Author Topic: close up with the ME and a Holga lens (Read 7110 times)

astrobeck · « **on:** April 05, 2011, 11:22:52 PM »

I "stole" this idea from Erin.
Used a Holga lens held in front of my Pentax ME super with some expired Fuji 200.

I got a few stickers in my hands and knee crouching down in the cacti, but I think it was worth it.
Hope you like!
p.s. the blossoms are only about an inch across so the photos are larger than life here.

sapata · « **Reply #1 on:** April 05, 2011, 11:29:46 PM »

The colours are incredible! Great results indeed...

Mojave · « **Reply #2 on:** April 06, 2011, 01:51:10 AM »

Im so glad you did this Becky!! I love these shots! They are familiar yet have your own unique vision shining through. The light is bright and the colors are just stunning!!!

Mojave · « **Reply #3 on:** April 06, 2011, 02:01:31 AM »

Descanso gardens had color everywhere and some of the strangest looking flowers I have ever seen, and some of the tiniest. Here are shots of the strangest and the tiniest I saw.

Pentax ME Super with the Holga 120 close up lens on Ektar. I think. I know the strangest flower is Ektar but the little blue guys might actually Portra. I shot both that day.

Oh, and I should add that I do often have to crop my macro shots post processing, but usually I dont have to crop much. Its rare that I can get only what I want in the shot when Im so restricted with the shallow Dof that comes from using this lens combination.

astrobeck · « **Reply #4 on:** April 06, 2011, 02:17:36 AM »

I love the intense blue of the flowers! That is incredible.

I can see myself wasting a lot of film once Spring flowers really get going around here.

Mojave · « **Reply #5 on:** April 06, 2011, 05:29:42 AM »

Oh yeah, I went through 4 rolls in about 3 hours. When dealing with such close tolerances, I know I waste a lot of film because the slightest movement can change the image completely. I end up taking 3 or 4 shots of every flower.

LT · « **Reply #6 on:** April 06, 2011, 07:19:19 AM »

I'm a sucker for a nice blurry flower pic, I must admit, and there are some very nice flower pics here from you both. It must be amazing to see flowering cacti growing wild.

Erin - the strange flower looks like a Love in the Mist Nigella, but isn't it really early for those to be flowering? Probably not in different climes. They form the most amazing seed pods. It will be worth going back to shoot them too.

Urban Hafner · « **Reply #7 on:** April 06, 2011, 08:13:58 AM »

Oh, these are amazing. Especially the cacti (just like Francois I had a cactus phase, 50+ plants at the best times. I also had two species of Stapelia, Francois

). Hopefully I'll find the time to go to a botanical garden this spring or summer and waste my remaining rolls of Ektar (and maybe the Agfa Precisa, too

).

Urban

jojonas~ · « **Reply #8 on:** April 06, 2011, 10:52:48 AM »

wow~ didn't think to try shooting flowers when I went through a roll of ektar last time. I'll have to see if I can pick some rolls up cheap for when spring has come for reals here

wonderful shots you guys!

Mojave · « **Reply #9 on:** April 06, 2011, 02:53:28 PM »

Quote from: leon taylor on April 06, 2011, 07:19:19 AM

Erin - the strange flower looks like a Love in the Mist Nigella, but isn't it really early for those to be flowering? Probably not in different climes. They form the most amazing seed pods. It will be worth going back to shoot them too.

Thank you so much Leon! This is it indeed! Im so excited. Now I know what it is! Its pretty warm here in southern California and the day I shot this, it was around 70 degrees f but had been in the 90's just the day before. So maybe that explains it.

Suzi Livingstone · « **Reply #10 on:** April 06, 2011, 03:57:25 PM »

These look good enough to eat.

chricela · « **Reply #11 on:** April 06, 2011, 04:18:57 PM »

Becky & Erin, those are gorgeous.

I'm gonna have to go tear off a holga lens from one of my Holgas & give it a shot. lol

astrobeck · « **Reply #12 on:** April 06, 2011, 04:32:37 PM »

Quote from: leon taylor on April 06, 2011, 07:19:19 AM

Erin - the strange flower looks like a Love in the Mist Nigella, but isn't it really early for those to be flowering? Probably not in different climes. They form the most amazing seed pods. It will be worth going back to shoot them too.

Thanks Leon.
I just googled photos of the seed pod, and OMG, Erin you must go back and shoot those when they appear.
Incredible pods!

Randy B · « **Reply #13 on:** April 06, 2011, 05:53:45 PM »

Wow, those are lovely!!! My holga may be in danger after seeing this.

