Salt and Pepper with Platypod Handle and Bob Coates

Words by Bob Coates - A Platypod Pro
Edited by Eryka Bagwell

Focus stacking played a part in getting more focus and detail from the small salt crystals and even smaller ground pepper. Captured with the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III, 60mm Macro Lens and  2 extension tubes Focus stack capture mode was used in camera. After the images were captured they were loaded into Helicon Focus stacking software. http://heliconsoft.com Once the image was rendered it went through Adobe Photoshop and NIK Color EFX Pro 5. Selective sharpening and blurring were used to enhance the artistic feel of the abstract scene.

Kit used:

  • Platypod eXtreme
  • Platypod Handle
  • Lume Cube waterproof LEDs
  • Lume Cube RGB Panel Pro
  • Ergo
  • 6 Goosenecks
  • Mini Super Clamp to hold  mirror
  • Pluto Trigger
  • Square Jellyfish

I used the Square Jellyfish on a Gooseneck to mount my iPhone as a shooting platform. The black surface when it is not powered on makes a great reflective surface. The Platypod Handle was used on the Platypod eXtreme. Five Goosenecks were used to place the lights and mirror reflector advantageously. Handle makes for just the right height to work on tabletop images. It has enough movement to change the angle of view especially when working in macro mode. The macro lens with extra extension tubes makes this what I call a ‘macro-macro.’ LumeCube RGB Panel Pro was used as the main light. A LumeCube was placed camera left to add some shadow dimension. A Pluto Trigger was employed to set the camera off without jostling. Very important when shooting macro. Even more so when focus stacking.

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Also, If you have a final image and BTS using your Platypod gear that you’d like to share with us and potentially be featured on our blog (newsletter or social media pages), please contact us via service@platypod.com