The precautionary suit of armour got a good laugh out of me lol. This video popped up on my front page at the perfect time as I've just begun to macro photograph wildflowers this week.
Thank you for the first tip! So many people need to hear this, especially with social media causing more and more people to lay on top of wildflowers for selfies.
Great video, John! So peaceful there, I kept rewatching parts of the video staring at everything in the background and wishing I was there, the scenery and buildings are so charming - very different than here. Thank you for the awesome shoutout, so kind of you. I loved all of the photos and tips, especially the one at 16:28, incredible! I'd love to get similar wildflower armor, but it's too hot here for that kind of gear, I'll just have to keep suffering the dangers haha! That was so funny, I showed my kids, they had a good laugh too.
Thank you very much Liesl. One of the things I like about watching your videos is on the background. It's great to see other parts of the world. You are welcome on the shout out. I really enjoy your videos and the nature macros are the best I've seen so I would love to see you with more subscribers. Also I'm glad you found that funny, it was hard work. I was on the side of a quiet road but every now and then a car or pedestrian would go past and I got embarrassed and took it all off, it took a while.
Thanks! I have had a nice bump in subs and really appreciate it. Oh I can just picture the scene of passers-by wondering what in the world you were up to! LOL
@@LieslHuddlestonyou are welcome. You deserve them. Getting a mention or a collaboration really helps. It did for me. At one point I had my tripod low with the center column horizontal and I was lying on the floor behind so it looked like I was hiding with a machine gun and the police turned.
Thanks John, really enjoyed watching. Particularly loved your windbreak build. Agree with your comments on Liesl Huddleston. Look forward to seeing more of your videos 😊
Thank you very much, John! Beautiful photography. Absolutely loved the bracken photo. The windbreak is a brilliant idea. I use my phone, I'll definitely look into the right macro lens for it. We have similar yellow flowers on mustard plants. The seeds are used for tempering food and for oil. New subscriber! Namaste from India!
You are welcome. Thank you so much for your kind words. It is that time of year again when the flowers are starting to emerge, and it's definitely the most exciting time. I really should do a video just with my phone, that could be fun. All.the best 💖
Thank you very much for your kind words Veronica. I remember watching a flower documentary years ago about Triffids. Flowers can be extremely dangerous so remember - safety is important!
Hi, the windbreak is an inspired idea - which can be expanded upon. I would have a frosted piece of perspex with me as a diffusor to use instead of or on top of the lid...
Hello, that's a good idea. That was on my original design but I wanted it to be interchangeable in case it wasn't sunny. The design ended up getting expensive so I was going to make a carrier out of white cloth which I could use as the diffuser but haven't got around to making it yet as my sewing skills aren't good. It would be interesting to see how you get on. It great to improve designs. I did come up with a lighter, cheaper and easier design now but that would make my video obsolete. On ebay I found a mini popup greenhouse that would do the job 😢
@@JohnGreenwoodPhotography To be interchangable you only need to make it out of thin perspex and have one side of the main construction feature one side of velcro tape and the other side glued to the frosted perspex. I'll see if I can source materials where I live short term because my next macro hike (12-18 km) is coming up shortly - and I'll scale it down to A4 for portability reasons. I already have 2 Plamps, a Viltrox video light, two tripod, macro rails, often two cameras (one for my wife who happily shares the hobby) and corresponding lenses and odds and sods competing for the space in my always too small backpack of 12-15kg...
Hello marlize, you are very welcome and thank you for commenting. I'm glad you enjoyed the video. Do you get many different flowers to the UK? I image the alpine flowers are stunning.
Hello Trevor, I hope you are well. Thank you very much for your kind words. That was specialist flower protection, it really works, I didn't get a petal cut or anything.
John thanks for this informative video, With my landscape photography I love to 'get in amongst it' so to speak and recently I've been attracted to out door macro. Your video tips have paved there way for me to get going on this genre so thanks.
What a lovely video, full of information which we can easily follow with many tips, your videos are always first class, always look forward to watching, and this was something different from your usual format, look forward to more, Regards.
Hello Colin, I hope you are ok and as ever, thank you very much for your kind words. I wasn't sure what people would make of this video so I am glad you enjoyed it.
Hi John. Great vid. I have been thinking about photographing the wild flowers this year so thanks very much for the fantastic tips. I will definitely be having a go at making one of your perspex wind breaks, what a brilliant idea. Love the rapeseed image. Seeing you with all your wild flower armor on made me laugh out loud. I didn't realise photographing flowers was so dangerous 😀 great stuff 👍
Thank you so much for your kind words Jim. There are some lovely flowers in the spring. The bluebells on black Hill should be out this weekend if the locals haven't trampled on them. I'm glad you enjoyed the video.
Nice video John! To be honest flower photography is something I've never ever tried but you've certainly opened my eyes somewhat to the potential. Thanks for sharing :-)
Thank you very much James. To be honest, I only really photograph them once a year in the Spring, but they always turn out really beautiful. Plus it doen't matter about whether it's cloudy or not.
