Fill with a mirror: The flower was at a 450 angle to the

sun. To reduce contrast and provide more even

lighting, a mirror was angled at 450 to the side of the

plant where it would reflect sunlight back onto the

flower. A cardboard tube 4 in. long and 2 in. in

diameter used as a lens shade minimized possible flare

from the two light sources. A black sheet about 5 ft.

behind the subject provided a plain background which

wouldn’t distract from the flower. Nikkormat EL, 105mm

f/4 Micro Nikkor, bellows fully extended (1 92mm),

exposure: 2 sec., f/32, Kodachrome 25 film. Mirror

locked up, camera on tripod, lens focused to 19.7 in.

(.5 in), magnification 2.3X.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Unfold a sheet for soft light: In order to bring both the

plant and its flower into a single plane of focus, the

camera was placed on a tripod above and at about a

450 angle to the cactus. Morning sunlight was reflected

off a 6-ft. white sheet stretched behind the camera. A

black cardboard baffle directly above the plant

prevented direct sun from striking the subject and

causing sharp shadows. This baffle also blocked some

of the blue light from the sky, thus producing in truer

color. Nikkormat EL, 105mm f14 Micro Nikkor, 1/2 sec. at

f/i 6, Kodachrome 25 film, mirror locked up.