infestation Loc: Brampton, Cumbria, UK

Experimenting with trying to achieve a more portable setup rather than the flash bracket/hand grip, and massive DIY soft-box, trying out the hama flash bracket and back to the beer can diffuser.

All shot with the K3, Pentax 100mm, 31mm extension tubes, yougnuo 560II flash at 1/16th power+0.7ev, Shutter 1/160th, ISO 200, f13 or 14 depending if I had inadvertently changed it :oops:

1. Heavy crops these first 2 images

(Download)

2.

(Download)

3. only a slight crop on this, top and right

(Download)

4. Don't know what's on its stomach but did sit quiet for a while at least

(Download)

Nikonian72 Loc: Chico CA

They all feel under-illuminated (dark), especially image #1.

infestation Loc: Brampton, Cumbria, UK

Thanks, I had a look at the last 2, brought up no3 a touch, the golden one couldn't bring it up much without the parasitic growth blowing out, I think it was a parasite as I found it today still on the grass, very much desiccated and no growth left whilst still rooted to the grass in the very same position, didn't get any follow up pictures though :(
Still leaves plenty of room to play with on tweaking my setup.

(Download)


(Download)

martinfisherphoto Loc: Lake Placid Florida

My last diffuser was built rectangle shape at 5x7-inches, perfect size for the same flash your using, the same as I use. I leave my flash mounted to the camera as I find using it on the side adds to much weight and throws the outfit out of balance when holding. Only difference is I have to keep the power up 3/4 of the way when shooting at F/16, 1/200sec ISO200, which is my comfort zone. When reduced to F/9 for stacking I'm below half way power and I never miss a beat with the flash upwards of 30 shots. I would recommend changing the shape of your diffuser as a cylinder shape diffuser is too directional and does not spread the light out as a rectangle shape diffuser would. I also recommend a good quality paper towel as the diffuser material. If you like the illumination of my photographs the above mention is how I do it.

infestation Loc: Brampton, Cumbria, UK

Thanks, I do admired your shots especially the stacking that you pull off in the field.
I have been playing with a couple of ideas, my larger DIY box is 6 1/2" x 9" pretty much and like you when on the side find it does affect the balance quite badly, and as such never really took the set-up very far afield, hence looking towards a neater lighter set-up for taking further afield.

As a side I found out what I thought was a parasite on the dung fly is a fungus http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entomophthora_muscae