Posts Tagged ‘Kenko extension tubes’

Geraniums in the Fall (actually, anytime)

November 27, 2010

What a difference one week of fall can make. All four photos in this post include geraniums. To enlarge the photos, just click on them.

The top photo was taken one week ago on November 20th. The second photo* was taken today, the 27th.

The third photo is of the geranium watercolor painted by Mother (Marion Gunderson) in 1972. Mother was partial to geraniums, planting them in the several-feet-long brick flower planters at Gunderland following each Memorial Day. (Because of her fondness of them, ever since I was a little girl, on Mother’s Day I gave Mother a potted geranium.)

The bottom photo was taken May 29, 2005, six months after Mother passed away. The photo is of Daddy (Deane Gunderson) placing a geranium on Mother’s grave at Clinton-Garfield Cemetery in Rolfe, Iowa. Mother passed away peacefully on November 30, 2004.

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* The second photo was taken with the combination of three accessories: 1. 50 mm lens, 2. Kenko 36mm extension tube and 3. Kenko 12 mm extension tube. Shutter: 1/8. Aperture: f/9.0. Exposure Bias: 0.0. ISO: 400. Manual focus. (I was so close to the geranium that I couldn’t get the camera to focus automatically any better than just a blur.) It was approaching dusk, so gettting dark; I used Photoshop to lighten up the photo just a tad, but not much.

(Click here to go to Louise Gunderson Shimon’s blog’s home page.)

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Posted in Geranium, Marion Gunderson, Photography, Watercolor image | 1 Comment »

Extension Tubes in Macro Photography (Part III)

March 7, 2010

(Click here to go to this blog’s home page. Click here for Part I of “Extension Tubes in Macro Photography.”  Click here for Part II.)

Miss Kitty's paw photographed with an 18-55mm lens and a 12mm extension tube. (Click photo once or twice to magnify detail.)

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These three images illustrate the limitations of three different lengths of extension tubes. All three photos were taken with an 18-55mm lens in combination with an extension tube. From L to R: 12mm tube, 20mm tube, 36mm tube. (Click photo to enlarge.)

In my Kenko tube set I have three extension tubes: a 12mm tube, a 20 mm tube, and a 36mm tube.

I’d been meaning for awhile to experiment with the extension tubes. Last week when Miss Kitty walked by and rolled over exposing the bottoms of her paws, she instantly became a model.  When I used the 12mm tube, I could get pretty close and focus on Miss Kitty’s entire paw (left photo of the tri-photo above). That was all the closer I could get with the 12mm tube.

When I used the 20mm tube, I could focus even closer on just two of Miss Kitty’s toe pads (middle photo of the tri-photo). Not all of the two pads are in focus, meaning, I think, I need to experiment more with camera settings and/or holding the camera steady.

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I’d better post about something else before extension tubes wear out their welcome (if they haven’t already)! I have so much I want to post about that’s been on the back burner for awhile (for example, finishing up about Bill’s and my Oregon travels); yet I enjoy posting spontaneously about whatever topic is at hand. Thank you for sticking with the blog, never knowing what serious or absurd topic the next post will be about.

(Click here to go to Louise Shimon’s blog’s home page.)

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Extension Tubes in Macro Photography (Part II)

March 4, 2010

(Click here to go to this blog’s home page.)

This is the second of three posts about extension tubes used for macro photography.  To view Part I, click here.

If you aren’t into learning about the tubes, you might want to just skip the videos in this post and wait for the photos in Part III.  If you have time to watch only one video from this post, I recommend watching the second one, although I think both of the videos are helpful.

The YouTube video* immediately below, while not polished, gives a helpful visual by comparing two focusing distances: 1. the arm’s-length distance a camera lens would need to be away from the photographed object if an extension tube is not used and 2. the hand’s-length distance a camera lens can be away from that same photographed object if an extension tube is used.

This next 7+-minute video* is the most comprehensive (I think) of the YouTube videos regarding extension tubes. It provides easy-to-understand explanations about three tools used for macro photography: close-up filters, extension tubes and macro lenses.

Tomorrow (Friday) or Saturday I’ll post  a couple more cat paw extension tube photos. Since not everyone is enamored with cats (or extension tubes), it will be the last cat post (and extension tube post) for awhile! (I think.)

* Obviously I had nothing to do with the production of these videos, but I’m certainly glad that someone else took the time to make them available.

(Click here to go to Louise Shimon’s blog’s home page.)

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Extension Tubes in Macro Photography

March 1, 2010

(Click here to go to this blog’s home page.)

My 1"-diameter watch photographed with a 36mm extension tube and 18-55mm lens. The end of the camera lens was probably 1" or 2" from my watch. (Notice how, because it is closer to the lens, the heart is not as clearly focused.) (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Last weekend I experimented with one of the photography toys I received for Christmas: a Kenko (brand) extension tube set.

At this site is explanatory information about extension tubes, including a 1/2-minute video at the bottom of the site.

Basically an extension tube enables a person to take a photo focusing closer to the subject than his/her camera would typically allow. The longer the extension tube, the closer a camera lens can be when focusing on an object.

On Thursday or Friday I’ll post more, including photos, regarding the use of extension tubes.  For now, if you have time to read at least the first paragraph, and also to watch the 1/2-minute video at the “this site” link I provided above, it will help toward better understanding of my next post.

I’m sort of like the blind leading the blind on this topic, since I have so little experience using the tubes. I’m just so excited about them that, even with my lack of expertise, I want to post about them. If you are familiar with the tubes and have a better/different/more technically correct way to explain an aspect of the tubes, by all means, please provide your comment(s) below.

One more note…for the previous post, I used a 36mm extension tube with an 18-55mm lens to take a photo of one of Miss Kitty’s claws. The end of the lens was probably about 1″ or 2″ away from Miss Kitty’s claw.

(Click here to go to Louise Shimon’s blog’s home page.)

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Posted in Photography | 3 Comments »