As of today, April 28th, 2024. your video is the MOST THOROUGH about outdoor flash for macro photography. It's 20 minutes long and full of details. I use NON-GODOX flashes and still got better photos with your techniques. Thank you.
Well I'm honoured, thank you for such high praise! I'm really glad you got so much from it and really pleased that found it useful as a non godox user. I was hoping that it would translate well to people using other systems as at the end of the day, light is light, so it doesn't really matter what brand name is written on your gear. Thank you for watching and taking the time to comment!
Not only wonderful pictures, but also lots of funny moments - you're entering new dimensions in your videos. Great, go on this way, both funny and informative.
A mi me ocurre lo mismo, al día siguiente no me puedo mover de los dolores de espalda, pero siempre merece la pena esos momentos que pasamos buscando una buena foto, gracias por tus videos.
Andrew, well done on another outstanding vlog. This shows exactly the time and effort a photographer puts into their work and the lack of appreciation most people give the end result when they look at it 1.5-2.0 seconds as they scroll through their screens for the instant results. The images were interesting in particular with the different lighting angles. You have made me curious and will now look into the V1 flash for myself. Thanks for everything you do to share with us, it is appreciated greatly. See you out there!
Thanks so much for such a kind comment! I do like being able to show that capturing these images is not always a quick, easy process. Sometimes it requires me to wash the mud off everything I'm wearing!
I bought this flash a few months ago with macro in mind. I need to practice with it more. I recently bought a car boot liner which is like tent material which I use to put on the ground in times like this. My friend bought a picnic blanket which also works just as well. A quick wipe over afterwards and youre sorted. 😁
I can really relate to your struggles here, both in my lowback and because I find myself taking many, MANY iterations of the same shot of the same exact subject... my trouble is knowing my own desire, I find myself unable to pick just one. Thanks for the great flash and composition tips!
For still life macro in nature like this I use a SMALLRIG P96L RGB Video Light. It's pocketable (wallet size), great battery life, 3 different modes, can get very bright/dim, warm/cool colour temp.. Worth trying to reduce setup costs. Great video!
This deserves a comment and a like ❤ I did chuckle as I have been there myself. 😊 Rolling on the forest floor to photograph a mushroom! You can’t be vain to do that. 😊
Thank you! Yeah I don't think I could be one of those precious, preened types where no hair can be out of place. I don't think I'd ever get a good photo again if I was!
I really enjoy your macro and flash videos. Funny, I'm watching this video with a screwed up lower back today and I hear you about the pain for sure! I can't wait to get back out and do some photography
Because of a video you did a couple of years ago, Andrew, I've added off camera flash and a mini soft box to my macro camera kit. It's made a huge difference! So thank you. Btw... I'm nearly 70, so getting up again after I've been laying on the forest floor is starting to get difficult. 😛
@@billbromer tiny flashlights are cheap and easy too, but the off flash is awesome (just an extra pain to deal with when walking). Might try it next time, though! Thanks for the idea ☺️
@@AndrewLanxonPhotography yea but my problem now is the ring got incredibly loose and needs replaced so sometimes it ends up randomly upside down 😅 great setup otherwise with a pope shield 🥳
Just found your channel. Really good tips about using flash for mushrooms. Many thanks. Just wonder it you have thought of using platypod gear to get a tripod down low..they work really well and are most adaptable. Thanks again for info re flash.
As always, an interesting video (and also fun in your gymnastic efforts!). I think a reflective panel could equally help lighten the shadows, but your playing with exposure times is also interesting. I always follow you with great interest. THANK YOU
Andrew, at least you’ve found a quiet location, I’ve had strange looks as the dog walkers step over me. Thanks again for the video 👍. I’m off to wash my waterproofs now
Awesome Andrew! I have a V1 and A100! As a noobie to flash I never realized how important the modeling light can be “ out in the wild” so to speak since I work mostly with macro indoors. I’m a bit older than you and could feel your spine giving you its warning!! ‼️ ouch.
These are the best videos. I’m going to look to see if you put the flash and cover products in the notes of the video. Sometimes your accent gets by me. 😂 I’ll listen again and harder if you didn’t. Have a great week.
Love the dedication. Your commitment to getting down and dirty inspired me to take a short stroll into a muddy lake to line up a cormorant on a post in front of the setting sun. It turned out pretty nice! PS. I just had some dark chocolate with baileys liqueur filling. :D
Oh nice! I've seen videos of water bird photographers sitting chest deep in lakes for ages and that seems like incredible dedication. But if you get that perfect shot as a result then it really does feel worth it!
