This Photography Gadget TRANSFORMED My Macro Shots at Home

In this week's macro photography tutorial, I put a hand-held smoke machine to use taking easy macro photos at home. I show how I use flash lighting, settings and gorgeous smoke patterns to create a commercial product photo that's simple for you to shoot too.
I also show how I retouch my commercial product photos in Lightroom and Photoshop, doing colour correction, dust and spot removal and using the pen tool and masking to help clean dirt and smudges off glassware.
The smoke machine is the Smoke Genie by PMI Gear. Find out more here: mysmokegenie.co.uk/
Follow me on Instagram: / batteryhq
Want more easy macro photography tutorials?
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My gear includes (affiliate links):
Canon EOS R5: amzn.to/3Yn4inM
Canon RF 100mm 2.8 macro: amzn.to/3YsATZt
Canon 35mm macro: amzn.to/3Qz4wGR
Godox AD200 Pro flash: amzn.to/3DLArvP
Godox AD100 Pro flash: amzn.to/3OK0utA
Collapsible softbox for flash: amzn.to/3DKFT29
Godox X-Pro C trigger: amzn.to/3OMvnOn
Zhiyun Fiveray M40 LED: amzn.to/3DRjwbb
Gitzo Carbon Fiber tripod: amzn.to/3Yn7fou
OWC CF Express card: amzn.to/44Xix5s
Peak Design Slide camera strap: amzn.to/3OKvslt
MagMod MagSphere starter kit: amzn.to/3DMgcyo
Nya-Evo Fjord 36 backpack: www.nya-evo.com/products/fjor...
#tutorial #macro #athome

Пікірлер: 63

  • @chosenideahandle
    @chosenideahandle6 ай бұрын

    Nice! I was waiting for the macro part (still waiting lol).

  • @em_m5989
    @em_m59896 ай бұрын

    the biggest lesson i took out: product photography is more about thinking than actually shooting

  • @AndrewLanxonPhotography

    @AndrewLanxonPhotography

    6 ай бұрын

    It really is. A good concept and more time spent considering what the final image will look like is the most important part. The rest is then just playing with lighting and settings until you get to that concept. It can be a really time consuming process playing with ideas but it's really fun and I love that trial and error way of working. Thanks for watching!

  • @BEAST.420G

    @BEAST.420G

    6 ай бұрын

    💯

  • @lukakoprivica

    @lukakoprivica

    2 ай бұрын

    Absolutely.

  • @user-yw8dh3cu2g
    @user-yw8dh3cu2g6 ай бұрын

    Those photos are works of art!

  • @andyallard5990
    @andyallard59906 ай бұрын

    Andrew, I don’t get on KZread as much as I would like, but when I do I always keep a sharp eye out for you and I’m never disappointed. The end result could’ve been choking in $1 million studio. You are a credit to the business and I love the fact you share your contents, the proof is in the pudding as they say and watching you makes me realise that you do not have to have $1 million studio with Hasselblad cameras and the best lighting in the world to get absolutely fantastic photography shots. Thank you for sharing always look forward to seeing your stuff. Keep it up you are a shining star in the KZread world thank you for sharing your knowledge and content. All the best Andy❤🎉🎉

  • @HDEFMAN1
    @HDEFMAN16 ай бұрын

    This was a delight to watch. Such a fascinating insight into your creative process. I particularly like the idea of using a thin strip of light to illuminate your subject.

  • @AndrewLanxonPhotography

    @AndrewLanxonPhotography

    6 ай бұрын

    Thanks so much, I'm glad you found it useful!

  • @BadSloucher
    @BadSloucher6 ай бұрын

    This was such a joy to watch! So fascinating and so cool. Well done 👏👏

  • @AndrewLanxonPhotography

    @AndrewLanxonPhotography

    6 ай бұрын

    Thanks so much, very kind!

  • @warrenlloyd7532
    @warrenlloyd75326 ай бұрын

    Another great video Andrew. Very handy tips on the lighting and processing, and a nifty little device for the smoke!

  • @JackieDElia
    @JackieDElia6 ай бұрын

    Excellent tutorial on your process. Beautiful image. Wow.

  • @AndrewLanxonPhotography

    @AndrewLanxonPhotography

    6 ай бұрын

    Thank you, that's really kind to say!

