Macro - Chocolate Box Diffuser

[Vida]

A method and story on diffusing the MT 24EX macro twin flash used in combination with the MPE 65mm macro lens.
I wanted to post this in the macro gallery section (to better reach the target audience) but it seems the lines of script are restricted in the gallery section.
A number of people have asked Charissa about the lovely soft light she is getting in her shots lately and her method of diffusion. As the method is still not perfect I was not quite ready to share it. However, the number of queries have increased and therefore I will (perhaps prematurely) describe the current method of diffusion.
I have battled with diffusing the harsh light of the MT 24EX for a long time . There is no ready made diffuser on the market for this flash except for StoFen covers that fit onto the flash heads and that make no discernable difference in my opinion. I have tried various methods over a period of time, the first being the StoFens. That was followed by a method I saw on youtube which consisted of Castrol oil containers fitted to the flash heads. After researching some more I saw that the overseas macro fundis use a combination of a paper tent made out of parchment paper (a heavy, wax coated, translucent paper) and diffusers made from Dove deodorant caps attached to the flash heads. l ordered Dove deodorant from the UK (packaging differs from country to country) as well as flash raisers to lift the flash heads. The deodorant caps turned out to be a waste of time and money as I could hardly see an improvement in the light. The best and main diffusion was created by the paper tent attached to the front of the lens. The wider the tent, the better the diffusion. The problem with a wide tent was that it bumped against the foliage surrounding the insects and chased them away (even at only 1x magnification with the MPE 65mm lens). A narrower tent (+- 5cm) was the best compromise and could be used at higher magnifications (even at 5x magnification on occasion). The higher the magnification, the better the diffusion.
Still not 100% satisfied with the light I kept on searching for a better material to use as a tent (grocery shopping became synonymous with scouting for diffusing material and rarely was an aisle passed without scrutinizing the product packaging).
At this stage I met up with Charissa for a couple of photo shoots and we tested various materials (paper and plastics) over a period of time. No matter what we tried, the parchment paper still gave the best result (at one stage Charissa found a plastic used in scrapbooking that looked promising).
The current and so far best solution was found purely by chance. My son has the habit of treating himself to expensive chocolates (at my expense) whenever he goes shopping for me. The packaging of one of his purchases caught my eye, a lightbulb moment followed and a new diffusing material was discovered. Anyone that knows me will find it quite befitting that the solution turned out to be a box of chocolates.
The paper sheet inside a box of Woollies (no, I don't work for them) Swiss Chocolate selection 125g (see photo) is the best diffusion material I have found so far and a big improvement on the parchment paper.
Remove the two outer layers of plastic from the sheet and you should be left with a double layer of embossed paper. Cut to size and attach to the front end of the lens (see photo). Measurement is approx 5cm wide and length is as long as the size of the sheet allows. I cut the upper edge of the paper in a concave shape to better fit the curve of the lens. As mentioned previously, a wider tent will increase diffusion but chase most insects away.
Hope this helps and the story was not too long and boring.
Have a look at the last 10 or so images in Charissa's gallery where she has used this method. I also attach one of my recent shots of an ant.
Please know that I am by no means an expert on flash work and my technical knowledge is severely limited.
Anyone with a better method or improvement is urged to please share.

[Jason Stander]

Uiteindelik! This is the post of the year!!!! Thank you so much Vida for posting this info... sharing this info takes alot of time! People dont know how much lengths you and Charissa have gone through to get diffusion right with the MT24 macro twin lite... I AM SO HAPPY... off to Woolworths to get the chocolates... Thanx again Vida!!!

[Drake]

Thanks for sharing. And I'm investing in Woolies shares, I foresee a dramatic increase in chocolate sales. (Jokes aside) I'm very impressed with the attached picture of the ant. It just grabs me in a "I wish I could take a picture like that" way, like never before. Absolutely stunning.

Thanks again for sharing.

[Forgiss - Sean Nel]

Thanx Vida... Very cool!

[Surly Ghillie]

tracing paper is cool too. it's diffussion is infinitely variable by virtue of the number of layers one uses. the more layers, the softer the light... and the stiffer the construction. i seldom go anywhere without a pad of a3 tracing paper

[Peter Veitch]

tracing paper is cool too. it's diffussion is infinitely variable by virtue of the number of layers one uses. the more layers, the softer the light... and the stiffer the construction. i seldom go anywhere without a pad of a3 tracing paper

Come on Surly, you also love Woolies chocolates.

[Vida]

Thanks guys, my pleasure. Wolf, thank you for your suggestion. I've tried the tracing paper before, as well as a number of different papers. Very similar to the parchment paper even when more layers are used. I have no explanation why the Woollies paper work best with the MT 24EX. Like I said, I'm severely technically challenged.

[Charissa]

Thanks V. (At long last, now i can sit back and copy paste the link to whom ever needs to know.
The mere fact that this comes from a chocolate box, makes this diffuser soooo much better. For the ladies, anyway. Sure u guys could try a few beer labels etc, might just give this a run for its money.
Just for the fun of it, i also tried Bar one, Crunchy Kit Kat, Nosh, and a whole stack of other chocolate papers, none with the excellent diffusing the Woolies chokkies gave.

