Post your insects

[ClaudioG]

Hi all...k ..bit of wierd time to post a message an images but i have been busy...im chilled now..every1 asleep and i can send a few images...all have been lowered in quality for quick DL from previuos time..let me know what ya think pls


Just as added comment..just browsed quick about DOF......what is everyones feelings on aperture settings?

WHat im trying to get at is...is it ok to get a great image from a distance and sometimes crop in to " improve " an image. or would u rather get close in?

This is where i struggle with Macro...is it REALLY about getting as close as u can get...when u read all articles its...if it aint great u aint close enuff....is Macro really all that??? IT IS..... but is it all the time?

All in all...for me its about what im looking for....if im REALLy close...I want my bug FULLY sharp in the eyes ( depending on size of bug F8 -F11 with Flash) ...if im not close..i want my bug to be fully sharp (play around) ...and some of flower or plant to be OOF,,,,this is what i like, And u should all focus on what you like.


There are alot of images to follow

This one i like..but doesnt look cool..asassin bug chowing down..nice..but tooooo many legs..Try take notice of probiscus in sun beetles GUT!!!! How awesome is that????? Still not a great image though..more informative



bee mimic fly i think? awesome eye


I like this one...although no one really seems to appreciate it...shiny shells are hard to get right...and pple fail to get that what its standing on is actually the side of the leaf..i mean...DAMN...how thin is a side of a leaf?????



This one i got in the Drakensberg...cool caterpillar...dig its spikyness..if theres such a word



SPike....so cool..not as sharp as i'd like.....but u seriously wanna hug a jumping spider sometimes...and Spike looks like he needs one



This.....is my weirdest bug ever......i think its a tortoise shell beetle....has a weird sorta see through shell..im wondering if it changes its colours...take a close look..see the other bug on its back? DAmn...a bug hitching a ride on another bugs back..... MACRO IS EPIC!!!!!!!!!!

[Geoff F]

Excellent photos there, Claudio; and obviously shot under tricky conditions.

With regard to shooting settings, I normally shoot with an aperture between F11 and F16 with F14 being a good compromise. For live shots in the wild I like to have a shutter speed of at least 1/200 to overcome any wind rock or subject movement.

This often means using flash (or too high an Iso) in which case I set my camera manually and vary the flash output compensation to such the scene.

Shallow focus is always a problem when you get in close and there isn't really any alternative. Occasionally I am able to take a couple of shots with different focus points and merge them but movement always makes this problematic, even when shooting on a tripod.

The other options include getting 'square on' to your subject so as to get as much as possible in sharp focus; but not all models allow you to change positions!

For live work I normally use a 180 mm macro lens (often with a 1.4x converter attached), which helps me to operate from a safe distance which doesn't scare my target, obviously a tripod works best. But for flower work I tend to prefer my 24-70 lens which has a greater depth of focus, although only really suitable for subjects like whole flowers.

Extension tubes do help you to get closer to the action and I find them particularly useful when photographing dead or inanimate subjects. I started macro work with a 70-300 lens plus a tube. For some larger nervous subjects like butterflies or dragonflies a lens which can operate at a longer distance can be helpful.

Modern cameras do have plenty of 'spare pixels' for most occasions so a fair bit of cropping is possible while still producing an image which can be printed at average sizes or for internet use.

[orlcam88]

Very nice images! I started out with a 100-400 lens with no tubs and that let me shoot quite a distance away! unfortunately, I need a tripod or monopod to keep the shot steady. If I have to had hold, then I set my shots fly and hope one came in focus! I now have a macro lens which gets me a bit too close to the action and sometimes I don't realize how close!