Life on Mars

ColMofed

Got lucky today. I went to my usual place and there where loads of flies sat on a fallen branch. It proved to be a very enjoyable session. These are the best so far. I haven't gone through them all closely yet.

Also, I'm very much a beginner at macro - and using flash - so C&C is very welcome.

Rod.



Cropped





Cropped

GOLDENORFE

HI ROD, nice shots
looks like youve got the lighting good.
are you using a macro lens, or wouldnt they let you get any closer?

phil.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/goldenorfe/

ColMofed

Hi Phil, thanks for the comments.

I am using the Sigma 105 macro (had it for sometime now but only just putting it to good use)

The two uncropped images were with the lens set at 1:1. Do you think I should be getting closer with this? I guess the fly was around 6-7mm in length, maybe a little longer.

Rod.

GOLDENORFE

ColMofed wrote:

Hi Phil, thanks for the comments.

I am using the Sigma 105 macro (had it for sometime now but only just putting it to good use)

The two uncropped images were with the lens set at 1:1. Do you think I should be getting closer with this? I guess the fly was around 6-7mm in length, maybe a little longer.

Rod.

Hi Rod , yes i think so, on my 100mm macro a fly that size would be filling a third of the frame at lenses min focus point on my canon 350.
Phil.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/goldenorfe/

ColMofed

Ok... A little concerned now.

The Canon 350 has a 1.6 crop factor, am I right? and my D80 has a 1.5. I guess this wouldn't make much difference though, would it? I may also be wrong about the size of the fly but I don't think I'm too far out.

Next time I'm out I'll take note of the size of the subject (I'm sure I can find these flies again) and compare it to the sensor size.

Is there, or has there been, a magnification issue with this lens (Sigma 105mm)? I'm asking anyone who knows

Rod.

Skippy

ColMofed wrote:

Got lucky today. I went to my usual place and there where loads of flies sat on a fallen branch. It proved to be a very enjoyable session. These are the best so far. I haven't gone through them all closely yet.

Also, I'm very much a beginner at macro - and using flash - so C&C is very welcome.

Rod.

Hi Rod, what attracts the flies to the fallen branch ?
The Crops look great
Lighting looks pretty even.... you did good .... Skippy
.

Lord Vetinari

Wonderful series - good light and detail.
WRT magnification as indicated above I don't think you were at minimum focus with these. When I'm shooting bugs, I pre-set the magnification I want (eg min focus distance) in MF mode and then slowly move the camera to focus. That way you know the magnification and also your not moving your hand around near the bug which may scare it away.

Brian V.

Robinivich

Just some quickie math, Nikon APS-C is 23.6mm across the sensor, 1:1 means your image should have captured an area 23.6 mm across.

Therefore, if you were in fact at 1:1, I'd make this guy about 5mm across the body, your 6-7mm seems accurate if including the wings, it just seems like a reeeeaally small size for this kind of fly , at least compared to what I've encountered (approx 10mm+), but it's quite possible it's just that small, I'm sure.

I'm curious, were you using autofocus and stopping at the closest the autofocus took you? Or manual focus like what brian's describing? I find that my (canon) cameras don't like to lock focus at 1:1, they chicken out around 1:1.3 or so.

All that aside, very nice shots, and nice use of flash! The lighting in particular I like, very soft lighting on your subject, and very well handled detail.

Kevin

apt title
life on mars
works for me.

tlee

Beautifully done.

ColMofed

Thank you all for your comments and replies to the above issue

For starters, I know the lens is okay - I checked out the sensor size and then pointed it at a ruler and could see around 23mm at 1:1 on the long edge. I was happy with that.

As for my method, I use the one as described above (setting focus to 1:1 and then moving the focus over my subject). I never auto-focus with macro (actually, I haven't even tried the auto-focus on this camera yet)

I guess I could have knocked the focus ring, but then I never really touch the lens once focus is set as I hold the camera by itself and the flash bracket. I do check focus from time to time and have never noticed it slipping. Maybe this fly was just smaller than average, I don't know. I don't have that amount of knowledge, yet.

Skippy, I have no idea why they were on this branch. I usually use it as a base for my bug photography as the area is full of varied trees, and so a good mix of backgrounds (and bugs when the weathers good). I've never seen them there before, but that doesn't mean they weren't there. Also, there was another type, although looking at them on screen I don't think they were flies.

The branch is also good for sitting on and eating lunch.

Rod.

PS. Anyone have a name for this fly?

WilliamClark77

ColMofed wrote:

PS. Anyone have a name for this fly?

Freddie?

I have no idea what their scientific name is. These are good considering the subject is so small and moves so quick. Better than the few fly shots I've tried.

ColMofed

Freddie the Fly? Hmmm

Yes, they are pretty quick, although for these they (it? ) did wait patiently for me to take a couple of shots each time.

Thanks for the comments.

Rod.