I just bought a Rebel T7 because i really wanted to start taking pictures of flowers. I know its not a crazy camera but i got a few really awesome pics. One with a moth feeding 😁 It is such a fun experience.
I had the film equivalent of that camera, it was really good. I got some great photos. It's enjoying yourself that is the most important part of photography.
Hey John, interesting video. I really appreciate the windbreaker display. I always find tree flowers are great but due to them being off the ground in Spring, wind is always a factor.
Thank you very much. Yes the wind break does have its limits. I also wanted to photograph tree flowers as some are amazing but as you said the wind is an issue. Once I have figured out how to get around it I'll do a video. Making a tree sized wind box is going to be tricky.
Great video - thank you! I've just started photographing wild flowers with my Olympus EM10 MkII, some extension tubes and a 40-150mm lens. It's handy cos the kit is quite small.
Thank you Derek, I'm glad you enjoyed it. It is really useful to have a light and compact kit. I tend to shake a lot and always use a tripod so my kit is cumbersome I miss so many shots or don't even take it out some days.
Another tip or two: Take an establishing shot along with closeups. That helps with identification later. I sometimes get back home with a closeup of flower parts and can't identify the actual flower. For maximizing insect opportunity, going out early in the morning when it is cooler and damper helps a lot. Insects are less active and will stay still long enough to get good shots. I shoot primarily handheld and shoot bursts while slowly moving my body in and out to focus on the insect. These can later be focus stacked if the insect didn't move to increase the area in focus. Lastly, a good light helps a lot with maximizing DOF. LED banks are cheap and are great to allow use of Fstops from F16-22 or so for insects.
Hello Philip, there are some good tips there. I usually try to get a non macro photo but I just didn't for some reason. Its a good idea though. Getting up early is a good idea too. Unfortunately Im not an early bird. I have tried photographing hand held but I have never been successful. I shake too much even with a wide angle in bright light. I will start practicing all those for next year. Cheers and all the best.
Hello David, its not something I have ever tried. I thought about it when photographing the bee, but I couldn't focus enough on the bee. I have found out since, though, that the Canon connect app allows you to select a start and end focus point and the app automatically focuses for you. Unfortunately I haven't been able to connect it to my camera yet but I will persevere. Thank you for your kind words.
@@JohnGreenwoodPhotography Forget about focus stacking, most common macro subjects don't work too well in this regard - as soon as one part of the subject overlays areas further back you'll end up with halos which are inevitable (as in optically unavoidable). Focus stacking works when the subject depth is extremely small compared to the focal length (mostly this means very high magnifications in excess of 5:1 - because then the change in perspective between the front and the back of the stacked depth isn't going to produce too pronounced halos) or if the focal length is extremely small compared to the subject depth (i.e. landscape) because you practically don't get a change in perspective from the required focus changes).
Hi Tom, no I haven't. These were pretty expensive when I looked into them many years ago and as I predominantly do Landscape Photography I couldn't justify the cost for the occasional shoot. As I always use a tripod and a wind shield and don't photograph active insects I don't worry too much about movement. However, I have seen this really cool video and might make my own macro flash - ruclips.net/video/ywGj3aMdLCI/видео.html
Hello Beatriz, thank you for your question. It is almost impossible to recommend a good tripod due to the variances in your photography needs, equipment etc. A sturdy tripod is a must, but depending on the weight and focal length of your lens will determine how sturdy this needs to be. Generally, the heavier the tripod the sturdier it is, however, you won't use it if it's too heavy to take on hikes. Therefore a good alternative is aluminium or carbon fibre, which then makes them expensive. Unfortunately tripods are best bought from a shop so you can feel the weight, twist it around to check it's stability etc, but this is more expensive and inconvenient than getting something from the internet. This article is very helpful and expands on what I have said above www.phototraces.com/b/best-tripod-brands/. $300 sounds a lot for just a tripod but if you are prepared to spend this amound, you will get something that will last and is useful. However, the 1 important thing I would say when buying a tripod for floral photography is don't get one with leg braces. These are usually the cheaper varieties as the joints aren't as strong, but you can't spread the legs apart to get a low enough angle to get close to the flowers, so would be a waster of money. I'm sorry I can't be specific there are so many variants, but I hope this helps.
Hi john have just come across your utube video verry good I have a tamron macro 90mm lens but struggle with looking at thw way you do is good. I also have a canon 70.200 2.8 very good would that that work okay keep up the good work.
Hello Roy, thank you very much. I don't have any experience with a macro lens, I have only used extensions tubes. I don't know if you have seen his videos, but Micael Widell has a channel and his macro work is outstanding. This video is withe your macro lens, ruclips.net/video/U_vYvhLVyFQ/видео.html. Because I mostly do landscape work, I prefer to use the extension tubes on my existing lenses which allows me to get up ridiculously close. The 70-200 on it's own would give you some great close ups but now true macro unless you can get a cheap extension tube for it. What is it exactly that you are struggling with? Maybe my viewers or I could help in some way?
