I promised Olafo I would post more details about how I made this image
after the names were revealed (this would have given too many clues to
Acer). Following is how I shot this image (also posted on the TOPE):
As previously posted (anonymously) I used an 18mm f/3.5 with 7mm extension
tube. Longer tubes will not work with this lens; the focus point even at
infinity focus (on the lens) ends up behind the front element. Also used
the metal screw-on combination lens hood and 72mm filter threaded filter
holder. Envisioned this image by thinking about how people see the outside
of tulips but do not often see the inside. Looked into the top of the
tulips and found the internal colors very interesting and structure quite
geometric. The red ones are more dramatic than our white ones. Also noted
on a sunny day, even in the shade, the petals are sufficiently translucent
to reveal some of their structure and allow illumination of the interior.
Waited until the tuilps were as fully open as they would be in
mid-afternoon. Then selected a likely one of the half-dozen red ones that
were fully mature just outside my front door. The location and other
flowers precluded using the tripod, so it would have to be done hand-held
limiting shutter speed to no slower than 1/30th; a definite limiter on
gettting as narrow an aperture as possible. I knew DOF would be very
shallow and wanted to maximize it. Started with the lens focused at
infinity and very carefully moved closer to the top of the tulip until the
lens hood came into contact with the tips of the petals. This helped reduce
motion of the tulip in the ever present slight breeze. The view through the
18mm super-wide lens was even better than envisioned!
Started wide open (f/3.5) and looked at exposure in the viewfinder and
stopped down until the shutter speed showed 1/30th in the viewfinder (this
ended up at f/5.6). Then carefully set critical focus on the stamen. Didn't
have to move the focus ring much from infinity focus! After setting focus,
I found myself unable to stay very steady. I very slowly depressed the
shutter release when the lens was in the correct position (focus and
composition). If it started to drift, I would stop pressing the shutter
release any further until it drifted back. This is much like pistol and
revolver shooters will do in shooting competitions as their sights drift.
After each shot (made about a dozen) I took a breather for a minute or so
to let my muscles recover before making the next one. This and one other
were the best of the lot. There are a few clearly terrible ones with some
combination of focus out, composition off and obvious camera shake.
Hope this helps with others doing macros hand held. Persistence and
patience paid off in getting an image I had visualized for the TOPE.
Thanks,
-- John
At 11:41 6/27/01, Olafo wrote:
Hi,
> Very clever leaving 3rd person comments on your own photo! As long as it
> confuses Acer... <G>
I guess most of the list members are left a bit clueless here, as to the
jokes concerning Acer. Sooo, here's a short bit of insight: Acer is always
very keen (off-list!) to try to determine just who shot which shot, but more
so, he's "beyond desperate" (o.k., o.k., that's a bit exaggerated ;) ) to
figure out which one was taken by John Lind and which one by me. My TOPE 5
and 6 entries were dead giveaways, but John has gradually grown more clever
in cloaking his image. TOPE 6 is a masterpiece in this respect: not
mentioning the 18/3.5 (well, not right away, at least), using Provia 100F
rather than K64, indicating distances in metres, and the final touch: the
comment about his own picture :) John and I definitely had a few off-list
chuckles about that one :)))
Cheers!
Olafo
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