Midge With Mites Mission: Succcess
e6filmuser
Registered Users Posts: 3,379 Major grins
Those who have seen my recent posts will know that I have been disappointed with the images provided by my Schneider FM 40mm of the non-biting midges in my garden, some of which carry phoretic (hitch-hiker) mites.
Previously, I had found them only deep down in lemon balm bushes. Unresolved issues, all potentially degrading image quality, included possible subject motion, possibly camera motion, reflected light from green vegetation and limited viewing angles, mainly from above.
I recently washed my car and noticed a male midge on the wet bodywork. I fetched my camera and the midge was gone.
A day later, I was backing my car down our steep drive when I noticed a superb specimen of a male midge on my door mirror. I stealthily exited the car, leaving the midge in situ. When I returned with my camera the midge was gone.
This morning, well before breakfast, I examined the car and found a male on the bonnet (hood) lid. When I returned with my camera, it was gone. I had had enough and forgot about breakfast, returning to the car at intervals. I normally start a topic before breakfast but I was on a mission!
I was rewarded by the discovery of a male, laden with mites, on the windscreen. It had very truncated filaments on its antennae, suggesting that the mites my have browsed on them. This is last in the images .Later on, I saw another male, this time with intact antennae and on the roof. I got a very long series of images. The breeze even tipped the midge over at one stage but it remained on the roof.
These sessions removed the motion issue, my hands, and the midge, being supported by the car. There was no colour cast, the car being black, with the bonus of some reflections.
I think this is at the limit of hand-held macro. The lens has now shown what it can do, although I had to deal with diffraction.
EM-1, extension, x 1.5 Kiron TC, reversed Schneider HM 40mm at f16, hand-held, twin TTL RC diffused flash.
The images are from uncropped to moderately cropped. FOV 6mm.The final one is a cross-eye stereogram. This will give you some idea of the difficulty I had through the viewfinder.
Harold
Previously, I had found them only deep down in lemon balm bushes. Unresolved issues, all potentially degrading image quality, included possible subject motion, possibly camera motion, reflected light from green vegetation and limited viewing angles, mainly from above.
I recently washed my car and noticed a male midge on the wet bodywork. I fetched my camera and the midge was gone.
A day later, I was backing my car down our steep drive when I noticed a superb specimen of a male midge on my door mirror. I stealthily exited the car, leaving the midge in situ. When I returned with my camera the midge was gone.
This morning, well before breakfast, I examined the car and found a male on the bonnet (hood) lid. When I returned with my camera, it was gone. I had had enough and forgot about breakfast, returning to the car at intervals. I normally start a topic before breakfast but I was on a mission!
I was rewarded by the discovery of a male, laden with mites, on the windscreen. It had very truncated filaments on its antennae, suggesting that the mites my have browsed on them. This is last in the images .Later on, I saw another male, this time with intact antennae and on the roof. I got a very long series of images. The breeze even tipped the midge over at one stage but it remained on the roof.
These sessions removed the motion issue, my hands, and the midge, being supported by the car. There was no colour cast, the car being black, with the bonus of some reflections.
I think this is at the limit of hand-held macro. The lens has now shown what it can do, although I had to deal with diffraction.
EM-1, extension, x 1.5 Kiron TC, reversed Schneider HM 40mm at f16, hand-held, twin TTL RC diffused flash.
The images are from uncropped to moderately cropped. FOV 6mm.The final one is a cross-eye stereogram. This will give you some idea of the difficulty I had through the viewfinder.
Harold
0
Comments
If you mean mites travelling on midges, nor have I.
Harold
Brian V.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lordv/
http://www.lordv.smugmug.com/
Thanks, Brian.
I have also found what look like tiny, cream bugs are excellent subjects, not cream and with interesting morphology.
Harold
My Smugmug gallery
Thanks, Ian.
The midges are around 5mm but very slender. I found a bright green one yesterday. Coming soon! The mites are about the smallest of any adult mites.
Harold