Non insect macros anyone?

Steffen, I posted some ideas about the setup years ago when I did my first oil shots and here is the post that has links to some articles. The first article doesn't mention dish-washing detergent or liquid soap and yet, it's essential. Have fun and go for it. But perhaps Sibil will pitch in.
https://photography-on-the.net …showthread.php?​p=17572675

itsallart wrote in post #18985663
But perhaps Sibil will pitch in.

To me the essentials are ….
The right mixture of liquid detergent to water. Too much soap and you get soap bubbles mixed in with oil bubbles. Too little and your oil bubbles are too large. I struggle with this all the time.
For color I use either PowerPoint generated color charts, or free wallpapers downloaded from the Internet. With both I open each chart in Photoshop and add some saturation and blur (usually motion blur). I try to brake harsh lines.
The camera must be as parallel to the surface of the water as you can get it to be.
I haven't seen it mentioned anywhere but one of my challenges is to keep the solution free from other objects that a macro lens picks up easily. I will use a metal knife or plastic straw to move bubbles around. But not toothpick, chopstick, or anything that may leave something in the solution.
I don't use flash. Instead, I use two Ikea Jansjo desk work LED lamps, and crank up the ISO to 800-1600 on a crop body.

MedicineMan4040 wrote in post #18986282

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2ia7​Cgz See the brain by MedicineMan4040, on Flickr

Sorting hat! Nice

Hah! You guys are great! Instead of having psycho-babble, we have psycho bubbles.

After so many years, this is my first effort with a macro lens! On a morning with a heavy dew I saw the drops acting as lenses to give a view of my partner's market garden. What I found interesting is the spider thread that leads to the moisture drop. Either the droplet washed it off the leaf or the spider managed to spin it there - something I find intriguing but unlikely.

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itsallart wrote in post #18985663
Steffen, I posted some ideas about the setup years ago when I did my first oil shots and here is the post that has links to some articles. The first article doesn't mention dish-washing detergent or liquid soap and yet, it's essential. Have fun and go for it. But perhaps Sibil will pitch in.
https://photography-on-the.net …showthread.php?​p=17572675

thank you so much. now i am excited to set it up soon.

Sibil wrote in post #18985706
To me the essentials are ….
The right mixture of liquid detergent to water. Too much soap and you get soap bubbles mixed in with oil bubbles. Too little and your oil bubbles are too large. I struggle with this all the time.
For color I use either PowerPoint generated color charts, or free wallpapers downloaded from the Internet. With both I open each chart in Photoshop and add some saturation and blur (usually motion blur). I try to brake harsh lines.
The camera must be as parallel to the surface of the water as you can get it to be.
I haven't seen it mentioned anywhere but one of my challenges is to keep the solution free from other objects that a macro lens picks up easily. I will use a metal knife or plastic straw to move bubbles around. But not toothpick, chopstick, or anything that may leave something in the solution.
I don't use flash. Instead, I use two Ikea Jansjo desk work LED lamps, and crank up the ISO to 800-1600 on a crop body.

thank you Sibil! I am excited to try this.

Closer, and tweaked the light/diffusion.

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Moss in winter

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More frost needles.

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Oil, water and soap bubbles