Using off-camera flash for woodland macro photography (macro lighting tutorial)

In this week's macro photography tutorial I show how I use off-camera flash lighting to create dramatic, beautiful light in my macro images. I show the settings I use to control the ambient light as well as why it's important to have the flash off camera to create direction in your lighting.
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#macrophotography #lighting #tutorial

Пікірлер: 83

  • @AndrewLanxonPhotography
    @AndrewLanxonPhotography Жыл бұрын

    Who else noticed that I didn't resize my lower thirds titles? Guess I'm not yet used to working in 4K!

  • @susans527
    @susans527 Жыл бұрын

    I appreciated seeing all the photos showing the differences between the different sources of light and the blended ones not just a final shot. Very educational. Thanks.

  • @AndrewLanxonPhotography

    @AndrewLanxonPhotography

    Жыл бұрын

    Thank you for watching, Susan, I'm glad you found it helpful!

  • @Toshkow7
    @Toshkow7 Жыл бұрын

    "pre see your shots" is something i would definitely use as English is not my primary language 😄

  • @AndrewLanxonPhotography

    @AndrewLanxonPhotography

    Жыл бұрын

    It's something I apparently use just because I'm not properly thinking about what I'm saying before I start saying it!

  • @keithgarnham
    @keithgarnham Жыл бұрын

    Never mind a change of clothes...get a small tarpaulin. One of the best accessories I ever bought as a macro photographer! I always find your videos interesting and informative by the way.

  • @Johnmell100

    @Johnmell100

    Жыл бұрын

    Keith, where did you get your tarpaulin?

  • @peterc2248
    @peterc2248 Жыл бұрын

    I delayed watching this for a few weeks as life got in the way. Another stonkingly informative and inspirational vid. Love it

  • @tamarawilliams3699
    @tamarawilliams3699 Жыл бұрын

    Yes, please!! More of these, please sir! This was a great video. Thanks, Andrew. Perfection, as usual!!

  • @duncanmeechan5694
    @duncanmeechan5694 Жыл бұрын

    Another very helpful video for us to learn a wee bit more about taking macro photos. The added light always helps when working so close and it was good to see the difference between flash lit and the normal ambient light. I look forward to seeing more of this, maybe even a wee bit more detailed, like larger subjects and more setttings 😁👍

  • @rosssayer6524
    @rosssayer6524 Жыл бұрын

    Really appreciate you sharing your tips and tricks to improve your macro photography Andrew, whilst only new to this type of photography it’s becoming very interesting with bringing in your own lighting when required. Many thanks.

  • @mk1photography62
    @mk1photography62 Жыл бұрын

    I loved off camera flash when doing portrait work so I will apply this knowledge to macro thanks!

  • @BuildingCenter
    @BuildingCenter10 ай бұрын

    Great video. I recently upgraded my off-camera flash setup and will try these techniques with my backyard macro shots.

  • @simonbanfield6949
    @simonbanfield6949 Жыл бұрын

    Brilliant videos... passionate and deeply informative.

  • @IamAW
    @IamAW Жыл бұрын

    Thanks for adding all the shots at the end, I was gonna suggest it. So many pwople don't do it, but it's really nice to have.

  • @AndrewLanxonPhotography

    @AndrewLanxonPhotography

    Жыл бұрын

    It's not something I do all the time but I definitely should. Thanks for watching!

  • @johnhutcheson9021
    @johnhutcheson9021 Жыл бұрын

    Great video! I learn so much watching each of your videos. I would definitely like to see more and to learn more about your process, settings, and equipment. I always smile when your video pops up in my notifications. Keep up the good work and remember to bring an extra set of clothes…😊

  • @MichelleCox
    @MichelleCox Жыл бұрын

    Nice job. I like watching others go out shooting macro. I can often learn things just by seeing how others are doing it.

  • @AndrewLanxonPhotography

    @AndrewLanxonPhotography

    Жыл бұрын

    Thanks Michelle, I appreciate that!

  • @johnlangford7788
    @johnlangford7788 Жыл бұрын

    another good one

  • @samelogio7441
    @samelogio7441 Жыл бұрын

    Most enjoyable. I don't often bring my flash with me. You have inspired me to give it a try.

  • @AndrewLanxonPhotography

    @AndrewLanxonPhotography

    Жыл бұрын

    Thanks Sam!