It felt like the only thing we did not use for diffusing, between the two of us, might be a patch of impala hide.
The scrapbook plastic worked a charm, with a piece of parchment, or wax paper inside, but it was quite stiff, and not easy to attach. Worth a try, if the woolies chocolates is not readily available.
So, go out, have fun. Thanks V, (junior) for buying it, and V senior for slapping it in front of the MPE.
And guys and gals, if u at first don,t get the same results than Vida..........well.............i have to say this...........we are buggered, nobody does, get use to it.

[Mike Wrankmore]

Thanks to both of you for sharing your time,energy and expertise with the rest of us.I am going to try it and also experiment as you have done.I also see the sales of said woolies chocs rising exponentially over the next few weeks

[Chris F]

third time I have come back to look at that pic, truly a special picture.

[Charissa]

Anyone out there that would like to share their Macro setup rigs and stories? (Kobus, Jason wink, wink) would like to see how u guys and gals go about it.
Would be interesting to see what people on ODP use to get their macro images, and how they use it.
Have a super week, and the best of weekends.
C

[kobuspotgieter]

My setup:

No wires

No homemade diffusers

Also no MPE 65

Suppose we can't have it all !!

[Jason Stander]

Oh wow Kobus what a rig... so that is how those awesome shots are taken... I think us MPE users would die for that Nikon flash... I suppose like you said Kobus... we cant have it all!

[Charissa]

Good to see what u use for that magnificent photos Kobus.
Do u use the tripod and rail for most of your shots? (and if u do, how the heck do you get anything to sit still for long enough?
I used a monopod at times with the old 100mm, but find it too cumbersome. Now i do things the "easy" way (some would say lazy, but not me, obviously ) Camera, lens, flash and diffuser. Sometimes i add some patience, but mostly i talk very loudly to myself....

[kobuspotgieter]

I almost exclusively shoot my macros using tripod and rail. And when I get too frustrated and shoot handheld - I have to delete all the images. I am just not steady enough to move the camera in only fractions of millimeters. And even worse when I have to stand/sit/lie in awkward positions to get to the subject. Shooting with my setup leave me with +- 0.5mm DOF. And even less when I up the magnification.

I probably produce far less images than those who are steady enough to shoot handheld at high magnification, and I have to work really hard to get one, but it's either one now and then, or nothing at all.

I hope that my new lens (85VR) will make things a little easier. The working distance is +- 10cm more than I had with the 60mm, but still short enough to effectively use the flashes as shown. (Working distance from lenses like 105VR and my Tamron 180mm takes the subject out of reach of the power from these flashes, diffused as shown). It is obviously easier to not disturb the subject when you don't have to get too close.

I am under the impression that a lot of the "good" overseas macro photographers use tripods too. But even worse - they shoot without flash, resulting in shutter speeds as low a few seconds. Have a look at the recent macro tutorial on DPReview : .http://www.dpreview.com/articles/821...ro-photography Now that must be another story. Getting your rig stable enough to shoot at a SS of 2s at 2:1 !!

[Charissa]

It is amazing the time and effort some of the "over seas" macro photographers put into taking images. I read about some of the macro guys using light tents, and light boxes with many different flashes, just to take one shot. The MPE is a bit difficult for me, focus distance so small, that if i have to do the set up, and it moves a mm, focus would be off, and it is nearly impossible to take shots without a flash. (For me, anyway.)

Just goes to show that all the different lenses, do have their own advantages, and we just have to go with it.
I am too lazy to do the whole tripod thing, even when shooting avian. Which i am sure, are limiting my success rate to about 20%.
As is, 90% of the bugs, spiders etc i want to photograph, fly or jump away, even before i get them in the viewfinder.
I have more respect for the effort u put into the images, might just go out and try it.

[Vida]

Thank you for sharing your technique Kobus. You are still the only person I know that can match the capabilities of the MP E using Nikon gear (Nikon macro shooters take note!). I also have great respect for your patience to use a tripod. I'm still hoping someone will invent a monopod that can, under high pressure and with the push of a button, shoot a long spike into the ground to anchor the monopod!

[Forgiss - Sean Nel]

...that can, under high pressure and with the push of a button, shoot a long spike into the ground to anchor the monopod!

HAhahahaha!! I can see it coming!


"...so I shot the 'SteadySpike' into the ground, and the next moment a spray of water shoots up from the ground and drenches me and the camera. Apparently there was an underwater sprinkler system there. Not sure when I will go back to the botanical gardens..."

[Vida]

Don't be a doomsayer Sean!
If you ask nicely ODP might even get the exclusive rights to sell the 'SteadySpike' when it comes to fruition.

[Charissa]

And since we spend many days photographing small things together, i would also suggest some legal training, and some hefty insurance. I might just get a foot in the way.... or worse.