And, of course, I also would like a long zoom lens in the over $1,000 range (for better glass)...

I use natural lighting and avoid direct sunlight.

Do you have a favorite tech method for photographing flowers?

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Robert Frank Gabriel

10 Years Ago

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Here is one of my images with the above tech.

 

Crystal Wightman

10 Years Ago

I use my 105mm macro lens. There is no set shutter, aperture or ISO that I use because that all depends on the lighting, what exactly I am shooting and the distance to the subject.

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Robert Frank Gabriel

10 Years Ago

Love your Rainbow Drop...
Here is a high key image of an apple blossom branch...
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Roseann Caputo

10 Years Ago

RFG - I have the T2. Which model would you like to go to?

This was taken with a 60mm macro lens. ISO 400. SS 1/60

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A Souppes

10 Years Ago

I use 24-120 nikon lens not changing my iso from 100 very often unless i have to. f4 100mm:
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Matthias Hauser

10 Years Ago

I use a macro lens (100mm), aperture often white open as I love a shallow depth of field, this one is f2,8:

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Tom Druin

10 Years Ago

Photography Prints talk to flowers please hold still ....

 

Jenny Rainbow

10 Years Ago

For flowers I use Sigma 70-200 f/2.8, Nikon 60 mm f/2.8, Tamron 90 mm f/2,8 and very rarely Nikon 50 mm 1.4... Usually set them on 2.8 (shallow DOF) for the colorful abstract and some impressionistic effect. More playing with colors, light and shapes (lines)...Often go for high ISO as do it without tripod most of the time. If Im on Aperture priority also often go with high key +0.7 +1 ... to get some heavenly effect. And sometimes using incamera multi exposure (2-5 frames).

Sigma 70-200
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Nikon 60 mm
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Tamron 90 mm:
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Paul Cowan

10 Years Ago

Graflex Crown Graphic, tripod mounted with a 150mm Schneider Symmar and 4x5 Fomapan 100 sheet film. Aperture about f/32 for an exposure of around 1s, allowing for bellows extension and a couple of stops for reciprocity failure. I think you can see the difference this makes compared with the other shots here ;)

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Lisa McStamp

10 Years Ago

I use a macro 100mm, usually wide open and a lensbaby composer pro.

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Chris Kusik

10 Years Ago

Mamiya swing back 6x9 cm, 100mm 2.8 Mamiya Sekor lens. Kodak Portra 160VC film. Bellows extends from the rear of the camera for magnification and swings and tilts for increased
depth of field.


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Paul Cowan

10 Years Ago

Great shot, Chris.

 

Jane McIlroy

10 Years Ago

I just shoot them as they grow in the garden, and then play with them afterwards...

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Pink And Cream Cactus Dahlia

 

Steven Ralser

10 Years Ago

I'm now using micro 4/3, in my case the Panasonic GH2. I like that I don't have to lug all that stuff around. I've got the Olympus 60mm macro. This is the first shots with it

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Christi Kraft

10 Years Ago

I love my Nikon 60mm macro.

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Natural light is my favorite, whenever possible, and of course, a tripod is usually necessary.

 

Val Rufus-Ellis

10 Years Ago

I use a 60mm macro lens, use natural light. I always shoot in RAW usually f2.8and ISO 100.I always use a tripod as well as mirror lock and and the self timer .
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Brian Wallace

10 Years Ago

I just purchased a Nikon D600 and am looking forward to learning the manual controls. For now, I've kept it on Auto as I gradually get a feel for it. The package was bundled with a 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5G ED VR as well as a 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED.

Before my new purchase, my DSLR was a Pentax K10. I purchased two, with standard and zoom lenses primarily to mount on a rig for 3D stereo photography. Of course I used them for 2D as well. I used the zoom lens for macro shots. I had to be at least 6 feet away from the subject and zoomed between 180-300mm. When I wanted a serious capture, I would use a tripod, ISO of 100, and slow shutter to allow enough light to enter. A higher ISO meant more noise.

Last Friday I attended the annual Flower Mart in Baltimore, MD and christened my new Nikon with it's first legitimate outing. I'm still processing images but here is one with flowers taken in the auto mode and then one of my favorite Iris flower macro with an older camera...

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Delete Delete

10 Years Ago

Nice thread Robert and great looking flowers everyone!

Last summer, I was still using my Panasonic DMC-TZ5 (P&S) for all my photography. For macro work, I used a homemade lens that slipped over the fixed Leica lens. This allowed me to work with dof, something a P&S with no manual controls, does not natively allow you to do. Here are two examples, from that camera.

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"Tiny by Nature"

 

Robert Frank Gabriel

10 Years Ago

If I am not using my Canon lens 55-250 then I use a Canon 50mm macro 2.5....as I did here.
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William Norton

10 Years Ago

ISO 400 270 MM f6.3 1/400

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Gunter Nezhoda

10 Years Ago

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Viktor Savchenko

10 Years Ago

Canon 50d with kit lens.California sunny afternoon,handheld,dial -0.3,processed with PWP
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Roy Erickson

10 Years Ago

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Paul Gulliver

10 Years Ago

Like Steven I also use the micro 4/3 format - Olympus E-PL5 and I use the 60mm macro lens for close up and macro work
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Mike Savad

10 Years Ago

right now i have no solid method of presenting flowers that sell. i plan to start shooting shallow, but my lens stops down to 6.3 on 300mm. when i get the camera back from the shop (brand new and already had problems), i can practice more. it has a good focus ability so i should be able to get better things. i haven't been impressed with my flower stock as of yet. i think mostly because i go for more detail and don't play with bokeh like i should. i've tried different methods in the past for presenting them, but on vacation we plan on going to some garden and i'll have to play more with shallow, and try new methods.

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i'm better at the still life end of it.


---Mike Savad

 

Robert Woodward

10 Years Ago

I typically use my 100 mm macro with f16 or smaller aperture. A black velvet cloth is used to provide the black background, but many of mine are shot "in situ" with a natural background. Some are shot on a makeshift light table. I use a shallower DOF in some cases.
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Heather Applegate

10 Years Ago

I use my 50mm 1.8 almost exclusively. All of these are with that lens, wide open. I happen to have a day job as a merchandiser for a greenhouse, so no shortage of flowers to photograph when I get new ones or interesting ones in.

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