Stumblingfalk
Senior Member
Oh, hello!
I've been doing a little macro and close-up stuff for many years, but to be honest, my macro lenses have mostly been used for other types of photography where their strengths come to their right. Product stuff and reproductions, even landscapes and portraiture.
But, as the years have gone past I've experimented more and more with macro and close-up photography. It didn't really click though, before I stumbled accross Mike Widell and others on YT. The handheld-with-flash-and-diffuser technique they utilize I find is very enjoyable with an acceptable success rate. You always come home with “something” after an outing.
I’ve been out and about, experimenting with gear and locations. It seems my images are slowly getting better, and I'm getting better at finding bugs (and other stuff). Very relaxing to do this type of photography, and within walking distance of home.
The biggest difference gear-wise came from by getting a better speedlight (V350) and a macro lens I don’t have to stack filters or tubes with to get enough magnification (Laowa 65/2.8). This means that when I spot something, I can gradually adjust focus as I get closer and it is much easier to “find” the subject in the viewfinder. Huge quality of life factor.
Anyways, here is a few shots I’m quite pleased with. All handheld, all with a speedlight, those missing F-nummbers are at F/8. Those with the Fujifilm 60/2.4 have a couple of achromats stacked in front to achieve around or a little more than 1x mag.
Like the tight composition and the OOF areas/highlights. This guy was frantically crawling around on the plentifull cow parsley we have right now.
Long.horned beetle, probably Stenocorus meridianus. Single shot.
I wonder if they where "dogging" in the park?
At any rate, they did not mind me it seemed.
Soldier beetle, probably Cantharis pellucida. Stack, 30 images.
Something just makes me happy about this little guy minding his business, gorging himself on pollen. Loving the side view, angle of him and the pollen.
Pollen beetle, probably Dasytes plumbeus. Single shot.
Particularly happy with getting the focus plane aligned so well for face/antennae here and its colors.
Shield bug, probbably Elasmostethus interstinctus. Single shot.
This girl was easy to spot, but a rare sight and situation! I have seen this species only once before, some 25 years ago. Getting both the fly and the spiders eyes in reasonable focus made my day.
Chamaleon type crab spider, probably Misumena vatia. Single shot.
I've been doing a little macro and close-up stuff for many years, but to be honest, my macro lenses have mostly been used for other types of photography where their strengths come to their right. Product stuff and reproductions, even landscapes and portraiture.
But, as the years have gone past I've experimented more and more with macro and close-up photography. It didn't really click though, before I stumbled accross Mike Widell and others on YT. The handheld-with-flash-and-diffuser technique they utilize I find is very enjoyable with an acceptable success rate. You always come home with “something” after an outing.
I’ve been out and about, experimenting with gear and locations. It seems my images are slowly getting better, and I'm getting better at finding bugs (and other stuff). Very relaxing to do this type of photography, and within walking distance of home.
The biggest difference gear-wise came from by getting a better speedlight (V350) and a macro lens I don’t have to stack filters or tubes with to get enough magnification (Laowa 65/2.8). This means that when I spot something, I can gradually adjust focus as I get closer and it is much easier to “find” the subject in the viewfinder. Huge quality of life factor.
Anyways, here is a few shots I’m quite pleased with. All handheld, all with a speedlight, those missing F-nummbers are at F/8. Those with the Fujifilm 60/2.4 have a couple of achromats stacked in front to achieve around or a little more than 1x mag.
Like the tight composition and the OOF areas/highlights. This guy was frantically crawling around on the plentifull cow parsley we have right now.
Long.horned beetle, probably Stenocorus meridianus. Single shot.
I wonder if they where "dogging" in the park?
At any rate, they did not mind me it seemed.Soldier beetle, probably Cantharis pellucida. Stack, 30 images.
Something just makes me happy about this little guy minding his business, gorging himself on pollen. Loving the side view, angle of him and the pollen.
Pollen beetle, probably Dasytes plumbeus. Single shot.
Particularly happy with getting the focus plane aligned so well for face/antennae here and its colors.
Shield bug, probbably Elasmostethus interstinctus. Single shot.
This girl was easy to spot, but a rare sight and situation! I have seen this species only once before, some 25 years ago. Getting both the fly and the spiders eyes in reasonable focus made my day.
Chamaleon type crab spider, probably Misumena vatia. Single shot.
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