Oh how I love globular springtails. Thank you once again for bringing such amazing images for us all to view/stare at with such wonder. The group images are brilliant. Having tried my hand at attempting to capture one of these beautiful critters I know that they move a fair bit, you certainly have a magic touch to get them all to behave and a arm/hands of steel that don’t wobble. Have a brilliant 2025 Alexis.
…”and then I’ll just go for a quick stack.” *88 images stack. I’m just getting into focus stacking now, something I was very scared of for as long as I remember. Now I feel ready and petrified because you make it seem so easy, when I know it is not. Great, laidback and relaxed video as always.
Definitely know the feelings you talk of. I have taken a step further and got some software but all my pictures remain on harddrive at the moment. Trying to wait for a brave moment. Good luck
I haven’t received my Olympus body yet, do have everything else though. It’s going to be a long learning curve being that I’m moving from Canon. You’re only a tiny step away, go smash that stack. Wishing you a happy and productive process.
@releasedkraken1724 im still waiting for the curve to arrive, it's all been vertical so far. you have very exciting times ahead of you though, have a great time once that body arrives.
Don't be scared, it's easier than you think, especially if you own a OM-1, it will do it for you. Press the shutter and voilà. I recommend using Helicon afterwards. The built-in focus stacking is not as good as Helicon, and believe me, even Photoshop can't handle it well. Last night I took 5500 shots in less than 2 hours, 4000 went into focus bracketing to get 40 beautiful pictures. I was doing a Droplets macro Photography and I needed a way deeper depth of field. It took me longer to transfer and edit everything but stacking in Helicon is sooooo simple! Good luck with your photography. ✨📸✨
The video quality looks great and the content is so interesting! Especially the fungus infected springtails are quite a sight. Many wishes for the coming year and Καλή Χρονιά from Greece. 😃
Love your videos I’m still in such awe how you can focus stack by hand so well. Maybe I’m just a shaky person but mine unless on tripod are just way off haha. Would love a video on how you do it!
Always at a loss at this time of year regarding invert. photography but after watching this it's Springtails here we come. !!! A very informative video Alexis also looks good with the new filming set up. 👍
Thanks Alexis, yes, good video quality. Nice and calm scenes. I love your calendar 2025. I think you just collect some early birds for the calendar 2026 🙂
Wow what great shots really enjoy all of your videos and yes the video quality is very good Question what is the light in your diffuser that’s on all the time your flash? Thanks P
Your observations would be wonderful to see on Inaturalist! Sometime in the future I think I will invest in such a camera that can focus stack like yours
Another fantastic video! The quality of your new camera is absolutely stunning. Just curious-what time of day do you usually go out for macro photography in winter? 😊
Thank you! In winter I don't find the time of day makes a big difference as any animals that are active are fairly cold resistant and in the soil anyway, so I usually go out in the late morning or early afternoon when it is warmest outside.
Brilliant. Your video is great. Well done. I saw your gear list. A manual focus lens. How might I learn how to focus stack with a manual focus lens? Any info source which you would recommend? I am Sony based with an a7RV. I know that hardware does not equate to expertise, but my current lenses are not going to work. So I will need to choose a good lens. Really good work on your part. Thank you.
Thank you! Manual stacking can seem a bit daunting at first but it's really not that hard with practice, the main challenge is keeping stable enough to make the small adjustments needed for stacking manually.. I'm planning on doing a video explaining my stacking process since I'm not aware of any that explain what I think is the easiest method - in the meantime it's worth having a look around UA-cam, my technique is basically moving the camera forward very slowly while shooting in the fastest burst mode I can.
Great video again Alexis. Question, how do you get a permanent light in your hood before you take photos with a flash? Do you have an additional lamp fixed to it on the inside?
@naturefold Is it possible to get similar details and closeups with a full frame mirorrless, like Nikon Z6II (25mp)? I know the 25mm 5x is only for crop sensor, but with a 90 mm 2x with Raynox Dcr-250 on fullframe, can you match the performance of the 65 mm on a 40 mp apsc? Only the 25mm 5x lens was the reason why you did not changed to fullframe or was there anything else?