@@AndrewLanxonPhotography Indeed! The professionals at my local wetland are always lying in the lake to get that perfect shot at eye level with the birds. My level of dedication is currently ankle deep with a 2nd hand camera. Face first in the mud with a $18k lens is a whole 'nother ball game!
I enjoing and lerning from You a lot! Thank You for sharing Your work and helping others go forward with photography. It’s a lot of work and time invested in 1 mushroom photo, what are You doing with it when it’s done?
Thank you! For these shots a lot of the pleasure is just seeing the finished shots -- and the video of course. Some shots I end up doing prints but I'm not sure I would do with these.
My first thought is would be good idea to connect camera with mobile like I do with my Lumix and then you.can change the light position and checking live on mobile how it looks. Then you do not need go back and forth 100 times 😉
Hi - fairly new subscriber, getting back into macro, now with my R5. A couple of videos back you were using the Zhiun LED light - which I actually bought (along with the dome diffuser for it). It's actually really cool. Why would you use flash for macro when you have a very controllable LED that can change color temperature and literally is a modeling light as well so, in theory anyway, you can see what the shot will look like? I also purchased the Helicon focus stacking software and am enjoying getting into that.
Hi,thanks for watching! Mostly it comes down to power. A flash like this can put out way more power in a small burst than most led lights. That's why I usually use both and tend to use flash more often outdoors, using leds like the Zhiyun light for my indoor projects. That said, that Zhiyun light would have been powerful enough for the shots I did here as it was quite dim under the trees. Generally it's great to have both types of light in your kit so you can use either depending on what you need!
@@AndrewLanxonPhotography Hadn't thought of the intensity aspect. I actually already have the Canon ST-E3RT radio controller to go with a few Canon 600EXII-RT flashes that I use for group and event photography (work great, and one of the reasons that I was glad to see, at least for now, the Canon R5 has the older Canon flash mount that can be used without adapters). The Canon 600EXII flashes don't have a modeling light function though... The Canon Macro Twin Lite MT-26RT (their most recent version) does have modeling lights and separatable lights. Have you ever used something like this? It could be mounted off-camera and remotely triggered, and the individual lights can be moved as well.
Modelling lights on flashes are pretty irrelevant outdoors unless it's really dim. I almost never use them, it's just easier to take a shot, see how the light looks and then adjust as needed. I have a couple of canon 600ex flashes but didn't want to pay the huge money for canon's trigger. Awesome that you have two in your setup. I haven't used their twin flash kit, largely because it's fixed in place and as you've seen here I much prefer having them totally off camera so I can direct that light exactly where I want to.
@@AndrewLanxonPhotography It was huge money for the trigger, but so worth it. I'm actually setting up to do a 3-flash group shot later today and it took me literally 30 seconds to set all the flashes to work together. You can also set one flash to work as a master and the others to work as slaves in the same group without the trigger. I put the trigger on the camera, one flash on a bracket, and two flashes on stands. Anyway, with the MT-26RT, it also can function with a trigger so you could move it off-camera really anywhere you want. When I've used these twin lite flashes, you can set one side at a lower light setting than the other so you get a little more depth. I've used them before - it all gets a little fiddly, though. A single remote-triggered flash with a diffuser might be more fun. Enjoy the humor in your videos... thanks!
Personally, I am a cheap skate. I think the Godox TT685 II is a better bargain at $129 vs 259 for the V1. It has a high GN than the V1 the same 76 watt seconds of power (found this online but no other ref anywhere else, not verified) and goes down to the same 1/256th power Like the V1. If you absolutely need the round head, you can get the godox round head adapter (for any flash) for $7 but most people don't need that. So what are the downsides? It uses 4 AA Alkaline or rechargeable batteries, which is a good thing but make recharge time 2.6 seconds vs V1 1.5 and half he number of flash shots, but you can run a power booster to it for 1 second recharge time and 1500 flashes per charge. Most people don't need that either. The biggest downside is it does not have a modeling light which can be handy. So I guess that might be worth the $130 price along with the other downsides. And for a pro, you probably would not get either, you would get an ad200. But for an on camera flash with higher GN than the AD100 and it only costs $129, I think it is a better bargain for most people, and even using it for macro.
I just got a Neewer V1s. It's like the godox. I can't find anything on how to get it to shoot wireless. It has wireless built-in. I'm shooting with Sony A6700.