Hi Ellen, it's on the end screen at the end of the video on the bottom right. I'm not at my computer at the moment and don't know if I can send a link from my phone as it keeps opening up in the app. When I get back, I'll add it to the description too. In the meantime you could search for Liesl Huddleston and it should appear.
Hi Ellen, I have added the the link to Liesl Huddleston's channel in the description now. I don't know why I didn't add it there also in the first place, thank you - ruclips.net/channel/UC6_-OFbgyvr4kXDrLYukqnA
I am really enjoying your tips. I think I will make your break, but with velcro instead of duct tape. In North America, they don't call the flower rape, rape-we call it canola now.
@janetadam1244 thank you, I'm glad you are enjoying it. Velcro sounds like a great idea. That would make it a lot more versatile. Ah OK, I wondered what canola oil was, not enough to look it up but I was curious and now I know, thank you. I think it's a better name for it. I wish you all the best with your photography.
Maybe you are going for the given short dof of the lens. Otherwise - as you have already to some degree "frozen" the flower with the wind shield - you could stack 2-3 shots with slightly different focus planes. I think it's possible with a steady hand, or if your camera has a feature to bracket the focusing distance. I have to admit that I haven't experimented with this myself on such delicate dofs. The slightest movement could ruin the output. Have you?
Hello Eigil, thank you very much for your comment. It's a good question and to be honest not something I have thought about. I have done it with landscapes but not on something so delicate. (which actually sounds the wrong way around) Even though I use the windbreak to stop any movement, I still don't find it easy to get the focus spot on so I usually take a number of exposures with differing focus anyway, so potentially I may already have the images to stack. It's definitely something I will consider. Personally I am not a fan of shallow DOF if there is a subject like an insect I like to see all of it so stacking is worth considering. Thank you for your support.
Macro lenses can be, actually, quite versatile, the are usually great portrait lenses. As long as the focusing distance is "normal", the depth of field is also normal.
@@JohnGreenwoodPhotography if you really want to buy a macro lens, you can buy a used one online, there are some great deals out there. The worst macro lens is a huge step up from extension tubes, because of the greater working distance and, other than that, you can combine macro lens with extension tubes for even greater amplification ratio.
Right, John. I'm going to watch the rest of the video in a minute when I've just said what I need to say, because I'm sure it's very good. However I've just reached 'Tip No.2' and there is already a problem here. Allow me to explain. You (rightly) suggest that getting down on the ground at the same eye level as the flower is a brilliant way to photograph them. However, I'm disabled, and cannot do this. Basically if I were to do this, I would never get back up again! LOL. Can you suggest a way of getting on the same level as the flower, without actually getting down on the ground, as myself, and I'm sure many others, would find this very hard, if not impossible to do. Please don't misunderstand me, I'm not having a go at you. But thinking 'outside the box' is something I've become somewhat of an expert in.
Hello Ashley, That's a good question. I have suffered with back problems for many years so have limited motion from time to time. One thing I like about wildflower photography is that you can get photo next to a road so I don't have to carry heavy camera equipment very far. I can't bend over easily so I either take a lightweight camping stool with me or have knee pads, that you would see in the video, so I can kneel down instead of bending or crouching. Having a sturdy tripod or tree helps me get back up on occasion. There are a number of options that I use or can think of that could help. 1) Getting low down is great for getting at eye level for drooping flowers, however, there are flowers with flat upward facing heads, like daisies, dandelions, asters, etc that are better from above. 2) The video was taken in Spring when a lot of the flowers are low to the ground so it does help to get low to be at the same height. However, it is often the case that Summer flowers are taller, like Foxgloves or Lupins, so can be photographed at eye level relatively easily. 3) You don't have to get up close and personal with the flowers. If you can find a large group of flowers, you can take a landscape style photograph where being high up will allow you to look down on a mass of colour. 4) My camera can be connected to my mobile for remote shooting. If I can't get low enough, I will put the camera on a low tripod, then pop the tripod in front of the flower and operate the camera through the phone so I don't need to get down to the same level. If your camera has a flip up screen, this could be used in a similar way. 5) If I want to get my camera lower than the minimum tripod height, I can remove and invert the centre column on my tripod so the camera is upside down. I can then get shots very low to the ground. The only issue with this is turning to monitors upside down to view the photos. 6) If moving around the countryside is too difficult, then there are plenty of Gardens and Parks that may have wheelchair access, raised beds, or taller flowers such as climbers like roses or clematis. These are just a few suggestions which I hope may help. I also hope you enjoyed the rest of the video.
I think if you have a camera with the scrren that can be flip up or down it will make you easier to view the flower in live view, plus put your camera on a tripod too...
Sorry for the late reply Ash, as you mentioned disability and what nots, you might want to consider getting a soil bag and some wild flowers seeds and building your own mini meadow, on a table top or equally accessible platform inside or out. Assuming the sowing goes well, next season you can then shoot at your leisure. Just a thought.
@@GeoffMoorePhotography That's a really good idea! In fact it's one of those ideas that is so good, it leaves you thinking "Why didn't I think of that?" lol
Rule no 1 when bringing back flowers, is to cut the stems at an angle immediately before inserting them into a vase (and water). This will increase their life significantly.