Video looks great. I have spent many hours trying to hand stack with that lens and I just don’t have the hands of steel that you do!! Great video…as always and I will start looking for Springtails after winter is over.
We already had a -5 F couple of nights…. I doubt if they crawl around much in that! We do get them in late winter and early spring around our trout streams and are called snow fleas.
Still worth checking under dead wood or rocks, but yeah that's a bit cold. I've found the best conditions are when it's around 5 degrees and quite wet.
Amazing work, really enjoyed this video. Could you tell me more about the equipment and how you achieve the images, for example does your camera have a focus stacking feature or do you do it in photoshop? Do you shoot in jpeg or raw?
Thanks! I shoot in raw focus stack manually by shooting in burst mode and moving the camera slowly forward to change focus. On my computer I apply a basic edit to the raws and export them to Zerene Stacker for stacking, then I run them through Topaz DeNoise and finally do an edit on the final stacked image in Lightroom.
@naturefold That’s great thank you for sharing. I have been taking macro photos through the years but only during the summer period and never tried staking images, so was really unaware how to find much during the winter. I will certainly make an effort to get out there with my gear now I have this invaluable information. Thank you once again for sharing your knowledge and cracking images.
Hi Alexis. Nice video as usual ! I'm wondering which settings do you use on this Godox v860iii flash ? Do you know the maximum (manual) power allowing you to get a full burst of dozens of images without the flash not recylcling fast enough and ajust the ISO to get the right exposure ? What would be your maximum power typically ? I tend to always get black images in the stack whatever combo I use unless I'm getting very high on the ISOs. Also wondering why you changed the previous Nikon SB-900 for this Godox ?
For stacking I usually have the flash power between 1/32 and 1/64, since that's the highest power where it can keep up with 15fps burst shooting. Then since I keep the aperture set for sharpest results depending on the magnification, that leaves iso as my main setting for exposure adjustments.. I mostly switched from the sb900 for the rechargeable battery, which has higher capacity than a set of rechargeable AAs and it's less annoying to deal with spare batteries if I don't have to have 8 or 12 AA batteries in my bag😅 Also the v860iii is faster, I wasn't able to use the sb900 above 10fps whereas the v860iii can keep up at 15fps with no issued (as long as I use a low enough flash power).
I stack manually by moving the camera slowly while shooting in burst mode. It's hard to say exactly how much I move with that method and it depends on the magnification among other things, but i go in one smooth movement while shooting to have fairly even intervals
First I’d like to congratulate you on your recent award and the recognition of your good work. I am using a Fuji xt50 with the laowa 65 macro but am not sure which flash to get for it. I see you use Fuji also ,could you let me know option(s) for my foray into macro work re a flash, is their one like yours but maybe a bit smaller to fit my smaller body xt50 but still be compatible with the reflector system. thank you, and I appreciate your channel, good luck for 2025👍😀
Quick tip: don't go to small on the flash, it has to have a certain minimum size to make sure it sits tight and secure. So for example for my old flash, the Meike 350 on my Fuji XH1 the Diffusor guy told me he couldn't do it due to lacking mounting points. So the size of the one Naturefold is using (Godox v860, i think the v350 he used earlier...nice entry mid budget choice too) makes sure that....: 1. You would be on the safe side concerning the secure and snug fit on your camera/lens combo. 2. And have enough power to keep up with a high burst rate of taking photos....smaller flashes tend to drop out some shots and then you have black frames and a missing spot in your focus stack. 3. Have fun
I agree with all this, I always recommend either the Godox v860iii or v350. v350 for portability with decent output and v860iii if you want the most power and output
Superb as always, I have recently updated my camera (Sony A7IV) and it now has focus stacking but I can't work out how to have my flash go off with each fast exposure like you do. Any tips?
Does the first not fire at all while bracketing or just on some shots? If not at all then unfortunately it's probably a built in limitation in the camera, if it fires sometimes you could try using a lower flash power so that it can recharge faster to keep up with burst shooting.
