close ups with all black backround

i know this may be a stupid question lol but i really like those close up shots of a fish or a nudi or whatever where the fish is very detailed close up but the backround is all black. i was wondering if this was done with photoshop afterwards or if there is actually a way to take the picture like that. thanks a lot. all answers will be greatly appreciated.

It is very easy as long as your camera has manual controls over exposure. It is achieved simply by setting a small aperture (f8 on a compact, F16-F22 on an SLR) and a fast shutter speed (1/250th or more on a compact, 1/125-1/250th on a SLR) and allowing your strobe to light the subject. The fast shutter speed and small aperture restrict the amount of ambient (non-strobe) light entering the camera during the exposure making the background black.

It is also important to compose your image with the fish framed against open water - so that no light is reflected back into the camera from the background.

Alex

Hey there Seadweller, welcome to Wetpixel.

Alex's advice is spot on ...

I'd just like to add a footnote.... the irony in your question is long, long ago, me and my mates were always battling equipment, film speed (and ability), trying to lighten up our backgrounds!

I agree with Darren. For the DSLR shooter getting a blue background macro shot is much harder than a black background. For the compact shooter the problem is reversed.

Alex

thanks a lot guys. i am shooting with a canon 450d. i was wondering if the iso has anything to do with it also or not. as well as when shooting macro how i should position my strobes. should i use only one or use both if i have them cause i know for wa i should have them wide apart and pointing off to the side a bit so was just wondering if its any different with macro. thanks a lot and sorry if these questions are stupid lol

I agree with Darren. For the DSLR shooter getting a blue background macro shot is much harder than a black background. For the compact shooter the problem is reversed.

 

Alex

Why so?

Scubamoose

To get a blue background shot you need to meter against the blue background. If you're shallow, thats relatively easy. It'll probably be around F8 on your DSLR (give or take a stop). So now you need to carefully light your subject so F8 lights it just right. You'll probably need to set your strobe to 1/8th power or less. And maybe even move it away from your subject a bit. It needs a bit of balancing, because you want the blue and the subject to be spot on. Of course when the sun shows up, or disappears, or you're deeper, things can change rapidly and you're continuously trying to balance the light. Also, your depth of field will be less, because your aperture is open more. This means your focus needs to be more precise.

A dark background is easier, because you dont care about the background being spot on. It just needs to be black. F22 is usually fine, and with strobes at full or half you'll almost certainly be good to go. And focus is easier because at F22 you'll have a bit of wiggle room.

you'll have a bit of wiggle room.

another technical term that i hadnt come across.......

You need to stay up to date on technical terms and read the current publications

With the Canon G9 ...

To get a black background I usually start with f8 @ 1/1000th

To get a blue background I usually start with f5.6 @ 1/125th

Obviously one needs less a whole bunch less strobe to light the foreground in the second case.

thanks a lot. lastly is it possible to get this effect above water with the flip up flash on the camera?

With the Canon G9 ...

 

To get a black background I usually start with f8 @ 1/1000th

 

To get a blue background I usually start with f5.6 @ 1/125th

 

Obviously one needs less a whole bunch less strobe to light the foreground in the second case.

Thanks Jeremy!

I'll try this out in pool today and see how it goes

Scubamoose

thanks a lot. lastly is it possible to get this effect above water with the flip up flash on the camera?

yes it is. give it a try. you will learn a lot by having your camera in your hand on land and taking some shots. experiment with faster shutter speeds as well.

stew

yes it is. give it a try. you will learn a lot by having your camera in your hand on land and taking some shots. experiment with faster shutter speeds as well.

 

stew

stupid question but do i need to take the picture in a dark room?

With the Canon G9 ...

 

To get a black background I usually start with f8 @ 1/1000th

 

To get a blue background I usually start with f5.6 @ 1/125th

 

Obviously one needs less a whole bunch less strobe to light the foreground in the second case.

Your camera and strobe will sync at 1/1000th second? That is quite amazing.

Thanks for all the info in this post. Was just wondering does it not make a difference at the angle you hold the camera/housing ? Straight at the subject gives a different background compared to a slight angle upwards or downwards ? Thanks for any help on this .

Cheers,

Diggy

Your camera and strobe will sync at 1/1000th second? That is quite amazing.

Compact cameras have virtual (electronic) shutters so they will synch at any shutter speed. The Nikon D70 DSLR also had such a shutter (at some shutterspeeds) and could also synch at higher synch speeds. I have always thought that it is a pity that more DLSRs don't have an option to switch to a virtual shutter - to allow high speed synching.

Hi Diggy,

Camera angle will make a difference, yes. But if you are at F22 @ 1/250th (SLR) or F8 @ 1/750th (compact) then you'll get black backgrounds at just about any angle.

Alex

Compact cameras have virtual (electronic) shutters so they will synch at any shutter speed. The Nikon D70 DSLR also had such a shutter (at some shutterspeeds) and could also synch at higher synch speeds. I have always thought that it is a pity that more DLSRs don't have an option to switch to a virtual shutter - to allow high speed synching.

 

Hi Diggy,

 

Camera angle will make a difference, yes. But if you are at F22 @ 1/250th (SLR) or F8 @ 1/750th (compact) then you'll get black backgrounds at just about any angle.

 

Alex

Thanks Alex,

That explains some things and makes taking darker backgrounds much easier

Cheers,

Diggy

damn! i tried in my living room taking a closeup of a small buddah i got on vacation once and the backround always comes out lit up when i use the flash on my camera or the entire pic comes out black not just backround. and when ive tried in bright rooms the whole pic is bright. dont know what im doing wrong. shooting at 1/250 and f22

Make sure you dont have a background behind it, but a few feet (or more) of empty space. Also, which lens are you using? This all really is only valid for macro lenses, or really close up wide angle. You need to be pretty close to your subject.