Macro Photography Backgrounds - using a repurposed electronic picture frame

[@creepyoldhouseexplorersclub]

Great Idear!! I had a kodak photo frame from 2009 i had in the garage, barely used it. Plugged it in to my computer and it started right up!! Made a series of colors and grey jpgs- made a adjusable stand from small rig parts - all is good 😊 now to do some test shots with it, should work awesome!!!

[@MacroEverything]

😳😯 Man, that is a really good idea!! I’m gonna have to try this some day. Never enough time! 🤓👍👌👏

[@FairfieldFogey]

I am learning SO much listening to you & am excited that I too have one of these photo frames in the cupboard! What a fun play it will be during lockdown that started last night.

[@AllanWallsPhotography]

I'm sorry to hear about your lockdown - I realized during this pandemic, when my life didn't change in any way, that I've been on lockdown for 20 years! Who knew?! Have fun with this technique!

[@dalegeorge1339]

Allen, I should clarify the paint card sample idea. I have never tried using them at 1:1 magnification. I suspect the sample size on the card may not give enough coverage in frame. But, at higher magnifications, given the placement of the sample close to the subject it fills the frame behind my subjects. Typically I shoot with a Canon MP-E65 lens or the Nikon 10x plan objective…..which I bought with confidence after your video exhaling it’s virtues…so again, thanks for getting this valuable information out to us.

[@mariomifsud1302]

You are master of Macro and master of DIY staff.

[@AllanWallsPhotography]

Thanks Mario! I'm just a tinkerer - but it is fun!

[@dalegeorge1339]

Love your vast array of content and I have honed my skills with some of your content. Something I have great success with for my backgrounds in studio for insect portraits is paint swatches available at any paint store. I use a quart size paint can wound with LED strip inside the can with multiple layers of diffusion. The subject is centered inside the can and is bathed in 360 degrees of light front to back. Using the paint sample cards at about 3-4 inches behind the subject and is subtly lit from the light spilling out of the can. The background effect is very pleasing if you select the color carefully.

[@AllanWallsPhotography]

That is an absolutely brilliant idea - I have never thought about using those things. Consider it on the list of great ideas to talk about - and you will get the credit - Thanks Dale!

[@michaelmckeag960]

Alan, thanks! Now I know what to do with the Sony electronic picture frame that has been in a drawer for several years, complete with power supply and remote. I purchased it for my mother-in-law and loaded it with a mix of family photos, landscapes, and wildflowers to keep her company between visits. She passed away several years ago, just short of her 100th birthday. I powered it up tonight for the first time since. My wife and I enjoyed being reminded of the photos, but I do have copies of all, plus backups. The panel will start a new career.

[@AllanWallsPhotography]

Excellent! I think you will like the convenience of it.

[@michaelmckeag960]

@@AllanWallsPhotography After a lengthy exploration of mounting options I’ve settled on using components of the 1/2” stainless steel rod system from Thorlabs, with the vertical rod mounted to the lighting cage base with a BA2 mounting base and PH2 post holder and the horizontal rod mated to the back of the digital picture frame with similar hardware. The horizontal rod will attach to the vertical rod with an RA90 right angle clamp that will enable positioning the panel both vertically and horizontally. The components are reasonably priced, unlike some other schemes I explored.

[@AllanWallsPhotography]

@@michaelmckeag960 That sounds like the ideal setup - send me a picture when you get it set up?

[@michaelmckeag960]

@@AllanWallsPhotography I finally got around to ordering the parts and assembling the support for the digital picture frame, using the Thorlabs hardware noted earlier. I just finished preparing an annotated photo I will send along.

[@michaelmckeag960]

See under DIY Projects on Discord.

[@sjsphotog]

I have the exact same HP electronic photo frame that i bought new. Cool idea. Will have to try this out soon. Thanks.

[@glarvenz]

Genius! I've been awkwardly using my laptop for backgrounds and all the while I had one of these in a box under my bed for the last few years! And it has a remote! Thanks! 👏

[@AllanWallsPhotography]

Hi Gail - I think everyone has one of these things tucked away somewhere!

