Today, we will share an issue of ecological macro photography, we will show a beautiful scene that is usually difficult to observe by capturing the details of organisms, plants and other details in the natural ecosystem. This type of photography is not only of artistic value, but also of great scientific and educational significance.
In recent years, the ecological tank has gradually entered everyone's field of vision, so that people can enjoy the unique experience of ecological macro photography even without leaving home. This enclosed or semi-enclosed micro-ecosystem is designed to mimic the ecological balance of a specific environment in nature. Ecotanks typically contain aquatic plants, animals, microorganisms, and inanimate substances such as soil, stones, and water. These components interact with each other to form a self-sufficient ecological cycle system.
Before shooting, you need to choose the right photographic equipment, such as macro lens, tripod, lighting, etc., to ensure the clarity and stability of the image. For this shoot, we chose a Fujifilm GFX100 II medium format camera with a GF120mmF4 RLM OIS WR Macro lens and an MCEX-45G WR close-up ring. This photographic system has brought us unprecedented visual enjoyment.
The eco-tank can provide suitable habitats according to specific organisms, simulate their natural ecological environment, and provide sufficient hiding places, climbing structures and suitable temperature and humidity. The appearance of snakes is extremely similar, and the breed is difficult to distinguish with the naked eye. We need to take a close look at the scales around the snake's eyes to determine which species they belong to. With 100 million pixels and GF120mmF4 R LM OIS WR Macro macro lens, the magnified photo maintains a very high level of contrast, sharpness, and clarity, and the texture and color are prominent, and the number and shape of scales can be clearly seen. Through macro photography, we can gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of the beauty and mystery of reptiles.
GFX100 II，GF120mmF4 R LM OIS WR Macro
ISO800，1/13s，f8
The plants in the tank play a crucial role, not only as an element of the beauty of the tank, but also as a central part in maintaining the ecological balance in the tank. Due to space limitations, the plants in the general ecological tank are small, and the GF120mmF4 R LM OIS WR Macro lens can give full play to the macro characteristics when shooting, and close-up shooting can bring a visual experience different from the conventional perspective.
GFX100 II，GF120mmF4 R LM OIS WR Macro
ISO 100，1/4s，f8
The different shapes, colors and sizes of plants can add to the ornamental nature of the eco-tank, creating a harmonious and beautiful visual effect through careful layout and collocation. We used the MCEX-45GWR close-up camera with the GF120mmF4 R LM OIS WR Macro to shoot at a magnification close to 1:1. Magnification 1:1 is a very important concept in macro photography, if the actual size of an object is 1 centimeter, the size presented on the imaging sensor is also 1 centimeter.
GFX100 II，GF120mmF4 R LM OIS WR Macro，MCEX-45G WR
ISO 1600，1/40s，f5.6
A 1:1 magnification captures the details of an object that are not normally observable in conventional photography.
With the GFX100 II's ultra-high image quality of about 100 million pixels, we zoomed in further to show the veins and waxy layers on the plant leaves. The texture of plant leaves is an important part of botanical research, and through macro photography, we can observe and record these textures in more detail, so as to better understand the biological characteristics and ecological needs of plants.
Zoom in on the slice
The eco-tank is a small system that simulates the natural ecological environment, and the ecological cycle is constantly staged. Creeping plants or lianas grow and expand in all directions or upwards by clinging to other objects through tendrils, suckers, aerial roots, or other appendages.
If you look closely, living things can also leave traces of evolution.
The GFX100 II's ultra-high pixels are perfect for documenting it all, and we can use the built-in pixel shift multi-shot function, which automatically takes 16 high-resolution, color-accurate photos. After that, you can easily get a photo with about 400 million pixels by simply processing the photo with Pixel Shift Commit on your computer.
The light, temperature and humidity of the eco-tank are carefully designed. In order not to break the balance of the microecology when shooting, the environment in the cylinder will not be adjusted as much as possible, so it is common to encounter insufficient light. The GF120mm F4LM OIS WR Macro's wide aperture gives us a lower ISO and a faster shutter speed, resulting in clean, low-noise photos that won't blur the image due to shaking, giving us confidence in shooting.
Of course, a wider aperture results in a better bokeh effect, creating a rich bokeh effect and focusing attention on the subject to accentuate the details and textures of the subject. Maintains high-quality imaging even when the aperture is wide open.
GFX100 II，GF120mmF4 R LM OIS WR Macro，MCEX-45G WR
ISO 1600，1/210s，f4
Ecological macro photography generally captures details such as the texture of reptiles' skin, the reflection of the eyes, and the arrangement of scales, which are often difficult to show in ordinary photography. Sometimes we need to make sure that the key parts of the reptile are clear, and the shallow depth of field caused by a wide aperture is a double-edged sword, and we usually solve the depth of field problem by reducing the aperture, but this will inevitably affect the ISO and shutter speed, resulting in a decrease in photo quality.
GFX100 II，GF120mmF4 R LM OIS WR Macro
ISO 800，1/15s，f5.6
In order to obtain a clear subject throughout without compromising on imaging. Our solution was to use the GFX100 II's focus bracketing function to compose the depth of field of the photo. When the photos taken with the same parameters are composited, the lizard's head, hands, and even body are in focus.
