A few more macros

Lord Vetinari · June 19, 2005

I've been taking a lot of pics recently- please do tell me to stop if it gets too much.
Appreciate feedback on these

First a marauding bug gets it's come-uppance

A couple of flies

A couple of flowers- these were taken using the exact same settings as the macros above.

and lastly couple of damsel fly shots I took to check if the flash system was giving different colour effects to sunlight.

first flash system

Now Natural light

MuskyDude · June 19, 2005

Wow.

Insane details, awesome series!

AJ

Lord Vetinari · June 19, 2005

MuskyDude wrote:

Wow. Insane details, awesome series!

AJ

Thanks Muskydude. Think I've taken too many pictures of flies- they are beginning to look like motorbikes to me.

Was quite pleased how the lawn daisy came out though even if it did turn out to have some other wildlife.
Brian V.

tmlphoto · June 19, 2005

Amazing shots, keep 'em coming. I never knew flies could be so interesting.

Lord Vetinari · June 20, 2005

tmlphoto wrote:

Amazing shots, keep 'em coming. I never knew flies could be so interesting.

Thanks Thomas,
Yes flies do seem to come in an amazing array of paint jobs/ textures.
Brian V.

SeeMoon · June 20, 2005

tmlphoto wrote:

Amazing shots, keep 'em coming. I never knew flies could be so interesting.

I like the fly shots the best!

Kenundrum · June 20, 2005

wow- those flies look almost surreal- as if they were rendered by a computer- but obviously they weren't. nice details captured

DoctorIt · June 20, 2005

i've said it once, i'll say it again - awesome! I really think what does it for me is that you are very good at capture the bugs on a nice bright leaf and keep the background very dark. this makes it so dramatic and clean. wow!

pathfinder · June 20, 2005

DoctorIt wrote:

i've said it once, i'll say it again - awesome! I really think what does it for me is that you are very good at capture the bugs on a nice bright leaf and keep the background very dark. this makes it so dramatic and clean. wow!

The bugs are side-lit by a diffuse light source and the lighting IS very dramatic. That also accounts for the darker backgrounds. Are you using hand held off camera flash with a diffuser for your lighting LV? Very nice series.

Lord Vetinari · June 20, 2005

pathfinder wrote:

The bugs are side-lit by a diffuse light source and the lighting IS very dramatic. That also accounts for the darker backgrounds. Are you using hand held off camera flash with a diffuser for your lighting LV? Very nice series.

Quite correct the flash is mounted low and to the left- see here for a pic of the rig.
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1031&message=13654064

Just use a home-made diffuser on the end plus the wide angle diffuser is pulled out and in place on the flashgun.
I did use a handheld flash in one of the pics in a previous series, but found it bit tricky hand holding both the flash and the camera and taking a pic.

Brian V.

Lord Vetinari · June 20, 2005

Thanks all for the comments. Encouragement is always welcome.

Funny about the flies- I'm trying not to photograph them anymore- On Dpreview 300D/350D forum I've been nicknamed "Lord of the Flies".

Brian V.

REECEPHOTO · June 20, 2005

Outstanding!!!
The thing I love the most about your photos is the sharpness do you use a tri or mono pod??? I find I miss to many shots if I try to use the pod on bugs. Maybe a spider but no flying bugs thats for sure there to busy and fast.

Lord Vetinari · June 20, 2005

REECEPHOTO wrote:

Outstanding!!!
The thing I love the most about your photos is the sharpness do you use a tri or mono pod??? I find I miss to many shots if I try to use the pod on bugs. Maybe a spider but no flying bugs thats for sure there to busy and fast.

Thanks reecephoto
No the shots are hand held manual focus. I tend to set the focus/magnification I want on the lens and then move the rig slowly back and forth and fire (using a remote trigger on the back of the handle of the flash bracket) when the subject appears in sharp focus. Used to only get about 20% of the shots in sharp focus, but now get about 80% of the shots in sharp focus- amazing what practice does for you.
Actually just thought I have actually used a monopod sometimes but not on the ground- had it on a small ball joint at right angles so it sat on my shoulder- can help stabilise the system.

Brian V.

A few more macros

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