[Geir Andersen]

A couple of days ago I got a set of extension tubes. It's this set from Fotodiox Inc. (I purchased it from a guy here in Norway, not from Fotodiox.) Fotodiox.com
Eager to test it, I set about the house looking for subjects and this image below is one of the results.


I had no idea of how to really use ET's, other than reading the extreme macro article over at PhotoCritic.org
Without knowing much, I just put the whole thing on the camera (9mm+16mm+30mm) using my only lens, 18-55mm @ 55mm (which should render about 1:1.32, according to Fotodiox).

No way to set an aperture value on the camera, so I guess I'll have to read up a bit to find a way to do this (if even possible).

Anyways.. I really liked this image, even though it's faulty, and just thought I'd get some opinions. Wasn't really going to post in the forum, only in the gallery. Then I got Angela's comment and decided to go for it.

Would it perhaps look better in B&W and increased contrast??

[Angela]

I think this is an amazing capture...it's jsut the fleshy bit at the bottom left that's a bit too much for me! But that's me....I just have a thing about eyes

[Rob Barron]

What you have done Geir is fine, I am just not at all keen on the reflection of the camera in the eye. If it was dead central, the lens concentric with the pupil, then it might work I guess but I think my feeling about eye photos is this: eyes can be very beautiful or very ugly.... the iris is beautiful when captured well and is chock full of detail so works great for a macro if you can get the focusing right. But the blood vessils around the white of the eye are not aesthetically pleasing to most people and so they tend to give the eye a slightly more gruesome feel to it.

On a 55mm lens, the 3 ETs combined will give you full macro as they are equal to the focal length (9+16+30=55) but do remember you will have a VERY small depth of field so focusing is absolutely critical. You need to get the lens absolutely square to the subject plane if you are to have a chance of getting sharpness across the subject. Aperture isn't a problem, you can still set it manually on most cameras. If it won't stop down then you will have to use widest aperture and control the light via the shutter speed but remember your DoF is going to be really small. I am literally talking 1-2mm in some cases.

I would strongly recommend you stick to entirely static subjects when you first start as anything that can move even a millimetre is going to make it very hard indeed to get pin sharpness. Remember, you are talking life size on the sensor so on an APS size sensor (22.5mm x 15mm) a movement of 1mm is equal to 4% of the entire frame.... enough to look very blurred! The iris is designed to continually measure the amount of light and increase or decrease its size accordingly so even just your camera moving close to the eye will cause a darkening which in turn will cause the iris to expand. You have to let the eye settle before you pull the trigger!

So, look around for some small objects and see what you can produce. Good objects are coins, stamps, etc as they have a flat surface so you can get the whole object sharply focused. 3D objects will give you problms so are best tried once you have got a bit more used to this very exacting genre.

Macro is a fantastic field of photography but don't let anyone tell you it is simple, it takes time, careful setting up and patience.... and the willingness to go for it again and again until you get it right

Cheers,
Rob

[Geir Andersen]

Angela: I to have a thing for eyes. To me, it's the most beautiful part of the human body. Hadn't thought about the lower left part, but as you mention it, I do agree.

Rob: Your replies amaze me!
I see how eyes can "swing" both ways. This capture would probably have been better with the camera-reflection centered in the pupil. Guess I'll have to set up again and really try to get it real. (This was shot without thought, and I didn't know about the reflection until I opened it in PS .)

I have come to realize the beauty and thrill of macro. That is why I invested in a DSLR. Currently saving up for a true macro lens (100mm or more), but the prices here in Norway are quite high, so it's still a bit in the future.

When I don't get it right, I just go back and try again. (Until I get it right, or something happens to the subject.) That's one thing about poker-experience that's good. It really helps to train for mental focus, and handling of emotions.

Thanks for the advice on what subjects to try. The few tests I made were hand-held in very low light, and using rather difficult subjects, so they turned out "wonky" . I ain't givin' up though.