Controlling The Light

 By Mike Moats

For the macro photographer working with natural light, here is a tip and products to help improve your photos.

These are two simple and inexpensive products that I carry with me in the field for controlling light.

LiteDiscs 12″ Translucent  (diffuser)

 

 

 

Plamp (made by Wimberly)

The great advantage that macro photographers have over nature photographers who shoot landscape and wildlife is that we can control the light hitting our subject. Landscape and wildlife photographers have to deal with whatever mother nature throws down on their subjects (harsh sunlight, heavy overcast skies) without any ability to control it. Because of the small size of our subjects and a little help from these two items above, we take control.

This image was shot on a cloudy day, but even a cloudy day will produce harsh light and wash out the tops of flowers. As you can see the top of the Dames Rocket has lost its color.

With this image I have placed a diffuser over the top of the flower shading it from the overhead light. By doing this, it restored the color throughout the flower.

This example shows how to position the diffuser over the top of a flower, shading it from the harsh overhead light.

Here is another example of controlling harsh overhead light with the diffuser.

 Without diffuser                             With diffuser overhead

So what do we use the Plamp for? For holding the Diffuser.

Please take a minute and check out my new Macro Nature Forum. www.macronatureforum.com

Comments

[Marc]

Great tips. thanks

[retoque de fotos]

Hey mike, I love all the details you do on your layouts. :)