[@SteveKershaw]

Great vid again, I have my rail set up so the subject moves and not the camera, this was a 2 fold reason, 1 it removed the stitching issues with the background, 2 I struggled to balance my camera with heavy lens, diopters, tubes etc, I got less vibration with the subject moving, Yes I have to be mindful of the lighting but I haven’t found it an issue so far, I will be giving this a go, but I am thinking of a small second monitor for my laptop, this way I can alter the image on the fly,

[@photografiaaustralis2131]

Great video Allan, and a must item for macro photography. In the early 90s we used a slide projector to create scenic landscapes for large product work but this little screen is simply amazing. Hope you're doing well in these unprecedented times. Greg

[@AllanWallsPhotography]

Thanks Greg, it is a cool gadget. I'm hanging in. Hope things are quiet, down there. Be well!

[@barryt09]

Once again you have thought up a simple solution using something many of us have lying dormant in a box or drawer somewhere, I know I have. I don't know where you find the time to do all these videos, but I enjoy every one and learn a few things at the same time. Nice one Allan! :)

[@AllanWallsPhotography]

Thanks Barry - it is a lot of work, but I love doing it!

[@DalsPhotography]

I admire how clever you are !

[@DalsPhotography]

Dear Allan, what a great idea to use a picture frame. My mom had one of these, which I got when she passed away. A very interesting idea! Best wishes for you from distant Uruguay. By the way, I think you would be delighted to come and make macro here :) :) You would definetly be welcomed!!! And perhaps even give a class here? Who knows!

[@AllanWallsPhotography]

Hi Daniela - thank you! I have always wanted to visit Montevideo, so one day a visit may well be possible!

[@DalsPhotography]

@@AllanWallsPhotography , Well, I don't live in Montevideo, I live quite near Punta del Este, so here comes the fact, going a bit out , and not in the capital, the bug life is just Huge!! :) :) Hugs back!

[@derekgillespie1333]

Excellent! Great info & technique.

[@colmrafferty5257]

Brilliant idea Allan Is this to be used with constant lighting or flash or both? I have an old iPad which might fit this purpose

[@AllanWallsPhotography]

Best with continuous - the flash tends to overpower it a bit!

[@tonytfuntek3262]

Very creative ideas, thank you

[@AllanWallsPhotography]

Thanks Tony!

[@juancarlosplaza8301]

Pure genius!!

[@nickknight2095]

Alan, thanks for another great idea. I might just try it with my iPad to start with. And, why not mount the sample/target on a focussing slide, keep the distance between background screen and camera constant and then focus stack by moving the sample? Regards, Nick

[@AllanWallsPhotography]

Hi Nick - I must be losing my edge! Several folks have made the same suggestion and it is a much smarter idea than my own! My only concern might be the added weight on the front, but it shouldn't matter that much. I'll definitely try this way first. Thanks!

[@nickknight2095]

@@AllanWallsPhotography Great, not sure what you mean about added weight on the front though - I'd envisaged that the focus slide would be mounted/positioned on the base board of e.g. the macro cage? i.e. not on the camera or back screen. Then, the focus slide weight is taken by the base leaving it free to shift during the focus stack?

[@AllanWallsPhotography]

@@nickknight2095 Thanks Nick - I misunderstood your first message. That is certainly one way to go, but I have had mixed results mounting my target on the focus rail. Even allowing for long rest times and slow movement of the rail, I still get a tiny bit of side to side jitter of the specimen. I am guessing it comes from the tiny amount of play in the linear actuator. The weight of a camera and lens seems to minimize the lateral shift. I can always add mass to the specimen stage, I suppose. It's a good idea and I will give it try. Thanks again!

[@davidgatzen1543]

I think that a big advantage of moving the specimen (insect) instead of the camera is that the specimen weighs much less than a camera, so you do not need a big focusing rail to move the specimen. So for example, if you already own a micrometer, but do not own a focusing rail, you can use the micrometer to move the specimen. Note that when I say micrometer I am referring the measuring instrument that machinists use to measure things, and not the metric unit of measurement which is spelled the same. So what you can do, is put the micrometer in a clamp or vice to secure it so it does not move. If you have an insect that is glued to a pin, the way Allan mounts his insects, you can stick the other end of the pin in clay, and stick the clay on the moving part of the micrometer. Now you can use the micrometer to move the insect for focus stacking.