GFX100 II，GF120mmF4 R LM OIS WR Macro
ISO 800，1/15s，f5.6
After the depth of field is composited
The focus bracketing auto captures an impressive number of photos, which also ensures the quality of the composite image. The need to process such a huge amount of picture data at the same time has to sigh at the power of the GFX100 II body processor.
Some reptiles have the ability to change color, and their ability to change body color is mainly achieved by regulating nanocrystals and pigment cells in the skin. This is not just for camouflage, but also for a variety of other functions, such as messaging, social interaction, expressing emotions, etc.
Macro photography is very demanding on the whole frame, and we want every detail to be magnified, so in addition to the center quality, the edge quality is equally important.
GFX100 II，GF120mmF4 R LM OIS WR Macro
ISO 2000，1/80s，f4
GF120mm F4LM OIS WR Macro's powerful optical structure makes the image sharp from edge to edge, and we have made a 100% zoomed-in section of the photo, even if the lizard's abdomen and head are in the center and edge of the photo, respectively, the details are also rich and clear, and the color difference is small. We can observe and analyze the head features and abdominal texture of lizards more comprehensively, and this display mode is of great significance for scientific research and education.
In the professional field, medium format cameras have always been the first choice for photographers, so what is the strength of the GFX100 II compared to full-frame cameras? The three elements of exposure are ISO 800, 1/25s, and f8, and the composition is as consistent as possible. When we zoomed in on the proof, we were shocked! Zooming in on the head of the little green snake, it is not difficult to find that the scales taken out by the GFX100II have sharp edges, clear texture, full of power, and lifelike. It is a great object to explore the aesthetics of nature. In contrast, full-frame camera shots have a heavy smear feel, and the light and shadow are slightly flat. The reason for such a large gap is mainly affected by key performance factors such as pixels, contrast, color depth, and tolerance. There is no doubt that GFX100II crushing trend, with 100 million pixels, 16-bit native Raw is beyond the reach of full-frame cameras.
GFX100 II，GF120mmF4 R LM OIS WR Macro
ISO 800，1/25s，f8
Full-frame camera
ISO 800，1/25s，f8
GFX100 II
Full-frame camera
Reptiles are very sensitive to light and temperature, so to keep them in an eco-tank, it is necessary to understand their preferences to ensure a comfortable living environment for them. Frogs generally prefer to inhabit damp and dark environments, and insufficient light is an important and common challenge for photography. But when you encounter the frog sleeping with a leaf in its arms, supplementing the light is not a particularly good solution.
GFX100 II，GF120mmF4 R LM OIS WR Macro
ISO 3200，1/80s，f11
When shooting, the frog has shaky breathing, and the shutter speed is too slow, which can cause the image to be blurry. On the premise of maintaining the purity and clarity of the picture, after adjusting the relatively reasonable shooting parameters, a photo taken with 2 stops of underexposure is taken. Thanks to the GFX100 II's ultra-high latitude and 16-bit color depth, exposure restoration in post-production is very easy.
After the restoration of the photo, the highlight details are not lost, the dark parts are clean and transparent, and the skin tone of the frog is also restored to the original skin tone, which is shiny and shiny. Ecological photography emphasizes the authentic recording of the natural world to ensure the authenticity of the images and information recorded. GFX100 II's ultra-high latitude and 16-bit color depth play a very important role in the color reproduction of natural animals and plants, allowing the audience to have a clearer understanding and understanding of the diversity and ecological balance of the natural world.
GFX100II，GF120mmF4 R LM OIS WR Macro
ISO 3200，1/80s，f11
After pulling back to 2 stops of exposure
Reptiles' survival instincts tell us that they are very sensitive to the outside world. Whenever you want to get close to them to shoot, you're always nervous and running around. All we can do is be quiet and slowly approach. When you're getting closer, it's important to have a reliable autofocus system, and the timing of the shot is often only a split second. The GF120mmF4 R LM OIS WR Macro meets these needs with two independent focus groups, driven by a quiet linear motor that delivers reliable autofocus performance. Quiet, fast, and accurate focus performance can do more with less in this type of subject. It has to be mentioned that the GFX100 II body comes with an Ai object automatic detection function, which can be accurate to the "keyhole" after proper settings. The GFX100 II with the GF120mmF4 R LM OIS WR Macro has such a reassuring focusing function, so photographers can focus more on their work and avoid the pain of manual focusing.
AI intelligent detection is on
On the premise of maintaining authenticity, ecological macro photography is of great significance to respect for nature, educational, artistic, and scientific values, and its essence is to record and show the relationship between organisms and their environment in the natural ecosystem, as well as the interaction between organisms. It is also very challenging to shoot a good ecological macro photography, and you need to take into account the macro lens, fast focus, and shooting in low light environments when choosing equipment. The Fujifilm GFX100 II selected this time with GF120mmF4 R LM OIS WR Macro really brings a different feeling, and the excellent image quality is shocking. The use of various professional functions solves the technical problem very well. I hope you will enjoy these little reptile monsters, and this is the end of this sharing.
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