@AndrewLanxonPhotography is I figured out that's what I need. I thought it might connect to the camera but that's wrong. The flash if on the camera will connect to another flash. Thanks for the quick reply
Even healthy men need strength (or resistance) training as they get older to keep their body in form. That will help, trust me. Nevertheless this has been a nice visual story.
As of today, April 28th, 2024. your video is the MOST THOROUGH about outdoor flash for macro photography. It's 20 minutes long and full of details. I use NON-GODOX flashes and still got better photos with your techniques. Thank you.
Well I'm honoured, thank you for such high praise! I'm really glad you got so much from it and really pleased that found it useful as a non godox user. I was hoping that it would translate well to people using other systems as at the end of the day, light is light, so it doesn't really matter what brand name is written on your gear. Thank you for watching and taking the time to comment!
Not only wonderful pictures, but also lots of funny moments - you're entering new dimensions in your videos. Great, go on this way, both funny and informative.
Thanks so much, that's a really kind, encouraging comment!
A mi me ocurre lo mismo, al día siguiente no me puedo mover de los dolores de espalda, pero siempre merece la pena esos momentos que pasamos buscando una buena foto, gracias por tus videos.
Siempre vale la pena si conseguimos una buena foto. Pero incluso si no lo hago, ¡sigue siendo genial estar en la naturaleza! ¡Gracias por ver!
Andrew, well done on another outstanding vlog. This shows exactly the time and effort a photographer puts into their work and the lack of appreciation most people give the end result when they look at it 1.5-2.0 seconds as they scroll through their screens for the instant results. The images were interesting in particular with the different lighting angles. You have made me curious and will now look into the V1 flash for myself. Thanks for everything you do to share with us, it is appreciated greatly. See you out there!
Thanks so much for such a kind comment! I do like being able to show that capturing these images is not always a quick, easy process. Sometimes it requires me to wash the mud off everything I'm wearing!
I bought this flash a few months ago with macro in mind. I need to practice with it more. I recently bought a car boot liner which is like tent material which I use to put on the ground in times like this. My friend bought a picnic blanket which also works just as well. A quick wipe over afterwards and youre sorted. 😁
Oooh yes this sounds like a great solution! I actually quite enjoyed lying in the moss, it was very relaxing.
Great video Andrew! Thanks for all of your hard work and making the rest of us (me) feel better about our own struggles to get the shot!!
Thank you so much for watching! I'm glad my pain was worthwhile!
I can really relate to your struggles here, both in my lowback and because I find myself taking many, MANY iterations of the same shot of the same exact subject... my trouble is knowing my own desire, I find myself unable to pick just one. Thanks for the great flash and composition tips!
For still life macro in nature like this I use a SMALLRIG P96L RGB Video Light. It's pocketable (wallet size), great battery life, 3 different modes, can get very bright/dim, warm/cool colour temp.. Worth trying to reduce setup costs. Great video!
This deserves a comment and a like ❤ I did chuckle as I have been there myself. 😊 Rolling on the forest floor to photograph a mushroom! You can’t be vain to do that. 😊
Thank you! Yeah I don't think I could be one of those precious, preened types where no hair can be out of place. I don't think I'd ever get a good photo again if I was!
I have a hole saw the same diameter as my V1. Great for drilling white plastic paint buckets for home made diffusers.
Oh nice! Yeah I bet you can make amazing diffusers that way. Or even light tents for product photography.
I really enjoy your macro and flash videos. Funny, I'm watching this video with a screwed up lower back today and I hear you about the pain for sure! I can't wait to get back out and do some photography
I hope it feels better soon so you can get back out!
These are gorgeous photos. Trying many refinements is a great idea and a good lesson for me. Thanks!
Thank you!
Great video and stunning photos. I love the V1, I’ve been using it for about a year and a half now.
Good choice! And thanks for watching!
Because of a video you did a couple of years ago, Andrew, I've added off camera flash and a mini soft box to my macro camera kit. It's made a huge difference! So thank you.
Btw... I'm nearly 70, so getting up again after I've been laying on the forest floor is starting to get difficult. 😛
Glad to hear it's become a good part of your kit! Christ knows how bad I'll be if I'm struggling this much already!
Love my Godox with the 2 MF12's. Huge improvement for all macro users. Thanks for the inspiration through the years!
Yeah that looks like a great setup. Do you find it quick to use when you find a shot?