[@dc716716]

I really just imagined you'd use an inexpensive drawer roller slide (or 2) to mount the background, and then a connecting thin dowel rod to push from the front of the camera as it moves forward. Each couple microns moved forward would be make a corresponding push in the same direction for the background. This would keep the subject-background distance exactly the same, Regardless, cheers to you and all those fascinated by this amazing, maddening, challenging bizarre hobby.

[@AllanWallsPhotography]

Thanks for the fresh idea - I tried something similar but my Stackshot seemed to struggle with the added load and my step distances were all over the place. I probably just need to find a way to distribute the load more evenly.

[@alanrecktenwald4239]

Enjoyed as always! Question....do you encounter clearance issues with Benro GD3WH. Since moving mine to larger tripod the handles hit so I made a spacer that is cheap and diy, (that got your attention ;) ) Made a belt unit to carry my studio tripod hiking. Used for 20+ miles so far.

[@AllanWallsPhotography]

Hi Alan! Good to hear from you! I have not had that problem with the GD3WH, I can see where it would be an issue with some of the larger tripods, but have plenty of clearance using the ProMaster Specialist Series tripod or my big studio tripod. I made a canvas shoulder bag for lugging the carbon fiber tripod - it works well but the sewing part was ugly with a lot of swearing (it's a DIY project that I will not be releasing!).

[@andrewh2341]

Also a thought on the adjustable distance. Put the display on a linear bearing or some wheels and tie it to your focusing rail with a simple rod to the side. No need to independently drive it with motors etc.

[@AllanWallsPhotography]

Hi Andrew - several astute viewers have made similar excellent suggestions. I don't know how that didn't occur to me, but it sounds a whole lot simpler than my nutty idea! Thanks!

[@raymartinez9777]

I’ve tried using the digital frame and it doesn’t matter the distance, it alway come out black. I have a Nikon 28mm @ f5.6 on a PB-6 bellows and a Nikon D810.

[@AllanWallsPhotography]

Have you tried slowing down your shutter speed, way down? Some frames have a pretty low refresh rate and if your shutter speed is too high you will not gather enough light to see. Lower your shutter speed way down, drop your ISO to avoid overexposure, and compensate by lowering the subject lighting if necessary. Of course, if you are overpowering the subject illumination (typically with the kinds of magnification you get with a 28mm on extension), you may just be overpowering the ambient light from the frame. Try wider aperture, less magnification, slower shutter and get the subject illumination closer to the background. It helps to shoot the background first. See what settings it takes to get the illumination you need and then move on to lighting the subject within those constraints.

[@geddavis932]

With regards to using the more detailed backdrops, why no keep the camera and backdrop static and move the subject. Mount the subject on the focus rail

[@AllanWallsPhotography]

Good point, Ged. I never move the subject to focus stack, if I can help it. This is more of an issue with larger subjects, but when the subject moves the lighting pattern changes, and the shadows migrate. It can be very insignificant, shot to shot, but like with all artifact, it adds up. If you could move all your lights in perfect synchrony with the specimen stage, it would be a reasonable solution, though such a contraption would not be very practical.

[@messylaura]

hi, just noticed in your 'about' section your last line in the discription needs an edit it reads 'check up out" instead of what i presume should be 'check it out"

[@AllanWallsPhotography]

Thanks Laura! I'll correct that now.

[@messylaura]

@@AllanWallsPhotography good boy, :P what i was doing was looking around for your own image gallery, i was wondering if you had any austrailian bull ants, then i saw various usa locations mentioned in and around your stuff, don't know why i thought you were in austrailia

[@AllanWallsPhotography]

@@messylaura That would be a double-edged sword - Yes, Australia does enjoy a mind-blowing variety of amazing macro subjects, but on the other hand, they are all venomous and hell-bent on killing you.

[@jetblast7]

Quick question.......do you suffer from any type of reflections from lighting/flash ?

[@AllanWallsPhotography]

Yes, that has been an issue from time to time. But all I need to do is use the plastic diffusion sheet, right in front of the screen, and the reflections disappear (I bend the diffuser slightly, so that it bulges towards the specimen stage).