If you pick and put in a glass of water and wite until getting good shape put in place with a good background you can get a very good photo. See flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/irajnz/49002545557/in/dateposted-public/
Hello, thank you very much for your comment. I know very little about portrait photography, I only do landscapes which is what I was referring to. I enjoy macro photography but can't justify a separate lens so I prefer the extension tubes as it turns my telephoto lnto a macro lens. I don't have an issue with macro lenses I just wanted to put across that you don't need to spend a lot to get good macro photos. I guess I didn't put that across too well.
I prefer mayonnaise. They are an acquired taste, I'm happy to give you all of mine or leave them to the caterpillars. Besides they are supposed to make you wet the bed I think.
I didn’t say they weren’t. I have studied entomology and in particular the importance of pollinators and as such have designed and created a number of nectar rich wildlife havens in my local area. I just don’t want the weeds in my garden.
@@JUSTDUFF23 Yes, indeed. They are only weeds in my garden and wildflowers in everyone elses. Last week I estimated about 100 bees in my garden at one point and not one dandelion. Don't get me wrong, I love to photograph the seed-heads or when the flowers are en-mass in a field. I have tried to love them, I really have, but even vampires don't come into your house unless invited.
@@JohnGreenwoodPhotography true words but even truer words if there is such a word is that dandelions are one of the most important flowers sorry weed in your garden as their the first to flower and prove vital to bees
@@JUSTDUFF23 Lol, do you work for the dandelion conservation trust or something? A more truerest word (and that is a real word) is variety. I have opted to have lots of different plants in my garden so insects have continuous food throughout the year. Whilst dandelions are important, they lack some of the amino acids bees need to make proteins for the colony. Similar to us, bees need a varied diet to survive so they can get 3 of their 5-a-day from my garden and get the dandelions and nettles from my neighbours, then everyone's happy.
10:00 rubbish. I do in fact use most of my macro lenses for landscapes and the occasional portrait. Macro lenses have one special ability, the ability to focus close the the sensor. That's it. They can focus at any further distance out to infinity and are absolutely fine for landscape photography. If you use extension tubes, then you lost the ability to focus at any decent distance. The one exception is Canon's MP-E 65 which has no ability to focus at all. You chose your magnification (one to five), place the camera into position, and . Ask google how to photograph peacock spiders (and jumping spiders). It's nothing about the technique, but those are not wildflowers. They are domestic plants gone wild, and would not be accepted into any respectable wildflower or nature competition.
Hello Friends, I really hope you enjoy my video on photographing wildflowers. Thank you so much for watching.
Made it to tip 1 and you got a like already 👍
Very important part often overlooked
Thank you very much, James.
The precautionary suit of armour got a good laugh out of me lol. This video popped up on my front page at the perfect time as I've just begun to macro photograph wildflowers this week.
Thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed the video. Stay safe out there!
I appreciate your time and effort spent doing this video. May the wind be still when shooting these small but beautiful flowers of Nature.
Hello Henry, thank you very much for your kind words and appreciation.
So cool how much you love nature!
Thank you so much Ursula. What isn't there to love about nature? Apart from the biting bugs!
Thank you for the first tip! So many people need to hear this, especially with social media causing more and more people to lay on top of wildflowers for selfies.
Thank you very much. There are bluebell fields by me that become deviated by people rolling in them for a photo. It's sad.
Yes!!!
Nice usefull tips well explained and give example to that too
Thank you very much for your kind words.
Thank you John for sharing, I learn something news today.
Thank you very much for taking the time to comment. I'm glad you found it useful.
Great video John. Very informative. I'm glad I subscribed.
Thank you so much for your support Lauren, I really appreciate it.
Great video, John! So peaceful there, I kept rewatching parts of the video staring at everything in the background and wishing I was there, the scenery and buildings are so charming - very different than here. Thank you for the awesome shoutout, so kind of you. I loved all of the photos and tips, especially the one at 16:28, incredible! I'd love to get similar wildflower armor, but it's too hot here for that kind of gear, I'll just have to keep suffering the dangers haha! That was so funny, I showed my kids, they had a good laugh too.
Thank you very much Liesl. One of the things I like about watching your videos is on the background. It's great to see other parts of the world. You are welcome on the shout out. I really enjoy your videos and the nature macros are the best I've seen so I would love to see you with more subscribers. Also I'm glad you found that funny, it was hard work. I was on the side of a quiet road but every now and then a car or pedestrian would go past and I got embarrassed and took it all off, it took a while.
Thanks! I have had a nice bump in subs and really appreciate it. Oh I can just picture the scene of passers-by wondering what in the world you were up to! LOL
@@LieslHuddlestonyou are welcome. You deserve them. Getting a mention or a collaboration really helps. It did for me. At one point I had my tripod low with the center column horizontal and I was lying on the floor behind so it looked like I was hiding with a machine gun and the police turned.
Oh my goodness! Haha! Wildflower photography truly IS dangerous LOL
Really good photos.
Thank you very much laureen
Very helpful tips. Thanks so much.
