Posers and others (recent macros)

Lord Vetinari

Some recent macro shots, all at 1.5:1 except the butterfly.

Fly portrait



Drone fly (Type of hoverfly) making sure it got in the pic



Red Admiral Butterfly really posing



Snail portrait



Ant down on the Aphid farm- but what is on the ant's back?

Eric&Susan

Holy bugs Batman, on that last one.


The snail is interesting, I've never seen a snail macro. Probably able to use a pretty slow shutter speed

Eric

gluwater

Are the little white guys on the ants back baby Aphids?

You keep getting closer and closer. I don't think you can get much closer or you will be looking up the bugs noses.

Lord Vetinari

Eric&Susan wrote:

Holy bugs Batman, on that last one.


The snail is interesting, I've never seen a snail macro. Probably able to use a pretty slow shutter speed

Eric

Thanks Eric,
My first snail- but you are right about having plenty of time to compose the pic:D

gluwater wrote:

Are the little white guys on the ants back baby Aphids?

You keep getting closer and closer. I don't think you can get much closer or you will be looking up the bugs noses.

Thanks for looking.
Think they might be baby aphids. Just been reading up on ants/aphid symbiosis. It goes further than I thought. Apparently some ants do take aphid eggs into their nests and look after them during the winter and then put them out to pasture in the Spring
I still haven't tried many shots at 2:1, but I suspect I'm at my limit really handheld at 1.5:1- very hard to focus and not get motion blur.


Brian V.

gluwater

I supose using a tripod would be a bit difficult at that close range wouldn't it? Have you ever tried one for your Macro shots?

Lord Vetinari

gluwater wrote:

I supose using a tripod would be a bit difficult at that close range wouldn't it? Have you ever tried one for your Macro shots?

Not out in the garden anyway- it would just take too long to setup and more than likely scare the bugs away. Only thing I do use fairly frequently now when shooting at 1.5:1 is a monopod fully collapsed at right angles to the camera and pointing back so I can rest it on my shoulder when shooting- helps stabilise it a bit.
Brian V.

gluwater

Thanks for the info

Skippy

Hi Brian

Lord Vetinari wrote:

Some recent macro shots, all at 1.5:1 except the butterfly.
Fly portrait
Drone fly (Type of hoverfly) making sure it got in the pic

Red Admiral Butterfly really posing
Snail portrait
Ant down on the Aphid farm- but what is on the ant's back?

Yup your the best fly photographer I know how spesh is that hey
Your fly shots are so sharp, I just love looking at your Macro stuff.
The eyes in particular....your really have that down to a fine art don't you.
Thanks for sharing more of your amazing photography.....Skippy (Australia)

Lord Vetinari

Skippy wrote:

Yup your the best fly photographer I know how spesh is that hey
Your fly shots are so sharp, I just love looking at your Macro stuff.
The eyes in particular....your really have that down to a fine art don't you.
Thanks for sharing more of your amazing photography.....Skippy (Australia)

Thanks Skippy,
I did try and get away from flies for a while, but I found shooting at 1.5:1 or higher gave them a new lease of life .
Must admit that whilst they might not be the most beautiful of bugs- they are a lot easier to find and also have interesting habits (bubble blowing, mating dances, washing themselves etc).
Brian V.