Flash Diffusion Recommendations for Mushroom Photography

[pgwerner]

This is a continuation of this thread:

 

http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=009tM1

 

Alastair Jamieson wrote:

 

: Of course, the real answer depends on exactly what look you're trying to achieve with

: your particular subject, so some idea of those variables would help to give you a more

: useful answer.

 

Attached is a picture that represents the kind of images I'm trying to shoot and shows

where fill flash would be useful. (Ignore the fact that this image is slightly out-of-focus for

the time being - my struggle with focus on a Nikon Coolpix 4500 are a separate issue.)

The cap of a mushroom creates a shadow, often a very strong one, and with slide film one

cannot expose for this shadow without blowing out the well-lit parts of the image. You

can see particularly in the mushroom on the left has particularly strong shadows at ground

level.

 

To expose this area, I want to use a diffused flash source, probably at a less than 1:1 fill

ratio (depending on how much light the diffuser cuts out). I still want it to be somewhat

darker under the mushroom than on top, but with enough exposure to show the details of

the stalk all the way down to ground level. Subject sizes can range from somewhat less

than an inch to over six inches high.

 

Should I use bounce flash off of a reflector or a diffuser? What's the best type of diffuser I

can use for this purpose - diffusion dome type (and if so, Sto-fen Omni-bounce or

Lumiquest Ultrabounce?) or a softbox type (Chimera, Lumiquest, etc).

 

Peter

[frank uhlig]

Your pic does not seem to have any shadows under the umbrella of the mush ...

 

The Stofen, Lumiquest etc flash spreaders are too small to have any noticable effect. One would need to use an umbrella sized reflector to smooth out shadows.

[brien_szabo]

Many times I just use a bounce to fill the darker area's. I've also shot flash through a diffuser for softer more subtle effects.

[alastairjamieson]

Thanks for the extra details Peter. This looks more like a situation that will benefit from a second flash or a reflector to bounce some light under the mushroom(s), rather than one that more diffusion would help. A second light source or simple white reflector placed to one side might also help to define any surface texture on the stalks.

 

FWIW, the light on the mushrooms looks pleasingly soft already to my eye, but the LH mushroom doesn't seem helped by the dark shadow of the piece of wood immmediately behind it.

 

Alastair.

[ken_dunn1]

I think this type of photography is best with natural lighting, tripod, velvia or vs, and maybe a small reflector.

[brian_godfrey]

<p>I do a lot of mushroom photography. You need to study studio lighting and then downsize it. Carry a few pieces of white card stock, some white business cards, some of both covered in aluminum foil, a couple of 12" round collapsible diffusers, low power flash!, and kneepads. The latter is the most important because it will keep you on the ground with your eye to the viewfinder while you compose and experiment with the light. If you can do it with natural light, you can easily see the effect of moving reflectors and diffusers around when you look through the viewfinder. If you need to use flash, you will need to learn a lot about it and experiment. Automatic cameras with automatic flash do not always work as you might expect. (Look for that little mushroom icon in the program modes. I bet you don't find one.) With digital you can easily check your work. With film you will have a bit of a learning curve. <br /> Are you photographing for record or ID purposes or for art? I think the photo you showed is already adequate for ID or recording. I see no shadows beneath the caps.<br /> If for art, you might want to try losing the sky and darkening the background quite a bit. Think of it in terms of portraiture. Every mushroom is different and in a different setting. So try to make every mushroom look unique and special by developing a whole array of tricks and tools. Patience is a virtue and the mushrooms will pose all day for you without moving...</p>

[brian_godfrey]

<p>I could add that there are many other little things you can do if you are taking more than just a few mushroom photos. You can get some 1/4" aluminum rod, cut it to varying lengths, file points (it's easy, aluminum is soft), and thread it with a 1/4-20 die. You can then thread one into the bottom of your camera and stick it right into the ground. Try getting a lower angle with your tripod. You can get alligator clips with 1/4-20 thread on them and attach a pointy spike to them and use them to hold your little reflectors and such. Some flash units have 1/4-20 thread on the bottom, or you can get a Wein slave adapter with a 1/4-20 thread and the added advantage of a slave when you need one. <br>

These do-dads don't really take up much room in your bag. I use an old Domke camera back with reconfigurable padded inserts. I have arranged it with a narrow slot at one end for my folded up 12" reflectors and longer spikes. Shorter spikes and small cards and such go in a side pocket. The larger cards go in the back of the bag.</p>

[brian_godfrey]

<p>Oh, and if you are shooting B&W or are not worried about absolutely faithful color rendition you can get a small flashlight to keep in your bag. The non-LED MagLights with the AA batteries work well and the beam width can be adjusted. I use them to provide a bit of fill light if I am shooting in ambient light. Just hand hold it and keep it moving a little bit because some beam angles are not uniform.</p>