Thank you for your kind words
Great tips thanks.
You are welcome. Thank you very much for your support.
Great video with some very useful tips.
Thank you very much. I really appreciate your comment.
Just found this video. Spring has sprung and about to get out for some pictures Some really great tips. Thanks
Thank you. I find this the most exciting time of the year. I really hope you enjoy yourself and get some great photos.
Wonderful tips! Beautiful photographs! Thanks! 🌸🌻👍Big like 751!
Thank you so much.
Thanks John, really enjoyed watching. Particularly loved your windbreak build. Agree with your comments on Liesl Huddleston. Look forward to seeing more of your videos 😊
Thank you very much for support Kim, I'm happy you enjoyed it.
Well explained, much more to learn from you.
Thank you so much. I'm glad you found it useful.
Thank you very much, John!
Beautiful photography.
Absolutely loved the bracken photo.
The windbreak is a brilliant idea.
I use my phone, I'll definitely look into the right macro lens for it.
We have similar yellow flowers on mustard plants. The seeds are used for tempering food and for oil.
New subscriber!
Namaste from India!
You are welcome. Thank you so much for your kind words. It is that time of year again when the flowers are starting to emerge, and it's definitely the most exciting time. I really should do a video just with my phone, that could be fun.
All.the best 💖
Great tips
Thank you very much for your support Harold.
Flowers are my go to photographic subject....thumbs up for the info i ll keep it in mind for my channel 👍👍
Thank you very much Liza, I'm glad you found some things useful.
Thank you for your video. Very inspiring and you get your point over very well.
Thank you very much Chris that means a lot. I'm glad you like it.
I loved your safety gear, that was good! Great video, and lovely images! Thank you.
Thank you very much for your kind words Veronica. I remember watching a flower documentary years ago about Triffids. Flowers can be extremely dangerous so remember - safety is important!
beautiful pics and advise
Thank you very much Dan. I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Very enjoyable, given me lots of ideas.
Thank you very much Jane, I'm glad you enjoyed it and found it useful.
Hi, the windbreak is an inspired idea - which can be expanded upon. I would have a frosted piece of perspex with me as a diffusor to use instead of or on top of the lid...
Hello, that's a good idea. That was on my original design but I wanted it to be interchangeable in case it wasn't sunny. The design ended up getting expensive so I was going to make a carrier out of white cloth which I could use as the diffuser but haven't got around to making it yet as my sewing skills aren't good.
It would be interesting to see how you get on. It great to improve designs. I did come up with a lighter, cheaper and easier design now but that would make my video obsolete. On ebay I found a mini popup greenhouse that would do the job 😢
@@JohnGreenwoodPhotography To be interchangable you only need to make it out of thin perspex and have one side of the main construction feature one side of velcro tape and the other side glued to the frosted perspex.
I'll see if I can source materials where I live short term because my next macro hike (12-18 km) is coming up shortly - and I'll scale it down to A4 for portability reasons. I already have 2 Plamps, a Viltrox video light, two tripod, macro rails, often two cameras (one for my wife who happily shares the hobby) and corresponding lenses and odds and sods competing for the space in my always too small backpack of 12-15kg...
Wow, I can see why you want to make it lightweight.
Hello John 😊 thank you very much for a lot of ideas...I love to photograph wildflowers.Schöne Grüsse from Germany.
Hello marlize, you are very welcome and thank you for commenting. I'm glad you enjoyed the video. Do you get many different flowers to the UK? I image the alpine flowers are stunning.
So Simple, Yet so Good 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
Thank you Harban
Thoroughly enjoyable vlog John, thank you. Some lovely images and really useful tips. Not too sure about your ‘protective gear’ though! Lol. Atb
Hello Trevor, I hope you are well. Thank you very much for your kind words. That was specialist flower protection, it really works, I didn't get a petal cut or anything.
Excellent video!! About fell off the chair when I saw your Protection Gear and face net!!!!! Hahahahaha
Thank you very much Laura.
John thanks for this informative video, With my landscape photography I love to 'get in amongst it' so to speak and recently I've been attracted to out door macro. Your video tips have paved there way for me to get going on this genre so thanks.
Thank you for your support, Andrew. I'm glad you enjoyed the video.
What a lovely video, full of information which we can easily follow with many tips, your videos are always first class, always look forward to watching, and this was something different from your usual format, look forward to more, Regards.
Hello Colin, I hope you are ok and as ever, thank you very much for your kind words. I wasn't sure what people would make of this video so I am glad you enjoyed it.
Thanks so much for sharing!
You are welcome. Thank you for commenting.
Hi John. Great vid. I have been thinking about photographing the wild flowers this year so thanks very much for the fantastic tips. I will definitely be having a go at making one of your perspex wind breaks, what a brilliant idea. Love the rapeseed image. Seeing you with all your wild flower armor on made me laugh out loud. I didn't realise photographing flowers was so dangerous 😀 great stuff 👍
Thank you so much for your kind words Jim. There are some lovely flowers in the spring. The bluebells on black Hill should be out this weekend if the locals haven't trampled on them. I'm glad you enjoyed the video.
