How's my read?

[d42zero]

I took these photos today and am reading this as mostly clear with about 30-40% cloudy and a few scattered ambers... would you agree?

Definitely need to work on my trich photographing setup, loupe attached to a phone with rubber bands really isn't cutting it

 

[Marzbadrock]

I'd say your read is pretty damn accurate!

 

[d42zero]

I'd say your read is pretty damn accurate!

Thanks, still not very confident on my trichome assessing skills lol so it's good to have some outside input

 

[d42zero]

One week later....

And a close-up of the last photo...

Still a little clear so I'll give them one more week then harvest the top layer that's closest to the lights Bottom stuff will probably get another week or two to fatten up, will photograph lower trichs once I've harvested the top stuff and go from there..

 

[d42zero]

Not a great photo, but I think it's clear enough to decide....... HARVEST TIME TOMORROW

 

[meffa]

Not a great photo, but I think it's clear enough to decide....... HARVEST TIME TOMORROW

So you attached your loupe to your phone with elastics huh? I like that idea. I've been struggling to get a clear close up of my trichs. I have a USB camera for my laptop but I can't get steady, and my hand moves too much with the loupe too. I also took some pics with my Nikon DSLR but when I zoom in on my laptop they distort.

I'll try the elastic on the phone and see how that works. If anyone has any tips on getting closeup pics I would greatly appreciate it!

 

[Justin Goody]

So you attached your loupe to your phone with elastics huh? I like that idea. I've been struggling to get a clear close up of my trichs. I have a USB camera for my laptop but I can't get steady, and my hand moves too much with the loupe too. I also took some pics with my Nikon DSLR but when I zoom in on my laptop they distort.

I'll try the elastic on the phone and see how that works. If anyone has any tips on getting closeup pics I would greatly appreciate it!

You can buy a macro kit for the phone, it comes with 3-4 lenses that all clip on and do various things (fisheye, etc.) and I think mine was $20.

 

[meffa]

You can buy a macro kit for the phone, it comes with 3-4 lenses that all clip on and do various things (fisheye, etc.) and I think mine was $20.

Very cool, thank you for that. I just ordered a kit online.

 

[d42zero]

@meffa - I currently use a cheapo eBay loupe held to the phone with rubber bands, then I use something to lean the phone up so it doesn't move, and my black mouse mat for the background... the little round hygrometer is where I would put the bud:

But the most important part of this is the setup...

• Set this up in front of a window, door, some place where you have enough natural light that you could read a book. Ideally the light should be coming from behind the camera and slightly to one side, i.e. if you are sitting behind the camera the light should be coming from over one of your shoulders. If you use artificial light it will still work, however the colour temperature is harder to control and you can end up with weird colours.
• Set the camera to work on a 10-second timer (so you hit the button and it takes the shot 10 seconds later) - this means the camera is perfectly still when the shot is taken
• Set the camera to manual focus, auto exposure
• Move the bud forward and back until it is in focus the way you like it - when doing close-up photos this is more reliable than letting the camera auto-focus on wherever it thinks it should
• Once everything is sitting nice and still, tap the button and wait for the camera to take the shot

This is a super ghetto setup but works fine... the hardest part of most photography is keeping the camera perfectly still, if you can do that then it doesn't really matter what equipment you have as long as it is capable of shooting what you want (i.e. you can't really use a 400mm telephoto lens to shoot a macro close-up). I was a full-time pro sport photographer for about ten years but I never really got into macro, so while I've got aaaaalllll the good fruit for shooting sports I don't have any macro equipment, but this setup does a good enough job for now!

Hope that helps!

 

[meffa]

@meffa - I currently use a cheapo eBay loupe held to the phone with rubber bands, then I use something to lean the phone up so it doesn't move, and my black mouse mat for the background... the little round hygrometer is where I would put the bud:

But the most important part of this is the setup...

• Set this up in front of a window, door, some place where you have enough natural light that you could read a book. Ideally the light should be coming from behind the camera and slightly to one side, i.e. if you are sitting behind the camera the light should be coming from over one of your shoulders. If you use artificial light it will still work, however the colour temperature is harder to control and you can end up with weird colours.
• Set the camera to work on a 10-second timer (so you hit the button and it takes the shot 10 seconds later) - this means the camera is perfectly still when the shot is taken
• Set the camera to manual focus, auto exposure
• Move the bud forward and back until it is in focus the way you like it - when doing close-up photos this is more reliable than letting the camera auto-focus on wherever it thinks it should
• Once everything is sitting nice and still, tap the button and wait for the camera to take the shot

This is a super ghetto setup but works fine... the hardest part of most photography is keeping the camera perfectly still, if you can do that then it doesn't really matter what equipment you have as long as it is capable of shooting what you want (i.e. you can't really use a 400mm telephoto lens to shoot a macro close-up). I was a full-time pro sport photographer for about ten years but I never really got into macro, so while I've got aaaaalllll the good fruit for shooting sports I don't have any macro equipment, but this setup does a good enough job for now!

