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One Boldly-Coloured Insect and One Delicate One
e6filmuser
Registered Users Posts: 3,378 Major grins
1) Hoverfly head-on.
This individual settled for long periods on the string in a corner of a fruit cage. I could easily shoot through the mesh but could not avoid the horrible, blue-green string. I have crudely cloned the worst out.
Setup as below but with main flash remaining attached to the usual L-bracket and angled downward and inwards 45 degrees..
2) Male Midge with Feathery Antennae
These were sheltering in the depths of a Lemon Balm plant on just the one morning, not seen before or since. My standard flash setup, of one pointing in and down 45 degrees and the other just in 45 degrees, could not get light down onto the flies. I had to detach the (RC , TTL) main flash and hold it against the barrel of the lens.
I had difficulty getting both the body and the antennae in focus at the same time, in such cases chosing the antennae. The antennae were of particular interest, being not just of fine hairs but, rather, of broadly flattened hairs, more like feathers.
EM-1, extension, Printing Nikkor 105mm giving 1:1 at the sensor, 2:1 with m4/3 crop, set at f11, hand-held.
Harold
This individual settled for long periods on the string in a corner of a fruit cage. I could easily shoot through the mesh but could not avoid the horrible, blue-green string. I have crudely cloned the worst out.
Setup as below but with main flash remaining attached to the usual L-bracket and angled downward and inwards 45 degrees..
2) Male Midge with Feathery Antennae
These were sheltering in the depths of a Lemon Balm plant on just the one morning, not seen before or since. My standard flash setup, of one pointing in and down 45 degrees and the other just in 45 degrees, could not get light down onto the flies. I had to detach the (RC , TTL) main flash and hold it against the barrel of the lens.
I had difficulty getting both the body and the antennae in focus at the same time, in such cases chosing the antennae. The antennae were of particular interest, being not just of fine hairs but, rather, of broadly flattened hairs, more like feathers.
EM-1, extension, Printing Nikkor 105mm giving 1:1 at the sensor, 2:1 with m4/3 crop, set at f11, hand-held.
Harold
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Comments
In some images the appearance is of filaments, in others of a feather-like shape, and both can be seen in at least one image.
The last image was very green, the flash shining through a leaf. I have moderated it but consider the structure of the antenna to be of most interest.
These insects are very small and difficult to recognise as insects until in the viewfinder. Focusing on the antennae was challenging.
Harold
My Smugmug gallery
The hover clearly felt secure in his corner. I would like to had had both antennae sharp but the angle did not permit.
Harold