  • @adrianroyle4425
    @adrianroyle4425 Жыл бұрын

    Having watched this video a few days ago I found myself using off camera flash again the next day. I've been doing insect macros for 20+years and occasionally fungi, but I generally leave the macro flashes on the lens for insects but do go off camera for fungi. Thank you for the reminder though, I definitely need to go off camera far more often. 😀

  • @vblakely
    @vblakely Жыл бұрын

    You videos are very enjoyable and I learn sometime each time I watch them. I would interested in settings and the mini tripod with head used. Thank you and I look forward to the next one.

  • @BlueHasia
    @BlueHasia Жыл бұрын

    I think an important thing you glanced over in this video is you said you drove two hours. it is so important to travel for photos also. it also makes me really aprecaite and slow down and stay much longer knowing i dont have a 15-30 min drive home.

  • @ricksattelysattely16
    @ricksattelysattely16 Жыл бұрын

    Great stuff, as always

  • @AndrewLanxonPhotography

    @AndrewLanxonPhotography

    Жыл бұрын

    Thank you!

  • @briansquibb999
    @briansquibb999 Жыл бұрын

    Thank you! I would love to 'pre-see' more of these types of videos.

  • @AndrewLanxonPhotography

    @AndrewLanxonPhotography

    Жыл бұрын

    Haha thanks Brian!

  • @batdad514
    @batdad514 Жыл бұрын

    New subscriber. Really enjoy your videos. Like the variety. Keep up the great work.

  • @AndrewLanxonPhotography

    @AndrewLanxonPhotography

    Жыл бұрын

    Thank you so much, it's a pleasure to have you along for the journey!

  • @franmol01
    @franmol01 Жыл бұрын

    very good video on off camera flash. I'm now in mind to buy a remote trigger for this kind of macro work. I enjoy your videos a lot, many thanks.

  • @AndrewLanxonPhotography

    @AndrewLanxonPhotography

    Жыл бұрын

    Thanks so much! I definitely recommend giving it a go if you've not tried it before.

  • @pathogan4854
    @pathogan4854 Жыл бұрын

    Great video Andrew ! I got a set of triggers from Godox to fire my flash Ive to manually set the power but 9times out of 10 its in my hand ! Im wondering what you are Pre seeing for next week 😁 ! great that you left it in ! its amazing what words our brains conjure up in those situations and your left wondering "is that a real word" Take care

  • @cluelessphotographer
    @cluelessphotographer Жыл бұрын

    Thanks!

  • @PaulChapmanUK
    @PaulChapmanUK7 ай бұрын

    I'm getting my first flash this Christams and I want to use it for plant macro photography (on and off camera). I would like to see howyou adjust your settings to get different results e.g including and excluding ambient light, etc.

  • @barrychidlow785
    @barrychidlow785 Жыл бұрын

    Hi Andrew, really enjoying your macro stuff and learning from it. still class myself as a beginner so always like to learn more. Any help you can give on settings and lighting would be great. I am keen on fungi particularly and love the images you get. I am using my Canon R with 100 mm macro lens. Godaox TT685ii flash , also a small LED light sometimes. Thanks Barry

  • @TimvanderLeeuw
    @TimvanderLeeuw Жыл бұрын

    I hope to go out and do more of this type of photography myself this season, so another video on it would be welcome if you’ve got the inspiration for it! I’m hoping to use off camera flash and also LED lights.

  • @AndrewLanxonPhotography

    @AndrewLanxonPhotography

    Жыл бұрын

    Thanks Tim! I'm definitely keen to do more on this topic and I hope to put together a variety of guides soon. Thanks for watching!

  • @mariobaert8346

    @mariobaert8346

    Жыл бұрын

    Hm, LED lights instead of flash could be interesting as well. Good point, you could see before you shoot what it does.

  • @em_m5989
    @em_m5989 Жыл бұрын

    Yeah, I'd love to hear more specifics on the topic. My own forays into it almost always fail. Great video

  • @AndrewLanxonPhotography

    @AndrewLanxonPhotography

    Жыл бұрын

    Thanks! Where do you think you've gone wrong before? Maybe there are things I can specifically address!

  • @em_m5989

    @em_m5989

    Жыл бұрын

    @@AndrewLanxonPhotography I feel like I don't really know how to combine flash with natural light? The logic behind it seems pretty straightforward, but with macro I usually get a less than satisfactory outcome. There are so many things to balance 😅

  • @juliacruttenden5907
    @juliacruttenden5907 Жыл бұрын

    Would love another video on this especially going into Autumn

  • @AndrewLanxonPhotography

    @AndrewLanxonPhotography

    Жыл бұрын

    Thanks Julia, I'll definitely try to then!

