Here is a dragon fly using natural light. Its tough to get the DOF you need without a flash though.
I was trying out my new 100-400 with a 2x convertor ( 900mm equiv).
Interesting way to shoot "macro".
I have not tried using telextenders with a 100-400 L, out of concern with loss of sharpness, but I can see that I need to be more adventurous.
The dragonflies are sharp - what aperatures were you shooting at TML? I will have to see if I can catch some butterflies this way too. The use of looong telephotos will definitely improve your backgrounds due to the extremely shallow depth of field.
I caught a couple wasps on a partially eaten apple this weekend (not my apple). Does the background need to be blurred out more? Should I crop out more of the apple to bring more focus on the wasps? Or just nuke it and keep trying?
Hi Thwack,
I had a little time to play. Hope you don't mind if play with your bees. I tried a little crop and contrast with a tiny bit of desaturation to lighten the yellow on the apple.
Hi Thwack,
I had a little time to play. Hope you don't mind if play with your bees. I tried a little crop and contrast with a tiny bit of desaturation to lighten the yellow on the apple.
Nicely done!!
I tried a variety of croppings to recompose the pic, but kept feeling that it made it harder to tell what the bugs were crawling on. Keeping the little bit of apple peel showing at the top was enough to convey the image...I should've cropped out that bottom bug earlier.
It never dawned on me to rotate the picture (d'oh) but that definitely improved things considerably.
I decided to get out the extension tubes today and go for a walk.
Pete W Photographers deal in things which are continually vanishing and when they have vanished there is no contrivance on earth which can make them come back again.
Henri Cartier Bresson www.pete-wraight.smugmug.com
I have not tried using telextenders with a 100-400 L, out of concern with loss of sharpness, but I can see that I need to be more adventurous.
The dragonflies are sharp - what aperatures were you shooting at TML? I will have to see if I can catch some butterflies this way too. The use of looong telephotos will definitely improve your backgrounds due to the extremely shallow depth of field.
Path, sorry I didn't see your question earlier.
F/8 1/250 ISO 400 Hand held. I hate to go above ISO 400 on my 10D, but I bet you could shoot this with ISO 800 with your setup. I used the IS. If I remember correctly it was a sunny day, mid afternoon. I was at the minimum focusing distance, maybe 10 ft. or so. I really want to get one of the macro flashes. I can't seem to get enough DOF with my 100mm macro. Maybe I could get away with a regular flash at that distance.
Path, sorry I didn't see your question earlier.
F/8 1/250 ISO 400 Hand held. I hate to go above ISO 400 on my 10D, but I bet you could shoot this with ISO 800 with your setup. I used the IS. If I remember correctly it was a sunny day, mid afternoon. I was at the minimum focusing distance, maybe 10 ft. or so. I really want to get one of the macro flashes. I can't seem to get enough DOF with my 100mm macro. Maybe I could get away with a regular flash at that distance.
I have used a 550EX stobe or a MR-14EX Canon ringlight for many of my macro shots as a fill flash or a main flash and find that neither will really give me a small f16 aperature. The 550EX is more powerful and with a diffuser of some sort acts as a larger light source for macro work.
I just reviewed my several of my macro shots on smugmug and most of them were shot around f5.6 f7 or f8 at an ISO of 250 to 1000 with a 180 macro lens - I doubt that most flashes would help alot at the long distances with the 100-400. I have tried to get smaller aperatures too and just find it kind of challenging at times. Of course for stationary targets just use a tripod and 1/4 second but that approach will not fly for my butterlfies, they will be gone in heartbeat.
Perhaps a better approach would be to use the ringlight or the "on-camera" flash as a master and use a slave flash placed much nearer to the subect - this would probably allow you to use much smaller aperatures with the desired higher shutter speeds for flying insects. Might need and asistant to hold the slave strobe for you though
Also - many of the published photos of dragons flies are shot at sunrise while they are still chilled and motionless I bet.
I find it easier to photog the dragonflys on a real hot day at the end of the day, they seem very docile. There are fewer about in the am as they warm up.
I have used a 550EX stobe or a MR-14EX Canon ringlight for many of my macro shots as a fill flash or a main flash and find that neither will really give me a small f16 aperature. The 550EX is more powerful and with a diffuser of some sort acts as a larger light source for macro work.