Ed Wenn · « **Reply #14 on:** April 06, 2011, 06:36:40 PM »

Becky: That second photo is wonderful. The way the centre of the flower emerges from the blur is absolutely astonishing.

Erin: I know what you mean about those DOF tolerances being almost non-existent, but despite that I love taking these sorts of photos; although you do start to hate the wind after a while. You've got some amazing work under your belt here.

Mojave · « **Reply #15 on:** April 06, 2011, 07:07:47 PM »

Quote from: ed.wenn on April 06, 2011, 06:36:40 PM

[Erin: I know what you mean about those DOF tolerances being almost non-existent, but despite that I love taking these sorts of photos; although you do start to hate the wind after a while. You've got some amazing work under your belt here.

Thank you so much Ed!! I hate my own unsteadiness as much as the wing when taking these shots.

Becky, Leon, holy cow, those seed heads like like body snatching plants!! I think Im afraid to get that close to them. LOL! But I think I might just risk it, with b&w film. Those things are awesome!

LT · « **Reply #16 on:** April 06, 2011, 07:29:38 PM »

please use the colour! they have amazing colours:

picture courtesy of Karenphillips on Flickr

Mojave · « **Reply #17 on:** April 06, 2011, 07:47:28 PM »

Oh my, you are so right Leon! I will do that.

al · « **Reply #18 on:** April 06, 2011, 08:21:47 PM »

Wow. We have Love in the Mist self-seeding in a patch of our garden each summer, the seed pods are pretty amazing, but they never have such great colours as those ones! Love that forget-me-not photo too.

hookstrapped · « **Reply #19 on:** April 07, 2011, 12:53:29 PM »

I love this stuff!

Can you tell me the diameter of the Holga close-up lenses? I'm wondering if I might be able to use them in front of the 75mm on my Mamiya 6.

astrobeck · « **Reply #20 on:** April 07, 2011, 04:05:44 PM »

Quote from: hookstrapped on April 07, 2011, 12:53:29 PM

I love this stuff!

Can you tell me the diameter of the Holga close-up lenses? I'm wondering if I might be able to use them in front of the 75mm on my Mamiya 6.

I always knock out part of the center ring on my Holga lenses so I get about 7/32", or 0.21875 inches, which if my metric conversion is correct reads about 5.56mm.

Here's a photo of the back side of the Holga lens to help clarify. You should just experiment with a couple of shots with the Mamiya. The problems to overcome will be close-up parallax and also where the focus point is for that severe of a close up since you are not looking through the lens with the Mamiya.

I've done experiments with my Holga and close-up lenses, mainly loupes and magnifying glasses and find that if the subject is in the lower right edge of the Holga viewfinder it is in the center of the film frame.

Hope this is not too confusing.

hookstrapped · « **Reply #21 on:** April 07, 2011, 04:44:59 PM »

Oh, I'm confused. I thought they were more like 50mm, like a filter.

astrobeck · « **Reply #22 on:** April 07, 2011, 05:23:06 PM »

Quote from: hookstrapped on April 07, 2011, 04:44:59 PM

Oh, I'm confused. I thought they were more like 50mm, like a filter.

I figured it would be confusing....I just hold this Holga lens in front of the regular lens on the camera.
It maxes the magnification a LOT.
Give it a spin and see what happens. You might be pleasantly surprised! I would definitely go for it!

hookstrapped · « **Reply #23 on:** April 07, 2011, 05:39:02 PM »

Quote from: astrobeck on April 07, 2011, 05:23:06 PM

Quote from: hookstrapped on April 07, 2011, 04:44:59 PM
Oh, I'm confused. I thought they were more like 50mm, like a filter.

I figured it would be confusing....I just hold this Holga lens in front of the regular lens on the camera.
It maxes the magnification a LOT.
Give it a spin and see what happens. You might be pleasantly surprised! I would definitely go for it!

I'll try it. But with a Diana lens because I have a couple of those around. Thanks.

I think I'm confusing this with Erin's thread where she used Holga close-up adapters.

Mojave · « **Reply #24 on:** April 07, 2011, 07:44:59 PM »

Yep, some differences in application here.

HS, I did use the little Holga close up lenses you can pick up in a set. There are two sets you can buy. One is the macro lenses that are two in the set, the 30 and 60mm. The close up lens set has the 120, 250 and 500mm lenses in it. I mainly use the 60 and the 120 lenses. The shots here were taken with the 120.

The Diana lens, when removed from the body, acts the same way as the Holga macro 60mm does.

I had not thought to use a regular Holga lens but that makes perfect sense and I love Becky's results. Im going to have to try that.