Macro Photography

ToxicBunny

Oi! Leave me out of this...
Joined
Apr 8, 2006
Messages
113,505
I are exude the calmness of a Zen Master :p

I'm also somewhat surprised he didn't fly off since I got within like 50cm of the guy... he just parked there... Maybe he was pretending to be a model for the day :)
 

xrapidx

Honorary Master
Joined
Feb 16, 2007
Messages
40,312
I are exude the calmness of a Zen Master :p

I'm also somewhat surprised he didn't fly off since I got within like 50cm of the guy... he just parked there... Maybe he was pretending to be a model for the day :)

What lens were you using?
 

ToxicBunny

Oi! Leave me out of this...
Joined
Apr 8, 2006
Messages
113,505
Twas my 70-300 Sigma....

Yeah I know more light... it was quite late in the afternoon and the light was fading so I just took the shot as quickly as I could... hopefully next time i'll have a bit more time to mess around with the settings..

Koffiejunkie : oi watch it mate... I have friends who have friends who have friends who might live in the UK somewhere :p
 

Kalvaer

Expert Member
Joined
Nov 8, 2004
Messages
3,855
Took this critter over the weekend. I just couldn't get in a nice position though (he was on a zip on a blind in my lapa)

IMG_0630.jpg


Then tried to get his little bugger a few minutes ago, he is about 3-4 mm big. I saw him on my gas bottle outside and he wouldn't sit still which made it harder. By the time I was happy with the camera settings, he had retreated behind the bottle:

IMG_0671_1.jpg


IMG_0657.jpg
 

Kalvaer

Expert Member
Joined
Nov 8, 2004
Messages
3,855
I so need to get a tripod I can use. I was checking out the lace-orb spider and it has moved slightly, but found another one one the other side of the gutter. This one however had something next to it.

I was only able to see onces I had the photo that it was tiny tiny little lace-orbs, All of them less than a mm in length, I just cant seem to get it 100% though.

Think I need to steal Bwana or Big-Al to come take photo's for me

With the Tamron Lens:
spider.jpg


With the Kit Lens:
spidernew1.jpg


I think this is the "mother" (other spider I found):
spidernew.jpg
 

BigAl-sa

Executive Member
Joined
Dec 26, 2006
Messages
6,652
I so need to get a tripod I can use. I was checking out the lace-orb spider and it has moved slightly, but found another one one the other side of the gutter. This one however had something next to it.

I was only able to see onces I had the photo that it was tiny tiny little lace-orbs, All of them less than a mm in length, I just cant seem to get it 100% though.

Think I need to steal Bwana or Big-Al to come take photo's for me

:eek: For something that size, you need the Canon MPE-65.

Nice find! I find it's always interesting to see things on the pic that your eyes can't actually resolve.
 

binkybozo

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 3, 2006
Messages
784
great photos guys! when taking macro shots it is going to be hard to get your whole subject into focus. most macro photographers stack their photos to get their critters and things of macro into a fully focused photo.

here are two sites that offer stacking software czm is free but helicon is not. i've downloaded czm but have not had time to play with it this week. enjoy!

http://hadleyweb.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/CZM/News.htm

http://www.heliconsoft.com/downloads.html
 

BigAl-sa

Executive Member
Joined
Dec 26, 2006
Messages
6,652
A false button spider:



Here with her egg sac, just outside the nest:



It's quite a bit smaller than the brown button spiders that you find in your garage.
 

Kalvaer

Expert Member
Joined
Nov 8, 2004
Messages
3,855
:eek: :eek: Those are stunning. I have a few black butten spiders at work.. but always way to scared to get close up and normally doom them.

It is great though to be able to see them in a photo that you know wont hurt you, regardless if they are harmless
 

BigAl-sa

Executive Member
Joined
Dec 26, 2006
Messages
6,652
:eek: :eek: Those are stunning. I have a few black butten spiders at work.. but always way to scared to get close up and normally doom them.

It is great though to be able to see them in a photo that you know wont hurt you, regardless if they are harmless
:D :D

Thanks for your kind words! For the record, those were taken with a Sigma 105 macro lens with 32mm of extension tubes. The front of the lens was about 10cm from the spider. I had to be very careful not to touch the web, or the awning, or she would run into her nest.

What was quite interesting was that she would move the egg sac in and out of the nest every day. Unfortunately, something has taken her, so I can't take anymore pics. (Maybe when the spiderlings come out of the egg sac ;))
 

BigAl-sa

Executive Member
Joined
Dec 26, 2006
Messages
6,652
I took pics of this fly yesterday, on its last legs. Shortly after I took this pic, it flipped over and died (without doom from me). The white stuffies on it are baby powder "granules" which I put down to stop the ants.



The fly is 6mm long (body length), and was taken with 68mm of extension tubes behind a Sigma 105mm macro lens. I've seen figures that this combo should get up to 2.6x magnification. All the sums I've done with this fly suggest that the magnification is 1.8x. I will look into this some more.
 

BeatleJuice

Active Member
Joined
Nov 17, 2008
Messages
54
I took this picture about a week ago with a lens I picked up on ebay for 43 GBP about 4 months ago. http://flickr.com/photos/beatlejuicester/3216208402/

There has been no editing other than very slight sharpening.

The lens I used is a 2nd hand Carl Zeiss Jena 35mm (Flektogon) M42 thread, with a 15mm extension tube. The only problem with the extension tube, your depth of field is then reduced.
These m42 lenses are easily fitted on to most camera bodies with an adapter ring which are also readily available from ebay.

Some of these lenses can go for up to and over 100GPB, so you have to shop well. I bought mine off a 2nd hand dealer who knew nothing about lenses so nothing was guaranteed. Luckily, for me, the lens was in pristine condition, The advantages of this lens is that it is very sharp and has a very close focusing distance. Many people use it for macro work.
 
Last edited:

Kalvaer

Expert Member
Joined
Nov 8, 2004
Messages
3,855
I must say, I hate all of you. 3 weeks ago if I saw a spider I would run like a girl screaming blue murder.

Got home earlier and opened the curtains and found this on my sliding door.. on the inside. Instead of running away, I ran straight for my wifes camera, When I called her to look, she was the one running away. I dont think I have ever been so close up to a spider..

OH and WTF is it.. LOL the thing is huge! (assuming a rain spider?)

Images are completely unedited and have just been uploaded direct from the camera.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/34765184@N03/3230912555/" title="IMG_1190 by kalvaer, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3432/3230912555_258f980b2b_b.jpg" width="1024" height="683" alt="IMG_1190" /></a>

View from the back.

3230912555_258f980b2b_b.jpg
 
Top