[@franciscasey3789]

Hi Allan. To eleiminate reflections, you could also tilt the picture frame downard slightly.

[@AllanWallsPhotography]

@@franciscasey3789 Absolutely! Good point, Francis!

[@messylaura]

A simple rod or pair of rods connecting the camera base to the screen mount shout do the trick to move them both at the same time. on the subject of the mini vids, i hate those vertical ones. funny thing is i just started using my mac book for digital backgrounds. i do have an old picture frame somewhere, unless it met with sledgey mc sledge face when i got bored of it. clothing can make intreasting backgrounds too, also you already have them so its no extra storage, true about the multiple cards etc, though you can make nice infinity curves with them if you doing slightly bigger stuff than macro

[@AllanWallsPhotography]

I wish I had hung onto my last MBP, it would have been great for this. I do not like the vertical video format either, but it does seem like a way to get more eyes on the channel - just have to see.

[@messylaura]

@@AllanWallsPhotography ever thought about making and selling a macro frame kit, like an easy to assemble one? i can make my own but there are alot who can't or cant be arsed with making one and would rather click on ebay to buy one, might make you some money. my idea to make the macro frame is to weld three axis corners together from square tubing so i can slip in any length of bars to make a macro cage or full size blackout tent i can stand up in or bigger.i dont have the space atm to have a set up left set up, the bars i already have for my other rigging gear for photography

[@karengoody8142]

A great idea hav a frame like the one you showed with a remote

[@AllanWallsPhotography]

@@messylaura Let's talk offline. I'd like to hear your ideas about this. My email is [e-mail]

[@andrewh2341]

I just use an old laptop to do this. Screen is a bit bigger and since I already owned it it was free 😉

[@juancarlosplaza8301]

I'll copy your idea by installing a Digital Photo Frame app in an old Android tablet I have. I'll let you know how it goes.

[@AllanWallsPhotography]

Please do! Thanks!

[@royprasad]

The words that come to my mind are "Penny wise, Pound foolish". Instead of this complicated circus with an old picture frame, pipes, strings, glue, etc. why not just buy an old notebook computer? A ten-year old MacBook Pro 15" in excellent working condition could be bought for about $150. You might even have one lying around. You could use a mouse to browse through files while facing the computer and looking at the images, rather having to reach the back of your picture frame to blindly scroll with up/down arrow keys. With a $5.50 picture frame, aren't you burning $500+ in wasted time and needless complexity?! Having dispensed with the critical comment, I do also want to compliment you on the idea of using the concept of an illuminated or dynamic background. One could use a static background and fudge in a different background later in Photoshop, but it's always best to capture the subject and the background at the same time in one shot, IMHO. I think your idea, but using an old notebook computer makes a lot more practical sense... Cheers.

[@AllanWallsPhotography]

Valid points but I think you y be missing the point of the exercise. This was an old, unused device that was never going to be used for anything. I tried to give it a new life as a novel backdrop. The video was about how to turn a piece of junk into a fun tool. Almost all my DIY videos follow the same formula. My goal is get my viewers thinking about alternative solutions to common problems and your recommendations would do that - no question about it - but I didn't have $150 for an old laptop, I had an old picture frame. But I appreciate your suggestions and think that revisiting this topic in a future video is a good idea. Thanks for the comment and for watching the video!

[@royprasad]

@@AllanWallsPhotography - Thanks for the response. Yes, I did miss that being the point of the exercise, and it is a clever use of what was given up as junk. Intellectually, it is interesting, but as a practical matter, it still comes down to how far to you go to salvage a $5 item... Spend 5x? 10x? 20x? (both in terms of money and time).

[@AllanWallsPhotography]

@@royprasad Hahaha - I spend a lot more of my time on far less worthwhile projects! A big part of doing this is the pleasure I get from doing it (and I hope the pleasure that other tinkerers get from watching it). Most of my videos are strictly about getting the best possible results (photographically) but these DIY efforts are more about having fun on the journey, with little regard for the destination. But you bring up the important point - how is the viewer to know? I need to be more clear about this in future "fun videos". You have given me much to think about and your insightful feedback is greatly appreciated!