Hi Alexis. Excellent, Nothing less! 😊 I have noticed, that when you stacked from the front/headshot of the Insect, you mostly let the focus fade out before the end of the Insect, so to speak. Is this on purpose - perhaps to make a more aesthetic look of the final picture? Jan, DK
Thank you! And well spotted, that is exactly why - stacking a subject all the way through from front to back can often result in quite a flat looking image, whereas leaving a bit of focus fall-off gives a more natural looking result. Of course this isn't always the case, the springtail in the moss being one example where I intentionally stacked all the way through... In that image the composition and lighting give the scene depth so that it doesn't look flat.
Yes it is fully manual, like the other Laowa macro lenses. This means automated focus bracketing isn't possible, but I stack manually anyway so that is not an issue
Such rich colours and textures in these ones!
This kid is a great photographer! So glad I found his videos and subscribed, he should have way more than 12 thousand subscribers!
Excellent video quality. Marvellous images
Unbelievable. Supercool! What miracles live under our feet. God is amazing...
Video quality looks great.
It is a superb series worthy of a tip-of-the-hat.
Awesome quality 💯👌 another wonderful video full of amazing captures 🎉💯👍
Fantastic video! Truly inspiring for me to get into the woods again
Love all the images
You are a talented photographer, videographer, and teacher. Spectacular macro work!
Amazing again! I would like to see in depth video how you move your camera when you shooting for stack!
Amazing, as always!!!
Fantastic images!
Beautiful photography work. Awesome creatures. Thnx
Oh how I love globular springtails. Thank you once again for bringing such amazing images for us all to view/stare at with such wonder.
The group images are brilliant. Having tried my hand at attempting to capture one of these beautiful critters I know that they move a fair bit, you certainly have a magic touch to get them all to behave and a arm/hands of steel that don’t wobble.
Have a brilliant 2025 Alexis.
Video looks good. And your macro work is outstanding.
Best thing to wake up to in the morning. Love these, never thought about how tricky small or getting into frame would be.
…”and then I’ll just go for a quick stack.”
*88 images stack.
I’m just getting into focus stacking now, something I was very scared of for as long as I remember.
Now I feel ready and petrified because you make it seem so easy, when I know it is not.
Great, laidback and relaxed video as always.
Definitely know the feelings you talk of. I have taken a step further and got some software but all my pictures remain on harddrive at the moment. Trying to wait for a brave moment. Good luck
I haven’t received my Olympus body yet, do have everything else though. It’s going to be a long learning curve being that I’m moving from Canon.
You’re only a tiny step away, go smash that stack. Wishing you a happy and productive process.
@releasedkraken1724 im still waiting for the curve to arrive, it's all been vertical so far. you have very exciting times ahead of you though, have a great time once that body arrives.
Don't be scared, it's easier than you think, especially if you own a OM-1, it will do it for you. Press the shutter and voilà. I recommend using Helicon afterwards. The built-in focus stacking is not as good as Helicon, and believe me, even Photoshop can't handle it well. Last night I took 5500 shots in less than 2 hours, 4000 went into focus bracketing to get 40 beautiful pictures. I was doing a Droplets macro Photography and I needed a way deeper depth of field. It took me longer to transfer and edit everything but stacking in Helicon is sooooo simple! Good luck with your photography. ✨📸✨
Incredible shots. I tried to find these guys in my backyard but no luck.
Thanks again for posting, quality looks great 👍
Thanks for the video, quality looked great!
The video quality looks great and the content is so interesting! Especially the fungus infected springtails are quite a sight. Many wishes for the coming year and Καλή Χρονιά from Greece.
😃
Another brilliant video, Alex! Well done my friend! ✨📸✨🔥🔥
Very impressive Alexis.
So good!
Could you do a video that shows all the equipment you are using? Your photos are absolutely stunning!
Just wow
Love your videos I’m still in such awe how you can focus stack by hand so well. Maybe I’m just a shaky person but mine unless on tripod are just way off haha. Would love a video on how you do it!
Great job!
Always at a loss at this time of year regarding invert. photography but after watching this it's Springtails here we come. !!! A very informative video Alexis also looks good with the new filming set up. 👍
Thanks Alexis, yes, good video quality. Nice and calm scenes. I love your calendar 2025. I think you just collect some early birds for the calendar 2026 🙂
Looking good!
Wow what great shots really enjoy all of your videos and yes the video quality is very good
Question what is the light in your diffuser that’s on all the time your flash?
