Hi Freda,

My camera is a Canon 5D. It's the first digital camera I ever owned. I chose it because its light sensor is the same size as a frame of 35 mm film. For years, I used a Canon Elan II 35 mm SLR, and I shot with Fuji Velvia. I really came to love that film. It's an extremely sharp, ISO 40 (it's rated at ISO 50, but many photographers [including me] will tell you that it acts more like an ISO 40 film), high-contrast color film with extremely tight grain. I set up the camera settings on my 5D to approximate the results one would get by (1) shooting with Fuji Velvia film, (2) underexposing the shot by 1 stop (as you might be telling your film camera that you're using ISO 80 film when you're really using ISO 40 film), and then (3) telling your color lab to "push" the film 1 stop in development. To match the results with the 5D, I set the ISO setting on my 5D to 50; I set the camera to capture the largest files at the finest quality level; I set the sharpness to maximum; and I nudge the saturation 1 click's worth. I use manual settings for aperture, f-stop, and output level of my flash unit. After I trip the shutter, I check out the luminance histogram on the 5D's display. (Through experience, I know what shape of histogram I'm looking for -- what I want to do is to underexpose the shot by 1 stop.) Then to "push" the JPEG 1 stop (that is, to get the results you would get by telling the film lab to push your roll of Velvia 1 stop), I use the imaging program "Digital Photo Professional," which is an excellent image editing program that comes with Canon digital SLRs. That program has an algorithm that quickly, easily, and smoothly adjusts the RGB histogram-curve so as to brighten the image approximately 1 stop's worth -- as I say, it's just like dropping off your film at the color lab and telling them to push your rolls 1 stop. After "pushing" the JPEG like that, I then nudge the contrast a tad and back off on the saturation a smidgin (using the software's sliders). As I do this, I eyeball the image to get what I'm looking for (the "Velvia" look). For lighting, I use a big Canon 580EX-II strobe, which I just have sitting in the 5D's hotshoe. To that strobe I add a Gary Fong Lightsphere II diffuser, but instead of pointing the diffuser straight up (to bounce the light off the ceiling, as that diffuser was intended to be used), I point it straight forward (toward the bug, sitting in a glass box a few centimeters in front of my macro lens). I angle a large 40" reflector so that it angles down from the front edge of the Lightsphere diffuser over the bug (in its glass box) at about a 45-degree angle. I also use homemade reflectors (made out of sponge board, white paper, and tracing paper) to the left and right of the subject -- effectively creating a little alcove of diffuse light. After taking the shot, I check the histogram and if necessary, adjust the strobe's output. That's basically my current system and my technique. I'm always tweaking this and that or trying some new gizmo or other. Thank you for your kind comments, and I'm very happy that you like my photos. -- Dave