  • @Bautaen202
    @Bautaen202 Жыл бұрын

    I realize I must get my ass out and in to the forest with my macrolense. You are a true inspiration and your pictures are just beautiful and stunning. I particular like the mushroomspictures with flash lighting. Can I ask what tripod you have with you? It looks handy in size to bring a long ofr macro in the forest. And that you can turn the ballhead upside down. Keep up the good work and inspiring photography you do. Have a nice week :) Cheers from Bergen/Norway

  • @micksmixxx
    @micksmixxx Жыл бұрын

    Both your video AND the way you explain things certainly inspire people to try Macro Photography, Andrew. I'm extremely limited with what I can do, and I have to use my backyard to carry out my Macro Photography ... apart from things within my room. 😉

  • @AndrewLanxonPhotography

    @AndrewLanxonPhotography

    Жыл бұрын

    Thanks so much for such a kind comment!

  • @micksmixxx

    @micksmixxx

    Жыл бұрын

    @@AndrewLanxonPhotography You're more than welcome, sir. I haven't been able to get outside today as my health isn't what it should be, but you can bet that I WILL be getting outside very shortly. ;-)

  • @joetagg1961
    @joetagg1961 Жыл бұрын

    I’d love to see more flash macro videos. I have 2 questions. 1, what diffuser do u use n your flash? And 2, do you set your flash manually or is it set through your camera ( TTL flash) . Thanks for sharing. Hope to see more on this subject.

  • @mariobaert8346

    @mariobaert8346

    Жыл бұрын

    Same questions here. I recently bought an Godox AD200Pro and matching trigger + a few accessoires. At first I was a bit overwhelmed but after a few tests I'll be OK with it. Now I just need to do some serious testing in the field. A bit confused at what the "zoom" on the trigger exactly does. Don't seem to see any difference. And how to adjust for more or less light, using the trigger or using the f values (which I mostly not prefer because of the bokeh in the background)... A lot to learn still!

  • @warrengh5647
    @warrengh5647 Жыл бұрын

    Excellent thank you but would like to see how you blended the images.

  • @marclabro
    @marclabro Жыл бұрын

    super tuto. magmod used, answering my question on another post :-) which tripods are you using for camera close to the floor, ad200 pro cose to floor, camera with big tripod laying on floor slopes ?

  • @iCanoe_
    @iCanoe_11 ай бұрын

    “Sometimes you have to suffer to get the shot”. So true! Suffer now… or suffer at your desktop regretting the shot you did not get. Get the shot!

  • @mariobaert8346
    @mariobaert8346 Жыл бұрын

    I do a lot of macro but have never thought of off camera flash. My regular flash doesn't work anymore (battery leakage) and I'd be interested to know what flash model and trigger you use, as well as that interestingly shaped soft box(?) or other accessoires (mini tripods etc.) It seems to be quite handy the way you use them (legs :-) f.e.).

  • @wmbrennan
    @wmbrennan Жыл бұрын

    Question, if you were to use a LED light instead flash how would it look different or would it look the same? Great video, gets the thought process going.

  • @AndrewLanxonPhotography

    @AndrewLanxonPhotography

    Жыл бұрын

    Thanks Bill! Generally led light is less powerful so I wouldn't be able to overpower the ambient light in the same way and I'd have to rely on wider apertures or longer exposures to get Sharp images. Some people swear by led but I always prefer flash for my macro work.

  • @synthgardens
    @synthgardens Жыл бұрын

    Hey Andrew! Love your content. I am looking to start macro photography myself. What's your take on macro rail sliders? Do you use them? If so, under what circumstance and are they necessary to have? Thanks in advance!

  • @AndrewLanxonPhotography

    @AndrewLanxonPhotography

    Жыл бұрын

    Thanks, I appreciate that! Personally I've never used a rail slider and haven't really had much desire to do so. They require a slower more methodical way of working which for a lot of the faster-moving things I shoot it wouldn't necessarily be good for. But, like I say, I've never tried -- maybe I'd love them! Certainly I'd say they haven't been at all necessary for me!

  • @GregJorgo
    @GregJorgo Жыл бұрын

    Hi Andrew, can you share which mini tripod you’re using please mate?

