Hoverfly macros - only if you like detail!

[Marc Langille]

Hopefully you'll enjoy the details even more in this image!

Yes I do. Man, that FA*200/4 Macro is a wonderful lens. Sure wish I had one.

Thanks for showing Marc.

Hey, you never know when I might be coming to Utah... some National Parks out there I need to take in...

Thank you Ron for the comments.

Regards,
Marc
--
Marc Langille
http://www.marclangille.com

 

[Marc Langille]

Skip py wrote:
WOW!!! This crop is unbelievable!

Incredible how you managed to keep the head and important parts of the > flower so sharp !

Manual focus in near darkness (small flashlight) is NOT recommended...

Definitely you shoot like you breathe... It "seems" so easy
Very well done: I can't find my words!

Indeed you made the best with the flash and the tripod, and a great > preparation.
Another impressive lesson for an amateur like me!

I've been approached about doing a workshop in a National Park (dates & time TBD) by someone overseas to coincide with their trip. I am hoping some of that knowledge will be imparted to the workshop participants. I think you are right about my shooting - much of it just "happens" - I don't really think a lot about my shooting after dialing everything in. I sort of go on "auto-pilot" and really don't think about it. I believe those previous set of sentences sort of go hand in hand with my previous experience as an elite athlete... Most everything often becomes intrinsic, requiring minimal or no thought...

However, I digress... sorry about that! It was a quick setup, since I had to dash into the house while running the risk of my subject vacating the area! Luckily it's a tried and true setup for me, so I know that the only variable is from where I fire the flash gun on the subject to get the best combination of light/shadows. This is especially useful for a better presentation in terms of the artistic sense.

I especially like how the head pops out of the background but with your "natural" style, and how you place it in perspective...

Regards, fredg

My honor Fred that you enjoyed these images. I've always strived for the most natural looking images and perspectives possible, but sometimes you get a driveway as part of the subject matter.

Regards,
Marc
--
Marc Langille
http://www.marclangille.com

 

[Skip py]

Thanks again for your kind reply !

Manual focus in near darkness (small flashlight) is NOT recommended...

May I ask when you did take these wonderful shots ? Was it early in the morning or at the end of the day ? What month ? Usually, I try to let the date and time on my site because I learned a lot in this forum (or on the other one) from the EXIF, on when to go shooting, mostly for the light, but also for animal behaviour (in order not to disturb, and when to get interesting actions) ?

I've been approached about doing a workshop in a National Park (dates & time TBD) by someone overseas to coincide with their trip. I am hoping some of that knowledge will be imparted to the workshop participants. I think you are right about my shooting - much of it just "happens" - I don't really think a lot about my shooting after dialing everything in. I sort of go on "auto-pilot" and really don't think about it. I believe those previous set of sentences sort of go hand in hand with my previous experience as an elite athlete... Most everything often becomes intrinsic, requiring minimal or no thought...

I'd really like to find a workshop like yours - it really should be challenging - but I'm still too bad at this game.
Most of my pictures are just about feeling, not enought about technic !

But I understand your point of view: with a good technic like yours, you can concentrate on the artistic part of the shoot. For me, it's the opposite... I see what I'd like to achieve IMHO, and I try to concentrate on the technical part in order not to miss it, by forgetting obvious things, like erroneous settings! When not being too excited by the seen in front of me and forgetting to shoot...

The good point is that you made me try back macro with damselflies (I mostly shot grebe, swan, heron or big birds these times) ... but without tripod and flash I ended up shaking like a leaf, lying in the grass, trying to follow the wind to keep the head as sharp as possible, without loosing the bokey. Quite fun, but really exhausting in the end!

200mm is quite difficult to work with and I really appreciate how you "play" with it! Even shooting the grebes with it was not so easy to focus correctly: Too much AF is dangerous for my health!

I guess the important part of your job is to experiment a lot and to be prepared even for the unexpected - I don't know if there are classical exercices for that before going in the field, but I like a lot how you took your Snowberry Clearwing Moth!

However, I digress... sorry about that! It was a quick setup, since I had to dash into the house while running the risk of my subject vacating the area! Luckily it's a tried and true setup for me, so I know that the only variable is from where I fire the flash gun on the subject to get the best combination of light/shadows. This is especially useful for a better presentation in terms of the artistic sense.

So lucky you are: you really have good subjects in your backyard! Even beautiful spiders!

