Background darkening: Looking for some suggestions on the best way to darken / totally darken the background in close up/ Macro shots mainly wildflowers and insects. I usually stack...

slocum2020

Looking for some suggestions on the best way to darken / totally darken the background in close up/ Macro shots mainly wildflowers and insects. I usually stack images and use a Canon 80D with a 35mm lens and a 100mm lens, I have been trying to use the contrast and shadow adjustments on Canons DPP software but it seems to add some harshness to the image, do not have Lightroom.

Thanks,

Frank S.

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

I use Photoshop. It does stacking and you can select the foreground or the background in a new layer and darken things appropriately (or even replace them). Have not tried the new masking tools in LR to do that (yet).

I'm sure there are other programs that will be able to do that and you will hear from proponents of each of them Real Soon Now.

13 Loc: I am only responsible to what I say..not what

slocum2020 wrote:

Looking for some suggestions on the best way to darken / totally darken the background in close up/ Macro shots mainly wildflowers and insects. I usually stack images and use a Canon 80D with a 35mm lens and a 100mm lens, I have been trying to use the contrast and shadow adjustments on Canons DPP software but it seems to add some harshness to the image, do not have Lightroom.

Thanks,

Frank S.

Try these...it's free. www.lightstalking.com/free-photography-software/

photoman43

For new shots, use flash as main light. Inverse square law will help darken the background. Just make sure flash is not too bright.

https://digital-photography-school.com/dark-and-dramatic-backgrounds/

tcthome Loc: NJ

Flash should help. You can adjust your shutter so when you take the photo it is black. Then light your subject onlyusing a flash. Some flashes you can set your aperture on your flash & distance & it will tell your power setting. The other way would to just play around with the power & distance so light doesn't go pass your subject. Also depending on your angle of your flash to subject, it could show more detail on your subject. Also you could use a black backround &, if you want you could do a combination of flash & a black backround. Bryan Peterson has a book called understanding flash. It explains that you use the shutter speed to control the ambient(surrounding) light & the aperture (which you would set on your flash also) to control the light on your subject. The inverse square law mentioned above is the light fall off that should happen pretty fast behind your subject if done correctly. Just play with it & have fun. Hope this helps.

slocum2020

Thanx

rgrenaderphoto Loc: Hollywood, CA

slocum2020 wrote:

Looking for some suggestions on the best way to darken / totally darken the background in close up/ Macro shots mainly wildflowers and insects. I usually stack images and use a Canon 80D with a 35mm lens and a 100mm lens, I have been trying to use the contrast and shadow adjustments on Canons DPP software but it seems to add some harshness to the image, do not have Lightroom.

Thanks,

Frank S.

The 2021 update to Lightroom with its fantastic masking features, will allow you to select the background and manipulate exposure while leaving the main subject alone.

I needed to darken the background on some images of cakes for a door prize flyer. Lightroom did an excellent job in darkening the background.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

slocum2020 wrote:

Looking for some suggestions on the best way to darken / totally darken the background in close up/ Macro shots mainly wildflowers and insects. I usually stack images and use a Canon 80D with a 35mm lens and a 100mm lens, I have been trying to use the contrast and shadow adjustments on Canons DPP software but it seems to add some harshness to the image, do not have Lightroom.

Thanks,

Frank S.

Other than careful lighting on the subject with a flag to avoid light spilling onto the background (first example) the other, usually easier method is to create a selection in post processing that includes the main subject but no background, then create a black fill layer and place it below the selection in the layer panel (second example).

If you have the luxuries of time and room, and a second pair of hands, the first method can be used to minimize or even eliminate post processing to darken the background. Keeping the speed light close to the subject is key.

But if you are shooting in a crowded venue, and cannot get the light the way you want, or you want to shoot with a key light that is at 45° (give or take) to the subject, then the select and mask overlaid onto a black layer approach is the way to go.

Photoshop, On1, Nik, Topaz and other raster editing programs have tools to make a selection, save it and overlay it onto another layer.

(Download)

slocum2020

Thanx

cscorretor

Muito bonita as imagens, vc tirou cum 100mm Macro estas fotos, pergunto porque a nitidez é impresionante, ainda que tenha pós processamento...

cscorretor

As vezes eu tento brincar fotoografando flores mas tenho acertado poucas, as vezes acerto a foto ai erro na edição rss

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

cscorretor wrote:

Muito bonita as imagens, vc tirou cum 100mm Macro estas fotos, pergunto porque a nitidez é impresionante, ainda que tenha pós processamento...

Obrigado! Usei uma macro Tamron 180mm para ambas as flores. Não há nada de errado com o pós-processamento, se isso realçar a imagem.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

cscorretor wrote:

As vezes eu tento brincar fotoografando flores mas tenho acertado poucas, as vezes acerto a foto ai erro na edição rss

Continue praticando! Sempre fica melhor quanto mais você faz!

Hip Coyote

Suggest you investigate high speed synch. HSS. It works well for macro and makes background perfectly black.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

Hip Coyote wrote:

Suggest you investigate high speed synch. HSS. It works well for macro and makes background perfectly black.

You don't need high speed sync to darken/blackout the background. But you do need to get the light as close to the subject as possible, and put a flag on the light to minimize light spill on the background. I do it all the time and don't use HSS.