Awesome - Thank You!
Hello Bjarne, thank you very much for watching and commenting.
Nice video John! To be honest flower photography is something I've never ever tried but you've certainly opened my eyes somewhat to the potential. Thanks for sharing :-)
Thank you very much James. To be honest, I only really photograph them once a year in the Spring, but they always turn out really beautiful. Plus it doen't matter about whether it's cloudy or not.
Good video. Greetings from Spain
Hello and thank you very much.
Your growing mate. I have just done a bluebell video out this Sunday a two part video. Macro work is cool. Will have to meet up again over summer
Thank you Paul, yes, it's good to have a go at something different. Yes, definitely, sounds good.
I just bought a Rebel T7 because i really wanted to start taking pictures of flowers. I know its not a crazy camera but i got a few really awesome pics. One with a moth feeding 😁 It is such a fun experience.
I had the film equivalent of that camera, it was really good. I got some great photos. It's enjoying yourself that is the most important part of photography.
go into small villages with nice gardens in front of the houses to find much different flowers
give a little sandblast on the glas-side(s) of your windshield to get all tbe light but not too much contrast
Hey John, interesting video. I really appreciate the windbreaker display. I always find tree flowers are great but due to them being off the ground in Spring, wind is always a factor.
Thank you very much. Yes the wind break does have its limits. I also wanted to photograph tree flowers as some are amazing but as you said the wind is an issue. Once I have figured out how to get around it I'll do a video. Making a tree sized wind box is going to be tricky.
Great video - thank you! I've just started photographing wild flowers with my Olympus EM10 MkII, some extension tubes and a 40-150mm lens. It's handy cos the kit is quite small.
Thank you Derek, I'm glad you enjoyed it. It is really useful to have a light and compact kit. I tend to shake a lot and always use a tripod so my kit is cumbersome I miss so many shots or don't even take it out some days.
Another tip or two: Take an establishing shot along with closeups. That helps with identification later. I sometimes get back home with a closeup of flower parts and can't identify the actual flower. For maximizing insect opportunity, going out early in the morning when it is cooler and damper helps a lot. Insects are less active and will stay still long enough to get good shots. I shoot primarily handheld and shoot bursts while slowly moving my body in and out to focus on the insect. These can later be focus stacked if the insect didn't move to increase the area in focus. Lastly, a good light helps a lot with maximizing DOF. LED banks are cheap and are great to allow use of Fstops from F16-22 or so for insects.
Hello Philip, there are some good tips there. I usually try to get a non macro photo but I just didn't for some reason. Its a good idea though. Getting up early is a good idea too. Unfortunately Im not an early bird. I have tried photographing hand held but I have never been successful. I shake too much even with a wide angle in bright light. I will start practicing all those for next year. Cheers and all the best.
Do you do any focus stacking? Thanks for the tips and vlogs.
Hello David, its not something I have ever tried. I thought about it when photographing the bee, but I couldn't focus enough on the bee. I have found out since, though, that the Canon connect app allows you to select a start and end focus point and the app automatically focuses for you. Unfortunately I haven't been able to connect it to my camera yet but I will persevere. Thank you for your kind words.
@@JohnGreenwoodPhotography Forget about focus stacking, most common macro subjects don't work too well in this regard - as soon as one part of the subject overlays areas further back you'll end up with halos which are inevitable (as in optically unavoidable). Focus stacking works when the subject depth is extremely small compared to the focal length (mostly this means very high magnifications in excess of 5:1 - because then the change in perspective between the front and the back of the stacked depth isn't going to produce too pronounced halos) or if the focal length is extremely small compared to the subject depth (i.e. landscape) because you practically don't get a change in perspective from the required focus changes).
hi, john, have you ever used ring flash? I thought flashlight might be useful to stop motion blur of the subject.
Hi Tom, no I haven't. These were pretty expensive when I looked into them many years ago and as I predominantly do Landscape Photography I couldn't justify the cost for the occasional shoot. As I always use a tripod and a wind shield and don't photograph active insects I don't worry too much about movement. However, I have seen this really cool video and might make my own macro flash - ruclips.net/video/ywGj3aMdLCI/видео.html
I paid $10.00 for a new flash ring on Amazon. Really had my doubts but it works great, it has different adaptors and filters.
what are the extension tubes are you using?
I bought them from Jessops about 20 years ago.
You didn’t mention nothing about the tripod. Whis one do you recomended not too expensive 😢
Hello Beatriz, thank you for your question. It is almost impossible to recommend a good tripod due to the variances in your photography needs, equipment etc. A sturdy tripod is a must, but depending on the weight and focal length of your lens will determine how sturdy this needs to be. Generally, the heavier the tripod the sturdier it is, however, you won't use it if it's too heavy to take on hikes. Therefore a good alternative is aluminium or carbon fibre, which then makes them expensive. Unfortunately tripods are best bought from a shop so you can feel the weight, twist it around to check it's stability etc, but this is more expensive and inconvenient than getting something from the internet. This article is very helpful and expands on what I have said above www.phototraces.com/b/best-tripod-brands/. $300 sounds a lot for just a tripod but if you are prepared to spend this amound, you will get something that will last and is useful. However, the 1 important thing I would say when buying a tripod for floral photography is don't get one with leg braces. These are usually the cheaper varieties as the joints aren't as strong, but you can't spread the legs apart to get a low enough angle to get close to the flowers, so would be a waster of money. I'm sorry I can't be specific there are so many variants, but I hope this helps.
