I am getting my new OM Systems 90mm F/3.5 super-macro lens tomorrow. To reflect on my past super-macro photography, I pulled up the last shots I took in 2014. They are taken with a D-300/105/+10 wet diopter to produce a 2:1 macro. Obviously underwater.

The process I used then (2014) was to place the D-300 in "focus priority" and slowly back up until the D-300 decided it had a focus lock. This was supremely fustrating because the image in the viewfinder often looked superbly focused, but the D-300 didn't think so and wouldn't fire. The tunicates (blue bells) were F/20 1/125, White Pigmy F/32 1/125 and the red Pigmy F/22 1/200. I ran all the .PSD files through Topaz Photo AI and, yes, it made a big difference.

Tom

Incredible photos. If you haven't done underwater photography - you don't understand how difficult it is

Underwater super macro photography requires good other than photography skills.

Of great importance is buoyancy skills. Imagine taking the tunicate (blue bell) picture above. The bells are on a thin stalk protruding from the reef wall. It is waving in the current and the current is moving you around. You use a "reef stick" (an 8" aluminum rod with a "tee" handle on it) to brace yourself on the wall, then position the camera one-handed within an inch or so of the stalk, peer into the viewfinder and try to get a bell in the focus point while moving forward and backward only millimeters to get the camera to focus.

Compared to what I saw in Steve's focus stacking video, photography skills are relatively minimal.

Tom

Really cool photos. For me, water is to drink, shower and clean.

Nice to see some underwater macro! I used an OMD EM-1 underwater and loved it for macro, the new OM 90mm lens looks interesting, look forward to seeing some shots with it!

Really neat photos. Can only imagine the difficulty.