Hope that helps!

That's great, thank you! I gave my USB scope another shot this morning and I could not for the life of me to get the scope or bud from moving. I tried hanging the scope from above and moving the plant to get in focus, but there were still very slight movements that didn't let me get in focus. I ordered the clip on lenses for my phone but until that arrives I'm going to try your method. The light from behind and manual focus which I've never tried on my phone should help a lot.

 

[d42zero]

That's great, thank you! I gave my USB scope another shot this morning and I could not for the life of me to get the scope or bud from moving. I tried hanging the scope from above and moving the plant to get in focus, but there were still very slight movements that didn't let me get in focus. I ordered the clip on lenses for my phone but until that arrives I'm going to try your method. The light from behind and manual focus which I've never tried on my phone should help a lot.

If I'm shooting in the tent, I use the same setup with my phone but I use a bamboo stick like a monopod... Just put one end of the stick on the floor, and hold both the phone and the bamboo stick in one hand so the stick steadies my hand. Also remember to turn any fans off, the air will move the plants. Are you shooting with the grow lights on? The more light the better, because your USB scope probably automatically adjusts the exposure and more light = faster shutter speed = less motion blur.

The higher the magnification, the more still you have to hold the camera. When you get your magnifying lens kit for your phone, if the highest magnification lens is blurry then you might be able to step down to a lens with less magnification.. it won't be as close, but it may look much more clear.

The same day I wrote my last reply, I received a special ring in the post that lets me mount my proper camera lenses backwards... lenses are supposed to shrink the image down so it fits on the film (or the sensor), so if you reverse the lens it magnifies the image A LOT. It's also a ghetto setup lol but it produces amazing results, like this shot of a salt crystal which was about 3 or 4mm wide (less than 1/8"):

I'll post some photos when I get it working

 

[meffa]

If I'm shooting in the tent, I use the same setup with my phone but I use a bamboo stick like a monopod... Just put one end of the stick on the floor, and hold both the phone and the bamboo stick in one hand so the stick steadies my hand. Also remember to turn any fans off, the air will move the plants. Are you shooting with the grow lights on? The more light the better, because your USB scope probably automatically adjusts the exposure and more light = faster shutter speed = less motion blur.

The higher the magnification, the more still you have to hold the camera. When you get your magnifying lens kit for your phone, if the highest magnification lens is blurry then you might be able to step down to a lens with less magnification.. it won't be as close, but it may look much more clear.

The same day I wrote my last reply, I received a special ring in the post that lets me mount my proper camera lenses backwards... lenses are supposed to shrink the image down so it fits on the film (or the sensor), so if you reverse the lens it magnifies the image A LOT. It's also a ghetto setup lol but it produces amazing results, like this shot of a salt crystal which was about 3 or 4mm wide (less than 1/8"):

I'll post some photos when I get it working

Wow, that's amazing! I tried taking more pics this morning with my loupe attached to my iPhone but it didn't work out (blurry again). My lens kit is scheduled to arrive Monday.

 

[d42zero]

Are you shooting with the grow lights on or off? Your phone on auto will act the same as your scope, more light = less motion blur

 

[meffa]

Are you shooting with the grow lights on or off? Your phone on auto will act the same as your scope, more light = less motion blur

I had the lights on. I take the plants out to water and tried getting pics that way this morning but I didn't set things up right. Once I get the lens kit for my phone I'll take my time and I'm sure I'll be able get it done.

I also haven't figured out how to get my phone camera on manual focus.

 

[d42zero]

I had the lights on. I take the plants out to water and tried getting pics that way this morning but I didn't set things up right. Once I get the lens kit for my phone I'll take my time and I'm sure I'll be able get it done.

I also haven't figured out how to get my phone camera on manual focus.

What kind of phone? Most have a 'pro' mode, however that knocks out a lot of other useful automatic settings. I use pro mode for my desktop setup but I just use full auto (including auto focus) when I'm shooting in the tent, as it's much harder to keep the camera dead still. My phone lets me hold the button down and take loads of photos so I just do that then choose the one that's best in focus

Another method is to tap the screen so it focuses on a particular spot, then move the camera back and forward slightly while it holds focus.. my phone only holds focus for about three seconds after I tap the screen though, so there's a bit of a knack in doing that..