Or... you really made wonders out of things we don't take enought time to look at ?

Well, I'm still afraid of flashguns but it seems I'll have to buy one (or more ?) and practice a lot if I finally try on macros more seriously!

My honor Fred that you enjoyed these images. I've always strived for the most natural looking images and perspectives possible, but sometimes you get a driveway as part of the subject matter .

It's always a pleasure to see your pictures.

Sorry, but I don't understand your last sentence (?). Not so easy for me to understand/translate in french.

Concerning the natural looking images and perspectives, from all your work, I don't see anything that's not reaching this goal!

I'm just curious about the softness of your pink mandevalia: it's so different from your other shoots about nature, more in the mood of your civil war retrospective or some dreamy landscape? Appealing, but from your previous work I'm still expecting you also turned around the flower and got closer ... to see what insect was hiding there, if any ?

Never mind, I'm always searching bugs anywhere ... Maybe because it's my job ?

Regards,
Marc

Sorry for my long reply. I'll try to make it shorter next time
Thanks for your comments.

Regards, fredg

 

[Marc Langille]

Skip py wrote:
Thanks again for your kind reply !

May I ask when you did take these wonderful shots ? Was it early in the > morning or at the end of the day ? What month ? Usually, I try to let the date > and time on my site because I learned a lot in this forum (or on the other one) > from the EXIF, on when to go shooting, mostly for the light, but also for animal > behaviour (in order not to disturb, and when to get interesting actions) ?

Hi Fred, did you not see the EXIF information for the first shots? I put a link to it just below the second image.

I've been approached about doing a workshop in a National Park (dates & time TBD) by someone overseas to coincide with their trip. I am hoping some of that knowledge will be imparted to the workshop participants. I think you are right about my shooting - much of it just "happens" - I don't really think a lot about my shooting after dialing everything in. I sort of go on "auto-pilot" and really don't think about it. I believe those previous set of sentences sort of go hand in hand with my previous experience as an elite athlete... Most everything often becomes intrinsic, requiring minimal or no thought...

I'd really like to find a workshop like yours - it really should be challenging - but I'm still too bad at this game.
Most of my pictures are just about feeling, not enought about technic !

But I understand your point of view: with a good technic like yours, you can > concentrate on the artistic part of the shoot. For me, it's the opposite... I

see what I'd like to achieve IMHO, and I try to concentrate on the technical > part in order not to miss it, by forgetting obvious things, like erroneous settings! When not being too excited by the seen in front of me and forgetting to shoot...

The good point is that you made me try back macro with damselflies (I mostly shot grebe, swan, heron or big birds these times) ... but without tripod and flash I ended up shaking like a leaf, lying in the grass, trying to follow the wind to keep the head as sharp as possible, without loosing the bokey. Quite fun, but really exhausting in the end!

200mm is quite difficult to work with and I really appreciate how you "play" with it! Even shooting the grebes with it was not so easy to focus correctly: Too much AF is dangerous for my health!

I guess the important part of your job is to experiment a lot and to be prepared even for the unexpected - I don't know if there are classical exercices for that before going in the field, but I like a lot how you took your Snowberry Clearwing Moth!

Thank you for the comments on that image - it was a complete accident. After I took that photo, I thought it was OK, so I never converted it from RAW. That Snowberry moth sat on my hard drive storage for nearly 2 years... very embarrassing!

However, I digress... sorry about that! It was a quick setup, since I had to > > dash into the house while running the risk of my subject vacating the area!
Luckily it's a tried and true setup for me, so I know that the only variable is
from where I fire the flash gun on the subject to get the best combination

of light/shadows. This is especially useful for a better presentation in terms of > > the artistic sense.

So lucky you are: you really have good subjects in your backyard! Even beautiful spiders!

Or... you really made wonders out of things we don't take enought time to look at ?

You have found me out! I am afraid you have spoken truly on this matter. I really enjoy taking images of things that people may not notice or simply don't take the time to enjoy...

Well, I'm still afraid of flashguns but it seems I'll have to buy one (or more ?) and practice a lot if I finally try on macros more seriously!

One is a good start...

My honor Fred that you enjoyed these images. I've always strived for the

most natural looking images and perspectives possible, but sometimes you > > get a driveway as part of the subject matter.

It's always a pleasure to see your pictures.

Thank you very much!

