Macro Light Cage With Sample Images

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Gottshotz

Gottshotz

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Early into our most recent lockdown, which started on boxing day and is currently on day 117, I decided to venture deeper into the mysteries of macro and extreme macro photography. Following excellent details from Allan Walls Photography I have constructed this " light cage" in my attic, sitting on a defunct water tank, featured below. Using continuous light sources rather than flash and a D850 with Nikkor Micro 105mm f2.8 lens I have produced the following images for your perusal.

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I hasten to add here that all of the following and any future insect subjects I have used are "predeceased" i.e. I have not killed them for the purpose of this exercise, but have obtained them through a contact who has a local butterfly farm and insect house, and he has kindly given me those dead insects which periodically appear on the ground.

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This is a weevil, probably P. smaragdinus usually found in the island of Leyte, Philippines . Photo stacked in D850 with Micro 105mm at ISO 200 at f3.8 1/50 Sec..

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And this is the extreme macro image of a Longhorn Beetle, possibly of Asian origin, again photo stacked with the D850 and Micro 105 combo .

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And as a comparative this is the same Longhorn Beetle as it might appear to us in a more natural environment.
 
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Nice setup and captures, David! I was wondering how you were able to support these insects without having a visible clamp or pin? Or was this done in post-processing?
 
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JaapL said:
Nice setup and captures, David! I was wondering how you were able to support these insects without having a visible clamp or pin? Or was this done in post-processing?
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Thanks Jaap, yes, I used a black entomological pin inserted carefully from below between the thorax and abdomen segments, and then clone stamped it out in post editing with Photoshop.
 
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