I agree, thinking it would be fun to put one MF12 for back light and one in front.
@@billbromer tiny flashlights are cheap and easy too, but the off flash is awesome (just an extra pain to deal with when walking). Might try it next time, though! Thanks for the idea ☺️
@@AndrewLanxonPhotography yea but my problem now is the ring got incredibly loose and needs replaced so sometimes it ends up randomly upside down 😅 great setup otherwise with a pope shield 🥳
Just found your channel. Really good tips about using flash for mushrooms. Many thanks.
Just wonder it you have thought of using platypod gear to get a tripod down low..they work really well and are most adaptable. Thanks again for info re flash.
As always, an interesting video (and also fun in your gymnastic efforts!). I think a reflective panel could equally help lighten the shadows, but your playing with exposure times is also interesting. I always follow you with great interest. THANK YOU
That's very kind, thank you!
Very good video, Andrew, thank you for sharing your insights!
Andrew, at least you’ve found a quiet location, I’ve had strange looks as the dog walkers step over me.
Thanks again for the video 👍. I’m off to wash my waterproofs now
Yes I was very glad there was nobody around to see me laying down in the trees. They might have thought I was dead!
Awesome Andrew! I have a V1 and A100! As a noobie to flash I never realized how important the modeling light can be “ out in the wild” so to speak since I work mostly with macro indoors. I’m a bit older than you and could feel your spine giving you its warning!! ‼️ ouch.
Yeah it can be useful! Thank you!
Another great video Andrew. Which woodland was this? As it look amazing!!!
Thanks Peter! This was in the Blairadam country park.
Very informative, I learned a lot, thank u
Great tutorial Andrew!
Thanks for watching!
These are the best videos. I’m going to look to see if you put the flash and cover products in the notes of the video. Sometimes your accent gets by me. 😂 I’ll listen again and harder if you didn’t. Have a great week.
Thanks so much for watching, Tamara! I did put the link into the flash this time!
Absolutely love your videos!
Thanks so much!
Love the dedication. Your commitment to getting down and dirty inspired me to take a short stroll into a muddy lake to line up a cormorant on a post in front of the setting sun. It turned out pretty nice!
PS. I just had some dark chocolate with baileys liqueur filling. :D
Oh nice! I've seen videos of water bird photographers sitting chest deep in lakes for ages and that seems like incredible dedication. But if you get that perfect shot as a result then it really does feel worth it!
@@AndrewLanxonPhotography Indeed! The professionals at my local wetland are always lying in the lake to get that perfect shot at eye level with the birds. My level of dedication is currently ankle deep with a 2nd hand camera. Face first in the mud with a $18k lens is a whole 'nother ball game!
I enjoing and lerning from You a lot! Thank You for sharing Your work and helping others go forward with photography.
It’s a lot of work and time invested in 1 mushroom photo, what are You doing with it when it’s done?
Thank you! For these shots a lot of the pleasure is just seeing the finished shots -- and the video of course. Some shots I end up doing prints but I'm not sure I would do with these.
@@AndrewLanxonPhotography Thank You for reply. 🙂
Bravo ! I love this vidéo ! I use to be not slow enough to take pictures ! 😅
Thank you so much!
We’re all getting old, Andrew, deserves a hot bath! 😂
Thank you!
My first thought is would be good idea to connect camera with mobile like I do with my Lumix and then you.can change the light position and checking live on mobile how it looks. Then you do not need go back and forth 100 times 😉
Another cracking video.
Is that a magmod diffusor?
Thanks for the video.
It is, it's the MagSphere version 1
Here's a nice comment Andrew - you deserve it👍😀
Thanks Graham, very kind!
Andrew shows us filthy photography.
Is there any other sort worth showing?
I have a Godox V350, do you think it will be powefull enough for this type of photography?
Absolutely, you'll find it more than powerful enough for taking shots like these!
@@AndrewLanxonPhotography Thanks, I'm going to try it soon!
Have you tried using a platypod for those very low to ground shots requiring a tripod?
I haven't, but I've heard they can be useful. Though I did need to adjust the height in this position so I think a platypod might still be limited.
You being you, I like that. Alot!
Thanks for watching!
Hi - fairly new subscriber, getting back into macro, now with my R5. A couple of videos back you were using the Zhiun LED light - which I actually bought (along with the dome diffuser for it). It's actually really cool. Why would you use flash for macro when you have a very controllable LED that can change color temperature and literally is a modeling light as well so, in theory anyway, you can see what the shot will look like? I also purchased the Helicon focus stacking software and am enjoying getting into that.