Thanks
P
There is a link to a website with a diffuser under the video, everything is written there.
Many diffusers are sent with a little led focusing light, but the Godox v860iii had a built in focusing light so I use that.
Could you make a video on your macro workflow?
Or more specifically, how you organize the files, process and stack them?
I definitely want to do a few videos on my post processing workflow over the winter.
Great photos! What flash power do you usually set?
I usually use between 1/32 and 1/64 so that the flash can keep up with fast burst shooting.
Your observations would be wonderful to see on Inaturalist!
Sometime in the future I think I will invest in such a camera that can focus stack like yours
I'm actually quite active on iNat, that's where I learned a lot of what I know about identifying :)
Another fantastic video! The quality of your new camera is absolutely stunning. Just curious-what time of day do you usually go out for macro photography in winter? 😊
Thank you! In winter I don't find the time of day makes a big difference as any animals that are active are fairly cold resistant and in the soil anyway, so I usually go out in the late morning or early afternoon when it is warmest outside.
Hi. Just started with a loawa 65mm .are you turning the focus ring or moving in and out when stacking. Thanks
Brilliant. Your video is great. Well done. I saw your gear list. A manual focus lens. How might I learn how to focus stack with a manual focus lens? Any info source which you would recommend? I am Sony based with an a7RV. I know that hardware does not equate to expertise, but my current lenses are not going to work. So I will need to choose a good lens. Really good work on your part. Thank you.
Thank you! Manual stacking can seem a bit daunting at first but it's really not that hard with practice, the main challenge is keeping stable enough to make the small adjustments needed for stacking manually..
I'm planning on doing a video explaining my stacking process since I'm not aware of any that explain what I think is the easiest method - in the meantime it's worth having a look around UA-cam, my technique is basically moving the camera forward very slowly while shooting in the fastest burst mode I can.
@naturefold Thank you. Super helpful.
Great video again Alexis. Question, how do you get a permanent light in your hood before you take photos with a flash? Do you have an additional lamp fixed to it on the inside?
The Horizon v860iii has a built in focusing light so I use that, but I used to use a small headlamp attached to the flash inside the diffuser
@naturefold Thanks. Didn't know they existed. I like the DIY solution ;-)
@naturefold Is it possible to get similar details and closeups with a full frame mirorrless, like Nikon Z6II (25mp)? I know the 25mm 5x is only for crop sensor, but with a 90 mm 2x with Raynox Dcr-250 on fullframe, can you match the performance of the 65 mm on a 40 mp apsc? Only the 25mm 5x lens was the reason why you did not changed to fullframe or was there anything else?
Video looks great. I have spent many hours trying to hand stack with that lens and I just don’t have the hands of steel that you do!! Great video…as always and I will start looking for Springtails after winter is over.
i just ordered one lol im looking forward to the challenge
but springtails are mostly active in winter
We already had a -5 F couple of nights…. I doubt if they crawl around much in that! We do get them in late winter and early spring around our trout streams and are called snow fleas.
Still worth checking under dead wood or rocks, but yeah that's a bit cold. I've found the best conditions are when it's around 5 degrees and quite wet.
Amazing work, really enjoyed this video. Could you tell me more about the equipment and how you achieve the images, for example does your camera have a focus stacking feature or do you do it in photoshop? Do you shoot in jpeg or raw?
Thanks! I shoot in raw focus stack manually by shooting in burst mode and moving the camera slowly forward to change focus. On my computer I apply a basic edit to the raws and export them to Zerene Stacker for stacking, then I run them through Topaz DeNoise and finally do an edit on the final stacked image in Lightroom.
@naturefold That’s great thank you for sharing. I have been taking macro photos through the years but only during the summer period and never tried staking images, so was really unaware how to find much during the winter. I will certainly make an effort to get out there with my gear now I have this invaluable information. Thank you once again for sharing your knowledge and cracking images.
Hi Alexis. Nice video as usual ! I'm wondering which settings do you use on this Godox v860iii flash ? Do you know the maximum (manual) power allowing you to get a full burst of dozens of images without the flash not recylcling fast enough and ajust the ISO to get the right exposure ? What would be your maximum power typically ? I tend to always get black images in the stack whatever combo I use unless I'm getting very high on the ISOs. Also wondering why you changed the previous Nikon SB-900 for this Godox ?
