walter sanford's photoblog

This blog post features another focus-stacked composite image of an Eastern Least Clubtail dragonfly (Stylogomphus albistylus) exuvia from an odonate nymph that Bob Perkins collected and reared.

11 photos were used to create this focus stack. My camera is set for spot focus, meaning one-area focus for each photo. A single focus point was positioned manually somewhere on the face-head in all 11 photos.

From this viewpoint, the large, dish-shaped antennae remind me of wooden spoons (with short handles).

Eastern Least Clubtail (Stylogomphus albistylus) | exuvia (face-head)

This is the first time I shot some photos in portrait mode using my new 3 Legged Thing QR11-LC Universal L-Bracket (Orange) mounted on my Canon 5D Mark II DSLR camera. I’m sold!

3 Legged Thing QR11-LC Universal L-Bracket (Orange).

Related Resources

• Test shots: Stylogomphus albistylus exuvia
• Focus-stacking with CamRanger

Tech Tips

The following equipment was used to shoot all of the photographs for the focus-stacked composite image of the exuvia: Canon EOS 5D Mark II digital camera, in manual mode; Kenko 20mm macro automatic extension tube; Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro lens (set for manual focus); and Canon MT-26EX-RT Macro Twin Lite set for “Master” mode, and several external flashes set for “Slave” mode including Canon 580 EX- and Canon 580EX II Speedlites and a Godox TT685C Thinklite TTL Flash fitted with a Lastolite Ezybox Speed-Lite 2 flash modifier.

Adobe Photoshop CC 2017 was used to create the focus-stacked composite image, as well as spot-heal and sharpen the final output.

I used my Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ150 superzoom camera and a handheld Canon 580EX Speedlite fitted with a Lastolite Ezybox Speed-Lite 2 flash modifier to shoot the photo of my Canon 5D Mark II.

More Related Resources

• 3 Legged Thing QE11-LC Universal L-Bracket, a product review by Walter Sanford.
• L Brackets: Two Minute Tips with David Bergman, by Adorama (2:46)

Copyright © 2018 Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.

Tags: Eastern Least Clubtail dragonfly, exuvia, Family Gomphidae (Clubtails), gear talk, high-speed sync, nymph, studio photography, Stylogomphus albistylus

This entry was posted on December 21, 2018 at 4:00 am and is filed under Aperture, Canon 580EX II Speedlite, Canon 580EX Speedlite, Canon EF 100mm Macro lens, Canon EOS 5D Mark II, Canon MT-26EX-RT Macro Twin Lite, digital photography, dragonflies, extension tubes, Godox TT685C, How To, Lastolite flash modifier, macro photography, natural science, Photoshop, wildlife photography. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.