I just reviewed my several of my macro shots on smugmug and most of them were shot around f5.6 f7 or f8 at an ISO of 250 to 1000 with a 180 macro lens - I doubt that most flashes would help alot at the long distances with the 100-400. I have tried to get smaller aperatures too and just find it kind of challenging at times. Of course for stationary targets just use a tripod and 1/4 second but that approach will not fly for my butterlfies, they will be gone in heartbeat.
Perhaps a better approach would be to use the ringlight or the "on-camera" flash as a master and use a slave flash placed much nearer to the subect - this would probably allow you to use much smaller aperatures with the desired higher shutter speeds for flying insects. Might need and asistant to hold the slave strobe for you though
Also - many of the published photos of dragons flies are shot at sunrise while they are still chilled and motionless I bet.
Pete W Photographers deal in things which are continually vanishing and when they have vanished there is no contrivance on earth which can make them come back again.
Henri Cartier Bresson www.pete-wraight.smugmug.com
I find it easier to photog the dragonflys on a real hot day at the end of the day, they seem very docile. There are fewer about in the am as they warm up.
Pete - I looked at your website and you do have some dynamite shots of dragonflies and some were certainly taken in the late afternoon sun light or appear to be from the color temperature and the shadows. I tried to link a few of your images to here to demonstrate their quality but you have linkage turned off.
Do not think that you can get away with only posting one image of your dragonflies - I know TML, Greaper and wxwax and I would love to see more and hear more about your techniques for the extreme close ups of the their eyes and thoraxes. Thanks in advance
Very very nice collection of d-fly pics!!! Isn't the one with the fat white body actually a damselfly instead of a dragonfly? I wouldn't swear to it, but I think that's correct...still a very cool pic.
I know some fly fishers that would love to see those pics (great models for fly tying).
Very very nice collection of d-fly pics!!! Isn't the one with the fat white body actually a damselfly instead of a dragonfly? I wouldn't swear to it, but I think that's correct...still a very cool pic.
I know some fly fishers that would love to see those pics (great models for fly tying).
Pete W Photographers deal in things which are continually vanishing and when they have vanished there is no contrivance on earth which can make them come back again.
Henri Cartier Bresson www.pete-wraight.smugmug.com
I agree, the shots are terific. The eyes are incredible. I would love to hear how you get so close.
What are your techniques?
First i find a mid summer wetland area, spill over from a river or large lake is great. This year we had a lot of rain in the spring in Tennessee. There are two times of day i prefer for different reasons.
Early morning is good for the new hatchlings that are starting to dry their wings. However most of them look very different and have wings that are not fully unfolded or deformed. The best time is mid summer late in the day. Most of the dragonflys are resting and less timid. I approach an area where they are sitting. They will move off often as i approach but they always return. Sometimes it takes a while but in the end they will return to the same spot. Once they get used to you you can get close to some, they do have personalities , you need to find the more receptive ones.
Good huntin
Pete W Photographers deal in things which are continually vanishing and when they have vanished there is no contrivance on earth which can make them come back again.
Henri Cartier Bresson www.pete-wraight.smugmug.com
Spidey
Hey there! Just found this whole forum...pretty cool! Here's a macro shot of a spider I took a while back with a macro lense. I have this on my office wall at 13x19", it's fun to scare people with when they walk in and don't expect it to be there.
Comments
I have not tried using telextenders with a 100-400 L, out of concern with loss of sharpness, but I can see that I need to be more adventurous.
The dragonflies are sharp - what aperatures were you shooting at TML? I will have to see if I can catch some butterflies this way too. The use of looong telephotos will definitely improve your backgrounds due to the extremely shallow depth of field.
Moderator of the Technique Forum and Finishing School on Dgrin
Hi Thwack,
I had a little time to play. Hope you don't mind if play with your bees. I tried a little crop and contrast with a tiny bit of desaturation to lighten the yellow on the apple.
Susan Appel Photography My Blog
Nicely done!!
I tried a variety of croppings to recompose the pic, but kept feeling that it made it harder to tell what the bugs were crawling on. Keeping the little bit of apple peel showing at the top was enough to convey the image...I should've cropped out that bottom bug earlier.
It never dawned on me to rotate the picture (d'oh) but that definitely improved things considerably.
Thanks for the assist.
I might rotate this for printing purposes, but here is the original orientation...
Here is another bug..the bee drinking and all of the bugs I post today were shot at Wissahickon Park in PA.
This spider likes to throw a surprise party for his guests...
This spider does..
This is a series of three different angles one spider.
This is the bottom of the spider...
Nasty looking fangs...