For stacking I usually have the flash power between 1/32 and 1/64, since that's the highest power where it can keep up with 15fps burst shooting. Then since I keep the aperture set for sharpest results depending on the magnification, that leaves iso as my main setting for exposure adjustments..
I mostly switched from the sb900 for the rechargeable battery, which has higher capacity than a set of rechargeable AAs and it's less annoying to deal with spare batteries if I don't have to have 8 or 12 AA batteries in my bag😅 Also the v860iii is faster, I wasn't able to use the sb900 above 10fps whereas the v860iii can keep up at 15fps with no issued (as long as I use a low enough flash power).
@naturefold Thank you so much for ypur answer. I'm probably overly conservative with my ISOs settings...
There is no autofocus on the Laowa lens, how does focus stacking work? Is the camera moved, and if so, how much? a few millimeters?
I stack manually by moving the camera slowly while shooting in burst mode. It's hard to say exactly how much I move with that method and it depends on the magnification among other things, but i go in one smooth movement while shooting to have fairly even intervals
Do you use helicon focus to combine photos?
I use Zerene Stacker, but Helicon focus is also a great option.
First I’d like to congratulate you on your recent award and the recognition of your good work. I am using a Fuji xt50 with the laowa 65 macro but am not sure which flash to get for it. I see you use Fuji also ,could you let me know option(s) for my foray into macro work re a flash, is their one like yours but maybe a bit smaller to fit my smaller body xt50 but still be compatible with the reflector system. thank you, and I appreciate your channel, good luck for 2025👍😀
Quick tip: don't go to small on the flash, it has to have a certain minimum size to make sure it sits tight and secure. So for example for my old flash, the Meike 350 on my Fuji XH1 the Diffusor guy told me he couldn't do it due to lacking mounting points. So the size of the one Naturefold is using (Godox v860, i think the v350 he used earlier...nice entry mid budget choice too) makes sure that....:
1. You would be on the safe side concerning the secure and snug fit on your camera/lens combo.
2. And have enough power to keep up with a high burst rate of taking photos....smaller flashes tend to drop out some shots and then you have black frames and a missing spot in your focus stack.
3. Have fun
I agree with all this, I always recommend either the Godox v860iii or v350. v350 for portability with decent output and v860iii if you want the most power and output
@@NEONWAVE3000 thanks for you feedback
@naturefold thanks for the reply, I am ordering the v350 👍
Superb as always, I have recently updated my camera (Sony A7IV) and it now has focus stacking but I can't work out how to have my flash go off with each fast exposure like you do. Any tips?
Does the first not fire at all while bracketing or just on some shots? If not at all then unfortunately it's probably a built in limitation in the camera, if it fires sometimes you could try using a lower flash power so that it can recharge faster to keep up with burst shooting.
@naturefold thanks, can't see it being a limit on the camera itself, most likely I haven't got the flash set up properly (I am very new to flash)
yes. the picture is great. the b-rolls are mind-blowing! it's not "your grandma's" Canon 550d☺. the colors in the video are great!
Hi Alexis.
Excellent, Nothing less! 😊
I have noticed, that when you stacked from the front/headshot of the Insect, you mostly let the focus fade out before the end of the Insect, so to speak. Is this on purpose - perhaps to make a more aesthetic look of the final picture?
Jan, DK
Thank you! And well spotted, that is exactly why - stacking a subject all the way through from front to back can often result in quite a flat looking image, whereas leaving a bit of focus fall-off gives a more natural looking result. Of course this isn't always the case, the springtail in the moss being one example where I intentionally stacked all the way through... In that image the composition and lighting give the scene depth so that it doesn't look flat.
Ain’t the Laowa 25mm manual?
Yes it is fully manual, like the other Laowa macro lenses. This means automated focus bracketing isn't possible, but I stack manually anyway so that is not an issue
thats a extreme macro?
Some photos are and some aren't, depends on your definition of extreme macro :)
Admiring your drip
Second! :D
First!😬