Steve52
old hand
Reged: 08/04/2007
Posts: 793
Loc: Dawlish, Devon, UK
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I hope you can make it Steve.
Hurrah. Forgot I had a TIL owing to me for working Xmas Day. Have let John know that I can make it via e-mail.
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FRIPN. Nostalgia just isn't what it used to be.
www.flickr.com/photos/mrsony/
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Badgerman
Nocturnal Non-Scaredy Cat In A Deep Pit
Reged: 05/01/2006
Posts: 2352
Loc: Devon.
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Quote:
Quote:
I hope you can make it Steve.
Hurrah. Forgot I had a TIL owing to me for working Xmas Day. Have let John know that I can make it via e-mail.
Great news Steve...more details when near the time.
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Regards
Colin.
If I could, I probably would.
www.colinsargent.co.uk
Wildlife Photographer.
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CLG
enthusiast
Reged: 11/02/2008
Posts: 335
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It looks gorgeous ...
Have fun 
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My photos
http://www.claire-garcia.com/
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OneTen
'Two Breakfasts'
Reged: 23/06/2003
Posts: 2540
Loc: Devon
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What's the lighting like for the butterflies John? Available light or flash required? If I need flash, I'll need to get some practise.
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Richard .......... My Website - My Blog - My Flickr
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John Baker
he can
Reged: 07/03/2003
Posts: 1545
Loc: Teignmouth, Devon
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Depends on conditions last time I went there was quite a lot of light, so handholding was an option without having to push the ISO too far. I think I was using a monopod which really took the strain. They have butterflies emerging everyday and they don’t tend to do a lot as their wings inflate. There are no reptiles in the house as far as I can remember? I think I did two sessions, first one was with the straight lens, then I went out to the Otters at the back of the site, I then loaded up with some extension tubes and went back in!!!
I found that I was very successful with flash as it tended to get both the speed up and allowed the lens to be stopped down, which really helped. Below is a picture of the kit I tend to use – happy to do a bit of master class on flash compensation, which I find makes all the difference and has improved my success rate... Picture taken at Stover by Colin at the meet last year.
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OneTen
'Two Breakfasts'
Reged: 23/06/2003
Posts: 2540
Loc: Devon
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Cheers John. Yeah I'd love to pick your brains on your use of flash. I have a Vivitar 283 with manual adapter so I'm going to experiment with different settings this afternoon. I've been looking at flash brackets for macro, is that the Manfrotto 233 you have there?
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Richard .......... My Website - My Blog - My Flickr
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John Baker
he can
Reged: 07/03/2003
Posts: 1545
Loc: Teignmouth, Devon
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This bracket is something I picked up second-hand from a local shop – it is a Stroboframe Pro RL - http://tinyurl.com/y88t7v – it is really designed for weddings and portrait work, but I have found that it is great for macro as it gets the flash well out of the way, the Lightsphere II is a big diffuser which reduces the harshness nicely. The bit you need to get the flash off the camera is the Canon Off Camera Shoe Cord OC-E3 - you can get these SH for around £20, I think Jessies will also do you one! Of course the other way is with the wireless transmitter which is I think how Colin does his badgers?
For macro work I normally dial in anything from -2 to -3 exposure compensation and it works for me every time. I have recently added a CP-E3 external battery pack which increases the recycle time considerably.
I like the flash bracket concept and I am looking for something a bit smaller which can collapse for when I am travelling – there are a whole series of new Chinese clone versions on eBay which look good – the ‘frotto 233 is excellent, I was playing with one in London earlier in the week, I was tempted...
Here is an example of the sort of thing you should be able to get
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OneTen
'Two Breakfasts'
Reged: 23/06/2003
Posts: 2540
Loc: Devon
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Thanks for the info John and that's certainly the kind of image I would like to achieve.
I've been testing the flash using different settings and have found the optimum for closest focus on the 100mm macro. I can alter the flash from full power down to 1/32 power, so once I have a bracket at least the distance will become a constant. At the moment I have the camera in one hand and the flash in the other, not exactly ideal. One of this afternoon's tests:
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Richard .......... My Website - My Blog - My Flickr
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Badgerman
Nocturnal Non-Scaredy Cat In A Deep Pit
Reged: 05/01/2006
Posts: 2352
Loc: Devon.
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Great Bumble shot John.
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Regards
Colin.
If I could, I probably would.
www.colinsargent.co.uk
Wildlife Photographer.
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John Baker
he can
Reged: 07/03/2003
Posts: 1545
Loc: Teignmouth, Devon
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The 283 is a great gun I had one many years ago – a good picture, shows you are doing it right! Flash in one hand, camera in the other been there got that T Shirt!
Of course the other way you can do it is stick the whole contraption on a monopod and let that take the strain… You can then even hold the flash properly!
Just found this, may be worth trying some of these ideas -
Homemade Bounce Flash Toys
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daft_biker
Action Man!
Reged: 11/10/2006
Posts: 7685
Loc: Doon the glen
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Was down at Dobbies butterfly farm outside Edinburgh last weekend..... some pics here. I forgot how warm it can be in those places....take a towel to mop up the sweat 
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Andrew (BSRIPN) ... Pics.
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OneTen
'Two Breakfasts'
Reged: 23/06/2003
Posts: 2540
Loc: Devon
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Some great shots there Andrew. 
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Richard .......... My Website - My Blog - My Flickr
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John Baker
he can
Reged: 07/03/2003
Posts: 1545
Loc: Teignmouth, Devon
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Andy some great work there, what were you using on the lens front? The problem I find with butterflies is they can be quite big, it is the one time I struggle with my 180mm as I need to move so far back to get the whole thing in!
I have started a new post in the “Forthcoming Events” forum for this event – I thought it was possibly the proper place for it, see http://tinyurl.com/2babxl for details... Apologies to the Mods if that was not the right thing to do!!!
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daft_biker
Action Man!
Reged: 11/10/2006
Posts: 7685
Loc: Doon the glen
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Cheers guys...hope you have a good day All those shots were from the 100mm with ringflash. No real problems distance wise with the butterflies that I photographed in the farm but have done out in the woods...up on my tiptoes trying to shoot them from above as they feed on flowers! I need to go back when I'm not trying to keep up with a 3 year old 
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Andrew (BSRIPN) ... Pics.
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GDN
old hand
Reged: 05/02/2008
Posts: 834
Loc: Surrey
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Really nice butterfly shots there Andrew. Very, Very impressive. Put my butterfly shots in the dark somewhat..
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Gary - My Flickr Site
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CLG
enthusiast
Reged: 11/02/2008
Posts: 335
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Quote:
Really nice butterfly shots there Andrew. Very, Very impressive. Put my butterfly shots in the dark somewhat..
I think your butterflys are gorgeous
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My photos
http://www.claire-garcia.com/
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daft_biker
Action Man!
Reged: 11/10/2006
Posts: 7685
Loc: Doon the glen
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Quote:
Really nice butterfly shots there Andrew. Very, Very impressive. Put my butterfly shots in the dark somewhat..
Thanks Gary. Cracking shots of them on your Flickr site too...good job getting the feeding on flowers ones  There wasn't many flowers in the place I was at so they were feeding on fruit in bowls...not quite so photogenic!
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Andrew (BSRIPN) ... Pics.
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GDN
old hand
Reged: 05/02/2008
Posts: 834
Loc: Surrey
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Oh I've got loads feeding from fruit in the bowls... as you say not very photogenic at all... 
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Gary - My Flickr Site
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