I wish I could claim the idea for this but I saw a version on another forum and had to give it a try. The setup is pretty simple.
EOS 1DsMKIII on a tripod w/ focusing rail
MP65E set to 5X
580EXII hand held behind the leaf set at 1/16 power
ISO 800
f16
1/200
It took three tries to get the exposure right in camera (varied the flash to subject distance) but the other two's slightly blown highlights were easily recovered in ACR
Nice detail! I bet this would be really interesting to do with something like a rose petal. Exposure and DOF are right on but think the comp could be a little stronger if you had put the main vein more on a diagonal than it is. I think that would have drawn the viewer's eye through the image even more.
Hey Michael, I like close-ups of leaf viens like this. I agree with Jules on the diagonal placement on the main vein. I don't care for all the blotches and black spot, I would take the time to clean it up in PS.
Good technique with the MP65X but you needed to choose a cleaner subject. I often see what looks like a great macro image until I look at the subject through the macro lens and see that the subject is somewhat a mess...
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Thanks for the comments. (Un)fortunately fall is coming on us pretty fast so I don't know if I can find any leaves that aren't turning. We've also been under a pretty bad drought and that also makes it hard to find a "clean" leaf. But... at least I know what technique to use if I find a cleaner subject.