  • @EdKrisiak
    @EdKrisiak6 ай бұрын

    Inspirational!!! Well done!! Final shot I see a rose in the smoke.. Also one you did not select looked like a water fall. THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!

  • @AndrewLanxonPhotography

    @AndrewLanxonPhotography

    6 ай бұрын

    Thanks so much! I didn't see that myself but good spot! I love seeing all the different swirling patterns the smoke makes, it's like looking up at the clouds to see what shapes they make as they pass over. It'd be very relaxing if it didn't mean my studio was filling up with smoke...

  • @patricklyons5056
    @patricklyons50566 ай бұрын

    Any excuse to open the whisky 🥃! Love the smoke effects.

  • @AndrewLanxonPhotography

    @AndrewLanxonPhotography

    6 ай бұрын

    Thanks Patrick!

  • @wongkenneth4005
    @wongkenneth40056 ай бұрын

    Brilliant ideas Andrew, B/W photos look very nice too. Thank you for sharing.

  • @AndrewLanxonPhotography

    @AndrewLanxonPhotography

    6 ай бұрын

    Thanks! They're actually in colour, I just hadn't put any whisky in the glass yet!

  • @5RustyBin
    @5RustyBin6 ай бұрын

    fantastic shoot and what an image Andrew. A clean shot of the glass on its own as a layer mask aligned would allow you to paint the clean glass top in perhaps.

  • @AndrewLanxonPhotography

    @AndrewLanxonPhotography

    6 ай бұрын

    Thanks for watching! That could well work!

  • @BEAST.420G

    @BEAST.420G

    6 ай бұрын

    That is exactly how to do it properly.

  • @galesaunders4120
    @galesaunders41206 ай бұрын

    Another inspirational production, thank you so much for sharing, need to stick it on a long list of things I would like to purchase

  • @AndrewLanxonPhotography

    @AndrewLanxonPhotography

    6 ай бұрын

    Thank you so much for watching!

  • @samelogio7441
    @samelogio74416 ай бұрын

    Brilliant!

  • @itaiazerad5595
    @itaiazerad55956 ай бұрын

    for color matching the whisky, use tea steeped at various times, till get the color needed ;-)

  • @AndrewLanxonPhotography

    @AndrewLanxonPhotography

    6 ай бұрын

    Yeah I've used tea before, it's a good technique! Though if I need it 'commercially' accurate I'll just colour match in photoshop

  • @peterdoering4314
    @peterdoering43146 ай бұрын

    Great shot and technique

  • @AndrewLanxonPhotography

    @AndrewLanxonPhotography

    6 ай бұрын

    Thanks Peter, much appreciated!

  • @vladosofronievski3881
    @vladosofronievski38816 ай бұрын

    Excellent video and explanation!

  • @eavesphoto
    @eavesphoto6 ай бұрын

    Actually pumping the max power through head increases the flash duration. Meaning you’re not freezing motion as good as you could if you had the power set to half or even quarter power. Manufactures have got a chart of flash duration on the their website.

  • @tamarawilliams3699
    @tamarawilliams36996 ай бұрын

    Very cool!!!! Love it.

  • @AndrewLanxonPhotography

    @AndrewLanxonPhotography

    6 ай бұрын

    Thanks Tamara!

  • @jeanscotland7749
    @jeanscotland77496 ай бұрын

    Wow love this video another brilliant video

  • @AndrewLanxonPhotography

    @AndrewLanxonPhotography

    6 ай бұрын

    Thank you!!

  • @stans6582
    @stans65826 ай бұрын

    excellent..........andrew......thank you

  • @johangrobbelaar7331
    @johangrobbelaar73316 ай бұрын

    I really enjoyed this video, thank you Andrew! Good to also see the level of the Macallan slowly dropping ... 😄😄

  • @AndrewLanxonPhotography

    @AndrewLanxonPhotography

    6 ай бұрын

    It's definitely one of my special occasion ones, so I try not to touch it. Also I like it as set dressing for my videos so I can't get through it too quickly!

