40 24 August 2019 I http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk I subscribe 0330 333 1113
LIGHTING CLOSE-UP SUBJECTS WITH CONTINUOUS LEDS
Natural light
I discovered this roosting butterfly
during a late-evening visit to a local
meadow. It was a cool, dull evening and
the butterfly didn’t fly away when I set
up my tripod and macro lens nearby.
Owing to the overcast conditions,
the image is quite dark and dull. It
seemed like a great opportunity to get
out the NEO 2. The light and camera
were positioned approximately 60cm
away from the subject.
Front lit using NEO 2
I attached the NEO 2 to my camera’s
hotshoe and switched the LED on.
I adjusted the left knob to change the
power, rotating it until I intuitively felt
the brightness looked correct and
natural. In this instance, an output of
75% illuminated the butterfly nicely,
and I took a second frame. The LED
light lifted the subject nicely from its
background, but the light’s quality
looked a little coolNEO 2 higher temp
To create a more pleasing colour
temperature, I reshot the same image,
but this time I rotated the right knob
on the NEO 2 and dialled-in a colour
temperature of 6300K. The NEO 2’s neat
bi-colour design enables you to adjust
the colour temperature instantly, and
the result, to my mind, looks far more
natural and aesthetically pleasing.Backlit using NEO 2
It’s so easy to alter a close-up image
by changing the light’s intensity and
direction. Don’t overlook the creative
control you have when shooting
miniature things. In an attempt to create
a different result, I detached the NEO 2
from my camera and handheld it behind
and below the butterfly (just out of
frame) to simulate natural backlighting.
I felt this really suited the subject and
helped showcase the insect’s design.Technique LIGHTING FOR CLOSE-UPS
can preview the effect before
triggering the shutter, varying the
position of the disc in order to achieve
just the result you desire. However, with a
reflector, you can’t generate light from any
angle and unless your camera is fixed on
a tripod (or you have a willing assistant!)
you won’t have a free hand to hold it.
Over the past couple of years, small LED
devices, such as Rotolight’s NEO 2, have
become a much more practical, versatile
and effective lighting option for close-up
photography. I now rely heavily on LED
lighting for my nature close-ups.
LED light might not be able to match
the power of a flash-burst, but working
with a continuous light source is far easier.
Unless you are shooting high-speed shots
of smaller insects, or at more extreme
levels of magnification, LED lighting will
easily suffice. One of the biggest appeals
of using LED light is how simple it is.
I love the ‘what you see is what you get’
nature of working with continuous light.
When shooting such small subjects, you
don’t need a large device. In fact, I know
some photographers use the little light on
their smartphone, or a cheap, standard
LED torch to illuminate small subjects.
However, while this is okay as a makeshift
option, a dedicated device for photography
is the better alternative, providing far
more functionality and power. For
example, the NEO 2 can be hotshoe
Above: The NEO 2 was
attached to the hotshoe,
before the power and
colour temperature were
adjusted to achieve the
look Ross desiredLeft: Backlighting this
marbled white butterfly
with the NEO 2 led to
a striking result
Nikon D850, 200mm, 1/320sec
at f/6.3, ISO 1600