Hi john have just come across your utube video verry good I have a tamron macro 90mm lens but struggle with
looking at thw way you do is good. I also have a canon 70.200 2.8 very good would that that work okay keep up
the good work.
Hello Roy, thank you very much. I don't have any experience with a macro lens, I have only used extensions tubes. I don't know if you have seen his videos, but Micael Widell has a channel and his macro work is outstanding. This video is withe your macro lens, ruclips.net/video/U_vYvhLVyFQ/видео.html. Because I mostly do landscape work, I prefer to use the extension tubes on my existing lenses which allows me to get up ridiculously close. The 70-200 on it's own would give you some great close ups but now true macro unless you can get a cheap extension tube for it.
What is it exactly that you are struggling with? Maybe my viewers or I could help in some way?
You mentioned that you'd give Lisa Huddleson's link. Where is that found?
Hi Ellen, it's on the end screen at the end of the video on the bottom right. I'm not at my computer at the moment and don't know if I can send a link from my phone as it keeps opening up in the app. When I get back, I'll add it to the description too. In the meantime you could search for Liesl Huddleston and it should appear.
Hi Ellen, I have added the the link to Liesl Huddleston's channel in the description now. I don't know why I didn't add it there also in the first place, thank you - ruclips.net/channel/UC6_-OFbgyvr4kXDrLYukqnA
I am really enjoying your tips. I think I will make your break, but with velcro instead of duct tape. In North America, they don't call the flower rape, rape-we call it canola now.
@janetadam1244 thank you, I'm glad you are enjoying it. Velcro sounds like a great idea. That would make it a lot more versatile. Ah OK, I wondered what canola oil was, not enough to look it up but I was curious and now I know, thank you. I think it's a better name for it. I wish you all the best with your photography.
Good
Thank you
Maybe you are going for the given short dof of the lens. Otherwise - as you have already to some degree "frozen" the flower with the wind shield - you could stack 2-3 shots with slightly different focus planes. I think it's possible with a steady hand, or if your camera has a feature to bracket the focusing distance. I have to admit that I haven't experimented with this myself on such delicate dofs. The slightest movement could ruin the output. Have you?
Hello Eigil, thank you very much for your comment. It's a good question and to be honest not something I have thought about. I have done it with landscapes but not on something so delicate. (which actually sounds the wrong way around) Even though I use the windbreak to stop any movement, I still don't find it easy to get the focus spot on so I usually take a number of exposures with differing focus anyway, so potentially I may already have the images to stack. It's definitely something I will consider. Personally I am not a fan of shallow DOF if there is a subject like an insect I like to see all of it so stacking is worth considering. Thank you for your support.
Macro lenses can be, actually, quite versatile, the are usually great portrait lenses. As long as the focusing distance is "normal", the depth of field is also normal.
I think they have come a long way since I looked at them 25 years ago. Still can't afford one though. But if anyone wants to give me one to test...
@@JohnGreenwoodPhotography if you really want to buy a macro lens, you can buy a used one online, there are some great deals out there. The worst macro lens is a huge step up from extension tubes, because of the greater working distance and, other than that, you can combine macro lens with extension tubes for even greater amplification ratio.
@@JohnGreenwoodPhotography but it's just my opinion, don't tame wrong.
@@joaovtaveira that's a very good point. I do enjoy taking macro photos so it would be a good purchase.
Right, John. I'm going to watch the rest of the video in a minute when I've just said what I need to say, because I'm sure it's very good. However I've just reached 'Tip No.2' and there is already a problem here. Allow me to explain. You (rightly) suggest that getting down on the ground at the same eye level as the flower is a brilliant way to photograph them. However, I'm disabled, and cannot do this. Basically if I were to do this, I would never get back up again! LOL. Can you suggest a way of getting on the same level as the flower, without actually getting down on the ground, as myself, and I'm sure many others, would find this very hard, if not impossible to do. Please don't misunderstand me, I'm not having a go at you. But thinking 'outside the box' is something I've become somewhat of an expert in.
Hello Ashley,
That's a good question. I have suffered with back problems for many years so have limited motion from time to time. One thing I like about wildflower photography is that you can get photo next to a road so I don't have to carry heavy camera equipment very far. I can't bend over easily so I either take a lightweight camping stool with me or have knee pads, that you would see in the video, so I can kneel down instead of bending or crouching. Having a sturdy tripod or tree helps me get back up on occasion.
There are a number of options that I use or can think of that could help.
1) Getting low down is great for getting at eye level for drooping flowers, however, there are flowers with flat upward facing heads, like daisies, dandelions, asters, etc that are better from above.