Sorry, but I don't understand your last sentence (?). Not so easy for me to > > understand/translate in french.

C'est un(e) l'entree - a driveway? The surface in the first two images that the spider is standing on.

What I look for is not just a snapshot - I look for a more natural image with a better perspective: perhaps a frontal shot, down at the height of the subject or close to their level, not just overhead.

Concerning the natural looking images and perspectives, from all your work, I > don't see anything that's not reaching this goal!

I'm just curious about the softness of your pink mandevalia: it's so different from your other shoots about nature, more in the mood of your civil war retrospective or some dreamy landscape? Appealing, but from your previous work I'm still expecting you also turned around the flower and got closer ... to see what insect was hiding there, if any ?

That was intentional in terms of softness, etc. for the mandevalia: I wanted an image with mood, nothing more. Perhaps a reflection of my inner self that day...

Never mind, I'm always searching bugs anywhere ... Maybe because it's my > job ?

Sorry for my long reply. I'll try to make it shorter next time
Thanks for your comments.

Regards, fredg

No worries Fred - glad to communicate with you about all of this!

Regards,
Marc
--
Marc Langille
http://www.marclangille.com

 

[Marc Langille]

--
Marc Langille
http://www.marclangille.com

 

[Marc Langille]

WOW! Very impressive detail indeed!

Much appreciated Lance - thanks for looking mate!

Cheers,
Marc
--
--
Marc Langille
http://www.marclangille.com

 

[Skip py]

Hi Fred, did you not see the EXIF information for the first shots? I put a link to it just below the second image.

Hi Marc

Thanks for the link! I was hypnotised by your pictures and I had to read one more time to see it! Around 12 o'clock, and still this dark background and the good light on your subject ... I'll have to give a try to flash and tripod setups

I guess the important part of your job is to experiment a lot and to be prepared even for the unexpected - I don't know if there are classical exercices for that before going in the field, but I like a lot how you took your Snowberry Clearwing Moth!

Thank you for the comments on that image - it was a complete accident. After I took that photo, I thought it was OK, so I never converted it from RAW. That Snowberry moth sat on my hard drive storage for nearly 2 years... very embarrassing!

With an "accident" like that ... it's amazing how you managed to get it like that, and you should have hung this photo on your wall!
But, I guess you wouldn't have enough walls by now.
The most important is that you kept the RAW file to share it with us now.

Or... you really made wonders out of things we don't take enought time to look at ?

You have found me out! I am afraid you have spoken truly on this matter. I really enjoy taking images of things that people may not notice or simply don't take the time to enjoy...

That's exactly what I like so much in your pictures of wildlife.

Well, I'm still afraid of flashguns but it seems I'll have to buy one (or more ?) and practice a lot if I finally try on macros more seriously!

One is a good start...

I guess so. I'll really have to struggle with it before getting something appealing to me.

Do you think a Metz 48 or 58 would be enought for macro and wildlife? Pentax is a bit more expansive here, and it seems to be quite on par for a beginner's setup?

What I look for is not just a snapshot - I look for a more natural image with a better perspective: perhaps a frontal shot, down at the height of the subject or close to their level, not just overhead.

At first I didn't understand where you shot the spiderlings with their mother. So, I thought it was an idiomatic expression that I didn't know! Shame on me I'll have to practice my english before my photography

For the frontal shot ... that's close enough for me and lower at their level, I guess it would have been difficult to get the whole family in the grass!

That was intentional in terms of softness, etc. for the mandevalia: I wanted an image with mood, nothing more. Perhaps a reflection of my inner self that day...

How did you achieved this ? Tuning a soft FA 85mm to get the desired softness ?

It ended up more like a portrait to me... I don't know if it's what you expected ?

Regards, fredg

 

[Marc Langille]

Hi Marc

Thanks for the link! I was hypnotised by your pictures and I had to read one more time to see it! Around 12 o'clock, and still this dark background and the good light on your subject ... I'll have to give a try to flash and tripod setups

They can rescue a situation fairly often. Besides, with the FA* 200/4 Macro, it needs some assistance when the light levels go down. A challenge to use, but if you know how, it can be quite successful in terms of results.

One is a good start...

I guess so. I'll really have to struggle with it before getting something appealing to me.

Do you think a Metz 48 or 58 would be enought for macro and wildlife? Pentax is a bit more expansive here, and it seems to be quite on par for a beginner's setup?

