I have a new interest, macro photography. The world of the small and indeed the downright tiny. The art of showing incredible detail of these little objects at a minimum of 1-1 reproduction ratio for true macro.
Macro photographs are mostly achieved using dedicated lenses, so called macro lens, which make a small subject larger to fill the camera sensor with close-up detail. Lighting small subjects up close can also be challenging and often calls for specialist lighting solutions too.
To this end I have acquired a used, LNIB, Olympus ED 60mm f2.8 Macro lens and an Olympus STF-8 Twin Macro Flash to use with my OMS Olympus OM-1. More on each of these in full detail in a separate postings at a later date if I can be bothered. Enough to say that the 60mm provides a range of reproduction ratios up to and including 1:1 (which is equivalent to 2x magnification when compared to FF format when you take the crop factor into consideration) and can go higher with the use of a combination of compatible extension tubes. Being weather sealed, the Olympus STF-8 Twin Macro Flash is specially designed for capturing properly illuminated macro shots in any environment. It can freeze fast moving subjects with ease, enables versatile and creative lighting options by controlling the output ratio of each head individually or as a pair, and is focus stacking and bracketing compatible.
So here I am off on a new photographic peregrination that can be accomplished in my own "studio", my own garden, as well as in the wider world.
That's one of the great things about the art of photography, there is always something new to master. So wish me luck. There's a lot to learn.