  • @Cezarygon
    @Cezarygon Жыл бұрын

    Hi, how You set the flash power? Just set in low and add a bit if needed, or using TTL?

  • @groggu
    @groggu Жыл бұрын

    This was great! But I wonder about using a flash with lower shutter speeds. I this case is the flash just proving a fill light?

  • @AndrewLanxonPhotography

    @AndrewLanxonPhotography

    Жыл бұрын

    Thanks Greg! Yes, if you lower the shutter speed it will capture more of the ambient light so your flash will act more as a fill light adding in an extra touch of light alongside the natural ambience. It's always a balancing act between the light sources and it's great fun to experiment with!

  • @frankprince-iles8123
    @frankprince-iles8123 Жыл бұрын

    How would you focus-stack with off-camera flash from several directions? Is it possible or too complex? Thanks

  • @davidjarchibald1171
    @davidjarchibald1171 Жыл бұрын

    @archibalddja I am interested in your small tripod. What kind is it.

  • @allanmcdougall
    @allanmcdougall Жыл бұрын

    Hello Andrew, thanks for the good videos. I miss the Trossachs! But Aotearoa is beautiful too. I have a canon r6 and a godox 200 light. I would like to know if I can use flash with automated focus bracketing in some way. Do you have a video which covers this? Allan McDougall

  • @AndrewLanxonPhotography

    @AndrewLanxonPhotography

    Жыл бұрын

    Hi Allan, thanks for watching! As far as I'm aware it's currently not possible to use flash using built-in automated focus bracketing tools (as found on the EOS R5 etc). You can use your flash in burst mode and twist the focus barrel to create a quick stack (assuming your flash can keep up) but otherwise relying on constant LED light is the better option for focus bracketing as the light is there on your subject whatever mode your camera is on. Hope that helps!

  • @dawnsamuels2561
    @dawnsamuels2561 Жыл бұрын

    very nice was wondering what kind of off camera flash you are using?

  • @AndrewLanxonPhotography

    @AndrewLanxonPhotography

    Жыл бұрын

    Thanks Dawn. I'm using a Godox AD200.

  • @rachealcarpenter4903
    @rachealcarpenter4903 Жыл бұрын

    What lens are you using? I’m having trouble with having to move back and forth to get focus. I’m just using a lens in reverse.

  • @johnwhite2155
    @johnwhite2155 Жыл бұрын

    very nice. more of the same would be welcomed Thank You.

  • @philhunt1442
    @philhunt14427 ай бұрын

    How bright is your flash? Could I just use a 2000 lumen flashlight with a diffuser instead? Do you have a specific light warmth/tone in the flash or is the color all done in post processing? Sorry if these are really dumb questions, I'm new to photography

  • @mikehughes6366
    @mikehughes6366 Жыл бұрын

    What time of year was this?

  • @altrujillo3566
    @altrujillo3566 Жыл бұрын

    Informative video - thank you! New subscriber here....looking for an idea on best flash for this type of work? Wonder if you can help.

  • @loganbeach1235
    @loganbeach1235 Жыл бұрын

    What is the flash you are using?

  • @chrisbusby4395
    @chrisbusby4395 Жыл бұрын

    Alan what tripod are you using to get close to the ground ,my manfrotto pixi is too weak to hold my camera/ lens combo when angled down?

  • @chrisbusby4395

    @chrisbusby4395

    Жыл бұрын

    Andrew Landon Photography .sorry I meant Alan

  • @chrisbusby4395

    @chrisbusby4395

    Жыл бұрын

    Andrew rather:)

  • @kevins8575
    @kevins85759 ай бұрын

    I really don't like to get wet, so I bring a yoga mat to lie or kneel on. It's easier on my aging body, too.

  • @cluelessphotographer
    @cluelessphotographer Жыл бұрын

    I always just leave a change of clothes along with jackets in the car. :) Andrew, 1.Can you link the diffuser on your flash? 2.Are you using a "Smallrig"? Thanks Clueless

  • @rocky7de
    @rocky7de2 ай бұрын

    Was für ein Blitz ist das?

  • @besweeeet2
    @besweeeet2 Жыл бұрын

    "Pre-see" 😂

  • @dontgetmadgetwise4271
    @dontgetmadgetwise4271 Жыл бұрын

    I have no objection to physically removing dry grass leaves from a scene. Nature is not mystical nor emotional and no one will miss it. Indeed your compost may be more beneficial to the big picture. Who knows?