I would double check compatibility on the flash first. My suggestion is to confirm this - many of the Metz units are excellent.

What I look for is not just a snapshot - I look for a more natural image with a better perspective: perhaps a frontal shot, down at the height of the subject or close to their level, not just overhead.

At first I didn't understand where you shot the spiderlings with their mother. So, I thought it was an idiomatic expression that I didn't know! Shame on me I'll have to practice my english before my photography

For the frontal shot ... that's close enough for me and lower at their level, I guess it would have been difficult to get the whole family in the grass!

Thank you Fred!

That was intentional in terms of softness, etc. for the mandevalia: I wanted an image with mood, nothing more. Perhaps a reflection of my inner self that day...

How did you achieved this ? Tuning a soft FA 85mm to get the desired softness ?

It ended up more like a portrait to me... I don't know if it's what you expected ?

Regards, fredg

I used the FA* 200/4 Macro, but very shallow DOF - just F/5.6.

Regards,
Marc
--
Marc Langille
http://www.marclangille.com

 

[Duplo]

That first shot is absolutely wonderful.
Simply excellent.

Wondered if I could sneak a "darn" in somewhere, but it somehow did not fit in with the text above
--
Thomas

Nothing is foolproof to a sufficiently talented fool
http://main.duplophotography.com/

 

[Skip py]

They can rescue a situation fairly often. Besides, with the FA* 200/4 Macro, it needs some assistance when the light levels go down. A challenge to use, but if you know how, it can be quite successful in terms of results.

I'm bigining to see what it could do for me if I had your skills. The A* 200 is already too challenging for me, but I'm getting more and more comfortable with it... Still need to practice though

I would double check compatibility on the flash first. My suggestion is to confirm this - many of the Metz units are excellent.

Thanks for the advice. I've already double checked and I think I'll get the Metz to learn how to manage lights with a flashgun.

I used the FA* 200/4 Macro, but very shallow DOF - just F/5.6.

Surprising for me, and always good to see the different kind of art pieces you can do with the same lens.

-

And sorry Thomas for these long text

By the way, I really like your photos ! and learned a lot from your site. Thanks !

Regards, fredg

 

[Marc Langille]

Really nice, Mark...fantastic detail! And I'd expect no less from you ;-)

Bud

Thank you Bud! I enjoyed taken these pictures... when the mosquitos weren't on me... :O

Cheers,
Marc
--
Marc Langille
http://www.marclangille.com

 

[Marc Langille]

That first shot is absolutely wonderful.
Simply excellent.

Thank you very much Thomas!

Wondered if I could sneak a "darn" in somewhere, but it somehow did not fit in with the text above
--
Thomas

Ahh... you resisted... then snuck in... a "darn"....

Thanks for looking and enjoying them Thomas!

Regards,
Marc
--
Marc Langille
http://www.marclangille.com

 

[Marc Langille]

They can rescue a situation fairly often. Besides, with the FA* 200/4 Macro, it needs some assistance when the light levels go down. A challenge to use, but if you know how, it can be quite successful in terms of results.

I'm bigining to see what it could do for me if I had your skills. The A* 200 is already too challenging for me, but I'm getting more and more comfortable with it... Still need to practice though

That's the key - practice and technique!

I used the FA* 200/4 Macro, but very shallow DOF - just F/5.6.

Surprising for me, and always good to see the different kind of art pieces you can do with the same lens.

Thank you....

By the way, I really like your photos ! and learned a lot from your site. Thanks !

Regards, fredg

My honor - feel free to ask questions! I'll do my best to answer them.

Regards,
Marc
--
Marc Langille
http://www.marclangille.com

 

[Marc Langille]

Thanks pcarfan!
--
Marc Langille
http://www.marclangille.com

 

[TOMSDPR]

Hi Marc,

these compos are excellent. Dark BG, rich of contrast, wide DOF,extremely detailed and sahrp - noise free!! Macro at its best!

I tried the same kind of flowers and of course a couple of hoverflies and can confirm they are really small objects. Never got so close with my Tamron 90mm and the K 10.

Thanks for sharing these great artworks with us.

Thomas

--

Thomas Michael - mjdundee (I love the character and his way of thinking - straight, true, strong)

 

[MikeChip]

Outstanding shots Marc, you managed to get the really sharp and against a really nice background.

Mike