It almost looks like a cute little baby green scorpion.
I have absolutely NO idea what kind of bug this is..
This one of a few different black and orange bugs I found. I'll have more up through the week.
Ian
Wow DID NOT SEE THIS great shot
“PHOTOGRAPHY IS THE ‘JAZZ’ FOR THE EYES…”
http://jwear.smugmug.com/
Which picture are you referring to?
MainFragger
MainFragger
Photographers deal in things which are continually vanishing and when they have vanished there is no contrivance on earth which can make them come back again.
Henri Cartier Bresson
www.pete-wraight.smugmug.com
F/8 1/250 ISO 400 Hand held. I hate to go above ISO 400 on my 10D, but I bet you could shoot this with ISO 800 with your setup. I used the IS. If I remember correctly it was a sunny day, mid afternoon. I was at the minimum focusing distance, maybe 10 ft. or so. I really want to get one of the macro flashes. I can't seem to get enough DOF with my 100mm macro. Maybe I could get away with a regular flash at that distance.
TML Photography
tmlphoto.com
I have used a 550EX stobe or a MR-14EX Canon ringlight for many of my macro shots as a fill flash or a main flash and find that neither will really give me a small f16 aperature. The 550EX is more powerful and with a diffuser of some sort acts as a larger light source for macro work.
I just reviewed my several of my macro shots on smugmug and most of them were shot around f5.6 f7 or f8 at an ISO of 250 to 1000 with a 180 macro lens - I doubt that most flashes would help alot at the long distances with the 100-400. I have tried to get smaller aperatures too and just find it kind of challenging at times. Of course for stationary targets just use a tripod and 1/4 second but that approach will not fly for my butterlfies, they will be gone in heartbeat.
Perhaps a better approach would be to use the ringlight or the "on-camera" flash as a master and use a slave flash placed much nearer to the subect - this would probably allow you to use much smaller aperatures with the desired higher shutter speeds for flying insects. Might need and asistant to hold the slave strobe for you though
Also - many of the published photos of dragons flies are shot at sunrise while they are still chilled and motionless I bet.
Moderator of the Technique Forum and Finishing School on Dgrin
Pete, you are THE MAN for bug shots. Two dandies in a row. Nice work, man. Sorry, I mean MAN.
For those who missed it, here's Pete's other peach.
Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam
http://www.mcneel.com/users/jb/foghorn/ill_shut_up.au
I have a few here
http://wraight.smugmug.com/gallery/166087/2
Photographers deal in things which are continually vanishing and when they have vanished there is no contrivance on earth which can make them come back again.
Henri Cartier Bresson
www.pete-wraight.smugmug.com
Pete - I looked at your website and you do have some dynamite shots of dragonflies and some were certainly taken in the late afternoon sun light or appear to be from the color temperature and the shadows. I tried to link a few of your images to here to demonstrate their quality but you have linkage turned off.
Do not think that you can get away with only posting one image of your dragonflies
Moderator of the Technique Forum and Finishing School on Dgrin
I know some fly fishers that would love to see those pics (great models for fly tying).
Whitetail and it is from the dragonfly family, very similar to a damsel fly only much larger.
Thanks for your comments
Photographers deal in things which are continually vanishing and when they have vanished there is no contrivance on earth which can make them come back again.
Henri Cartier Bresson
www.pete-wraight.smugmug.com
What are your techniques?
First i find a mid summer wetland area, spill over from a river or large lake is great. This year we had a lot of rain in the spring in Tennessee. There are two times of day i prefer for different reasons.
Early morning is good for the new hatchlings that are starting to dry their wings. However most of them look very different and have wings that are not fully unfolded or deformed. The best time is mid summer late in the day. Most of the dragonflys are resting and less timid. I approach an area where they are sitting. They will move off often as i approach but they always return. Sometimes it takes a while but in the end they will return to the same spot. Once they get used to you you can get close to some, they do have personalities , you need to find the more receptive ones.
Good huntin
Photographers deal in things which are continually vanishing and when they have vanished there is no contrivance on earth which can make them come back again.
Henri Cartier Bresson
www.pete-wraight.smugmug.com
Not up to par but also not macro
Operating System Design, Drivers, Software
Villa Del Rio II, Talamban, Pit-os, Cebu, Ph
Hey there! Just found this whole forum...pretty cool! Here's a macro shot of a spider I took a while back with a macro lense. I have this on my office wall at 13x19", it's fun to scare people with when they walk in and don't expect it to be there.