  • @GregShaw
    @GregShaw6 ай бұрын

    Very nice, still waiting for mine to arrive. Been lost in the post for over a month. PMI have sent another so should get it tomorrow

  • @AndrewLanxonPhotography

    @AndrewLanxonPhotography

    6 ай бұрын

    That's disappointing but I'm sure it'll be worth the wait!

  • @thomassorensen9749
    @thomassorensen97496 ай бұрын

    So glad to see it's not just my studio that looks like a typhoon came through...

  • @joeodell6077
    @joeodell60776 ай бұрын

    Loved the Viedo but where did you get the Handheld Smoke Machine

  • @PhillipMcCallum
    @PhillipMcCallum6 ай бұрын

    Loved 5his video try putting the sm9ke through a 8ce wrap should settle on the brandy.

  • @barbarachamberlain6918
    @barbarachamberlain69185 ай бұрын

    Bravo!

  • @Francoisacker
    @Francoisacker6 ай бұрын

    such a cool contraption, I always used a Vape with a straw.

  • @AndrewLanxonPhotography

    @AndrewLanxonPhotography

    6 ай бұрын

    Great technique, and much chesper! I've done professional shoots using a vape and straw and nobody would know the difference!

  • @davidmatthews2647
    @davidmatthews26474 ай бұрын

    Can you say where exactly your focus point was in this shot?

  • @christinaericsson6977
    @christinaericsson69776 ай бұрын

    I found a cheaper version from Ulanzi, looks almost the same, and I can't wait until it gets here (shipping Dec 13 and I live in Sweden... so..long wait, haha) This video sure made me even more excited to try it out!

  • @AndrewLanxonPhotography

    @AndrewLanxonPhotography

    6 ай бұрын

    Yeah I think there's a bunch of cheaper ones, or you can just try a vape pen! Good luck with it, I hope it lives up to the excitement!

  • @Cashark1112
    @Cashark11125 ай бұрын

    I use my scraps for scratch paper....I'm always getting thoughts and have to write them down on something....

  • @BEAST.420G
    @BEAST.420G6 ай бұрын

    Cool video showing the whole process, and really like how your shots turned out 👌🏼 I do think the title is a bit misleading but I also understand that’s what gets clicks these days. Technically not a photography gadget. Also, as you said, not macro shots. Most professional macro shots are taken at larger F-stop and utilize photo stacking. Although not sure that’s possible with the smoke. Regardless, cool video 👏🏼

  • @1faustus
    @1faustus6 ай бұрын

    I tried that a few times but it never seemed to take off. Probably because I kept drinking the brandy. Interesting gadget.

  • @AndrewLanxonPhotography

    @AndrewLanxonPhotography

    6 ай бұрын

    My tip is to use cheap and nasty cooking brandy so you're not tempted to drink the product during production!

  • @canderson1955
    @canderson195519 күн бұрын

    Ice work and interesting approach. But Macro?

  • @AliasJimWirth
    @AliasJimWirth6 ай бұрын

    You are a pro. Why didn't you clean your sensor? Otherwise, cool effect and explanation. I like learning about techniques like this. Thanks.

  • @AndrewLanxonPhotography

    @AndrewLanxonPhotography

    6 ай бұрын

    Because as a pro I know the value of good time management and while it takes at least 20 minutes to carefully clean my sensor every time I do a shoot, it takes a few seconds to spot remove the few bits that require it. When it starts to become more of a problem (every couple of months, usually) then it gets cleaned.

  • @AliasJimWirth

    @AliasJimWirth

    6 ай бұрын

    @@AndrewLanxonPhotography Oh, okay. Thanks for responding.

  • @michaelrooney7015
    @michaelrooney70156 ай бұрын

    with being a photographer and a magician, there are some products out there that l have used in magical illusions and effects that are a lot smaller and cheaper.

  • @Riverrockphotos
    @Riverrockphotos6 ай бұрын

    They sure know what they want for that smoke machine probably worth it though.

  • @marcelowilson-barnett3768
    @marcelowilson-barnett37686 ай бұрын

    If you don't have a machine, you can use josh sticks

  • @lynnecliffe3056
    @lynnecliffe30566 ай бұрын

    ✅✅✅

  • @superbmediacontentcreator
    @superbmediacontentcreatorАй бұрын

    Sorry, but fog would be more impressive than smoke.