A few macros from the last few days

[Lord Vetinari]

Warned you- been taking a lot of pics recently.

First the flies

Anybody down there?

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/j.valentine/CRW_4479c.jpg

Mum someone turned the lights off

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/j.valentine/CRW_4493c.jpg

Got my swimming trunks on - where's the water?

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/j.valentine/CRW_4502c.jpg

Now a few other assorted insects

Bottoms up

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/j.valentine/CRW_4556c.jpg

Chuff chuff or rather chew chew.

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/j.valentine/CRW_4569c.jpg

Spider and bumble bee- reminded me of a certain photographic style (not sure what it is).

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/j.valentine/CRW_4652c.jpg

Now part of a sequence of a leaf hopper that I wanted to photograph blowing it's spittle - however things turned out different.

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/j.valentine/CRW_4589c.jpg

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/j.valentine/CRW_4593c.jpg

I'm nackered

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/j.valentine/CRW_4598c.jpg

Ok recovered now

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/j.valentine/CRW_4636c.jpg

[tmlphoto]

Cool shots. Thanks for sharing these. Love the flys.

[Higgmeister]

Hi Brian,
I really like the lighting you used on #2. It's different, but effective; still plenty of detail and nice effect:thumb. I think this one works better than your disco one, which I did like also.

Thanks for sharing these wonderful shots,
Chris

And I never get tired of looking at macros or photos as a whole. Keep'em coming:D.

[DRT-Maverick]

Hey what are you shooting with? Those are amazingly sharp and close up!

[Lord Vetinari]

Cool shots. Thanks for sharing these. Love the flys.Thanks Thomas- don't seem to be able to get away from the flies :).

Brian V.

[Lord Vetinari]

Hi Brian,
I really like the lighting you used on #2. It's different, but effective; still plenty of detail and nice effect:thumb. I think this one works better than your disco one, which I did like also.

Thanks for sharing these wonderful shots,
Chris

And I never get tired of looking at macros or photos as a whole. Keep'em coming:D.Thanks Chris. Think I got a bit of the light creeping over the edge of the leaf on the shot- helped it a bit. Think maybe I need a second flash.

brian V.

[Lord Vetinari]

Hey what are you shooting with? Those are amazingly sharp and close up!Thanks Maverick
EOS 300D with sigma 105mm EX macro lens and sigma 500 super dg flash gun and a lot of practice.
Brian V.

[DRT-Maverick]

I need to get that 105mm Macro. I have the 180mm, it's fun, but it's just WAY too bulky and heavy. It makes it really hard to take the shots I want.

[Khaos]

Great set. I really like #2. The lighting is awesome. It's nice to see the landscape for the insect to be brought into it with such wonderful color and texture.:thumb

[Lord Vetinari]

Great set. I really like #2. The lighting is awesome. It's nice to see the landscape for the insect to be brought into it with such wonderful color and texture.:thumbThanks Khaos, I like to play with the lighting every now and then but it is virtually impossible to tell how the shot will actually turn out- some work some don't.

Brian V.

[douglas]

Great series, i like # 3 the best. The fly itself is great and the colors and texture of the leaf on the black background top off the photo nicely.

Best regards,
douglas

[Lord Vetinari]

Great series, i like # 3 the best. The fly itself is great and the colors and texture of the leaf on the black background top off the photo nicely.

Best regards,
douglasThanks Douglas.
Always interesting to post a series of pics and see what different people like. I actually liked #5 and #6 the best, but that maybe because they are different subjects/styles to my "norm".
Brian V.

[wanderingeye]

REALLY nice work, Brian! Your technique is impeccable. I particularly like #1 for the overall comp and the lighting of the fly's eye; the emerging leafhopper is really great too.

Would it be possible for you to post exif for these or your next posts so that aspiring macroholics like me can learn from your decisions about exposure and so forth? I just got the Canon 100mm and I'm cllimbing that learning curve.

[Lord Vetinari]

REALLY nice work, Brian! Your technique is impeccable. I particularly like #1 for the overall comp and the lighting of the fly's eye; the emerging leafhopper is really great too.

Would it be possible for you to post exif for these or your next posts so that aspiring macroholics like me can learn from your decisions about exposure and so forth? I just got the Canon 100mm and I'm cllimbing that learning curve.Thanks wandering eye.
EXIF data shot in raw F16, 1/200th sec, ISO 100. Flash fired. Handheld, camera in manual mode, manual focus. Flash in ETTL mode. Raw processed using Canon DPP software minor cropping of JPG in PS and post processing- sharpened using focus magic at level 2 , de- noised using neat image .
105mm EX lens was at min focus distance ie 1:1.
The flash is mounted off camera on a vidcam bracket low and to the left, it has it's built in wide angle diffuser deployed plus has a homemade diffuser attached to it, so depending on which way the fly is facing I get different lighting if that makes sense.
I tend to shoot with around the same settings most of the time, I vary the camera angle to move the flash to different positions plus depending on how shots turn out, I may vary the FEC settings on the flash itself.

Brian V.

[rahmonster]

I never thought anyone could make me think flies were cute....But you did it!
These are great!

[Lord Vetinari]

I never thought anyone could make me think flies were cute....But you did it!
These are great!Thanks Rahmonster,
They can be quite interesting when you watch what they are up to.
Brian V.

[wanderingeye]

Thanks a lot for the shot info Brian. Keep up the great work.