2) The video was taken in Spring when a lot of the flowers are low to the ground so it does help to get low to be at the same height. However, it is often the case that Summer flowers are taller, like Foxgloves or Lupins, so can be photographed at eye level relatively easily.
3) You don't have to get up close and personal with the flowers. If you can find a large group of flowers, you can take a landscape style photograph where being high up will allow you to look down on a mass of colour.
4) My camera can be connected to my mobile for remote shooting. If I can't get low enough, I will put the camera on a low tripod, then pop the tripod in front of the flower and operate the camera through the phone so I don't need to get down to the same level. If your camera has a flip up screen, this could be used in a similar way.
5) If I want to get my camera lower than the minimum tripod height, I can remove and invert the centre column on my tripod so the camera is upside down. I can then get shots very low to the ground. The only issue with this is turning to monitors upside down to view the photos.
6) If moving around the countryside is too difficult, then there are plenty of Gardens and Parks that may have wheelchair access, raised beds, or taller flowers such as climbers like roses or clematis.
These are just a few suggestions which I hope may help. I also hope you enjoyed the rest of the video.
I think if you have a camera with the scrren that can be flip up or down it will make you easier to view the flower in live view, plus put your camera on a tripod too...
Sorry for the late reply Ash, as you mentioned disability and what nots, you might want to consider getting a soil bag and some wild flowers seeds and building your own mini meadow, on a table top or equally accessible platform inside or out. Assuming the sowing goes well, next season you can then shoot at your leisure. Just a thought.
@@GeoffMoorePhotography That's a really good idea! In fact it's one of those ideas that is so good, it leaves you thinking "Why didn't I think of that?" lol
@@ashstubbings2603 pleased it's offered some food for thought.
so funny with your costume lol
Costume? That was essential safety equipment!
Rule no 1 when bringing back flowers, is to cut the stems at an angle immediately before inserting them into a vase (and water). This will increase their life significantly.
If you pick and put in a glass of water and wite until getting good shape put in place with a good background you can get a very good photo. See flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/irajnz/49002545557/in/dateposted-public/
Thank you Iraj. This is something I do with my garden flowers but don't like to do it with wild flowers. You can play around with the light more.
5:25 lol
Safety is no laughing matter. You should see my protective equipment for my video on photographing bunny rabbits.
Not so good advice on the macro lens being only for close uos. For instance the canon f2.8 is known as a great portrait lens.
Hello, thank you very much for your comment. I know very little about portrait photography, I only do landscapes which is what I was referring to. I enjoy macro photography but can't justify a separate lens so I prefer the extension tubes as it turns my telephoto lnto a macro lens. I don't have an issue with macro lenses I just wanted to put across that you don't need to spend a lot to get good macro photos. I guess I didn't put that across too well.
Dandelions are delicious in a oil vinegarette. So if you don’t want to photograph him eat them.
I prefer mayonnaise. They are an acquired taste, I'm happy to give you all of mine or leave them to the caterpillars. Besides they are supposed to make you wet the bed I think.
Interesting but Obviously you don't realise how important dandelions are to the bees
I didn’t say they weren’t. I have studied entomology and in particular the importance of pollinators and as such have designed and created a number of nectar rich wildlife havens in my local area. I just don’t want the weeds in my garden.
@@JohnGreenwoodPhotography so you know the importance of These weeds then. 👍
@@JUSTDUFF23 Yes, indeed. They are only weeds in my garden and wildflowers in everyone elses. Last week I estimated about 100 bees in my garden at one point and not one dandelion. Don't get me wrong, I love to photograph the seed-heads or when the flowers are en-mass in a field. I have tried to love them, I really have, but even vampires don't come into your house unless invited.
@@JohnGreenwoodPhotography true words but even truer words if there is such a word is that dandelions are one of the most important flowers sorry weed in your garden as their the first to flower and prove vital to bees
@@JUSTDUFF23 Lol, do you work for the dandelion conservation trust or something? A more truerest word (and that is a real word) is variety. I have opted to have lots of different plants in my garden so insects have continuous food throughout the year. Whilst dandelions are important, they lack some of the amino acids bees need to make proteins for the colony. Similar to us, bees need a varied diet to survive so they can get 3 of their 5-a-day from my garden and get the dandelions and nettles from my neighbours, then everyone's happy.
You gotta be kidding me!
10:00 rubbish.
I do in fact use most of my macro lenses for landscapes and the occasional portrait.
Macro lenses have one special ability, the ability to focus close the the sensor. That's it. They can focus at any further distance out to infinity and are absolutely fine for landscape photography.
If you use extension tubes, then you lost the ability to focus at any decent distance.
The one exception is Canon's MP-E 65 which has no ability to focus at all. You chose your magnification (one to five), place the camera into position, and . Ask google how to photograph peacock spiders (and jumping spiders).
It's nothing about the technique, but those are not wildflowers. They are domestic plants gone wild, and would not be accepted into any respectable wildflower or nature competition.
Nice video but you sound short of breath a lot of the time.
Fantastic tips but please, less waffle!
Thank you Ann. I'll try to better next time.