Hi,thanks for watching! Mostly it comes down to power. A flash like this can put out way more power in a small burst than most led lights. That's why I usually use both and tend to use flash more often outdoors, using leds like the Zhiyun light for my indoor projects. That said, that Zhiyun light would have been powerful enough for the shots I did here as it was quite dim under the trees. Generally it's great to have both types of light in your kit so you can use either depending on what you need!
@@AndrewLanxonPhotography Hadn't thought of the intensity aspect. I actually already have the Canon ST-E3RT radio controller to go with a few Canon 600EXII-RT flashes that I use for group and event photography (work great, and one of the reasons that I was glad to see, at least for now, the Canon R5 has the older Canon flash mount that can be used without adapters). The Canon 600EXII flashes don't have a modeling light function though... The Canon Macro Twin Lite MT-26RT (their most recent version) does have modeling lights and separatable lights. Have you ever used something like this? It could be mounted off-camera and remotely triggered, and the individual lights can be moved as well.
Modelling lights on flashes are pretty irrelevant outdoors unless it's really dim. I almost never use them, it's just easier to take a shot, see how the light looks and then adjust as needed. I have a couple of canon 600ex flashes but didn't want to pay the huge money for canon's trigger. Awesome that you have two in your setup. I haven't used their twin flash kit, largely because it's fixed in place and as you've seen here I much prefer having them totally off camera so I can direct that light exactly where I want to.
@@AndrewLanxonPhotography It was huge money for the trigger, but so worth it. I'm actually setting up to do a 3-flash group shot later today and it took me literally 30 seconds to set all the flashes to work together. You can also set one flash to work as a master and the others to work as slaves in the same group without the trigger. I put the trigger on the camera, one flash on a bracket, and two flashes on stands. Anyway, with the MT-26RT, it also can function with a trigger so you could move it off-camera really anywhere you want. When I've used these twin lite flashes, you can set one side at a lower light setting than the other so you get a little more depth. I've used them before - it all gets a little fiddly, though. A single remote-triggered flash with a diffuser might be more fun. Enjoy the humor in your videos... thanks!
Could I get similar shots with a static light instead of a flash?
Personally, I am a cheap skate. I think the Godox TT685 II is a better bargain at $129 vs 259 for the V1. It has a high GN than the V1 the same 76 watt seconds of power (found this online but no other ref anywhere else, not verified) and goes down to the same 1/256th power Like the V1. If you absolutely need the round head, you can get the godox round head adapter (for any flash) for $7 but most people don't need that. So what are the downsides? It uses 4 AA Alkaline or rechargeable batteries, which is a good thing but make recharge time 2.6 seconds vs V1 1.5 and half he number of flash shots, but you can run a power booster to it for 1 second recharge time and 1500 flashes per charge. Most people don't need that either. The biggest downside is it does not have a modeling light which can be handy. So I guess that might be worth the $130 price along with the other downsides. And for a pro, you probably would not get either, you would get an ad200. But for an on camera flash with higher GN than the AD100 and it only costs $129, I think it is a better bargain for most people, and even using it for macro.
Looks like a mini-tripod could come in very handy for positioning your flash.
I just got a Neewer V1s. It's like the godox. I can't find anything on how to get it to shoot wireless. It has wireless built-in. I'm shooting with Sony A6700.
Do you have the correct QPro-S wireless trigger on your camera?
@AndrewLanxonPhotography is I figured out that's what I need. I thought it might connect to the camera but that's wrong. The flash if on the camera will connect to another flash. Thanks for the quick reply
"Maybe I'm just not a healthy man?" - "Ooooh I also go a cream egg" - answer your question :-) Galaxy Ripples is my drug of choice :-)
You're quite right, of course!
I feel your pain. I believe we should both make time for some morning stretching!
Heavy duty rubble sack from Screwfix/B&Q etc - folds up small, keeps you dry and lasts longer than a plastic bag or bin liner
GREAT suggestion!
Even healthy men need strength (or resistance) training as they get older to keep their body in form. That will help, trust me. Nevertheless this has been a nice visual story.
Thanks for watching! I'm certainly spending more time on back and core exercises. Want to make sure I can handle this sort of stuff in years to come!
Andrew, you look rather healthy from this angle, but the main problem is actually the age. Believe me!
This has definitely been a sign I need to look after myself a bit more!
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