My macro journey

[clovishound]

The characteristic honeycomb look of most compound eyes isn't evident here, but wasps have compound eyes. Lots and lots of little eyes bundled
together.

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[clovishound]

Here's a dragonfly where you can see that pattern in the surface of the compound eye.

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[markiver54]

Wow again!!...talk about pollinators. Your pics are truly opening MY eyes to what happens out there!
Thank you yet again.

[markiver54]

Clovis, your pics are absolutely astounding. Better than anything I personally have ever seen.

[clovishound]

Believe me, there are pros out there that produce images on a completely different level.

[clovishound]

Got out again this morning to get a little more mileage on the new lens. Not quite as pleased with today's results, but some interesting critters I haven't seen before. Had issues getting the angles and backgrounds I would have liked. It is what it is.

Ran across this dragon fly eating a damsel fly. Hey, don't eat your kin folk!!!

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Interesting spider tending her web that was wrapped around the base of a flower.

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Another spider. I almost missed this one as it looked just like a piece of dead vegetation on the plant's stalk.

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Another trip through the butterfly house.

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[dave77]

When using the macro lens can you get the same magnification you got with your extension tubes but with the camera further away from the subject?

[clovishound]

Pretty much. Theoretically, I should get 1:1 with a set of tubes whose length equals the focal length of a non macro lens. Both tubes together equaled 28mm. In theory, I should be able to get more than 1:1magnification if I set the lens shorter than 28mm. Problem is somewhere around 28mm, the subject hits the front lens element when focused at minimum. At 70mm, I couldn't get full 1:1 magnification, but had maybe 2 inches working distance between the lens and subject. My 105mm macro has a little over 5 inches distance at minimum focus.

The main issue I had with such close working distances wasn't so much scaring off the wildlife, but having sufficient room to keep from shading the flash from the subject.

If I want, I can put one, or both, extensions on my new lens and get even more magnification.

Another advantage of this lens is that it is a dedicated macro lens. It is designed to give excellent resolution at very close focusing distances. Not only that it is a prime lens, which is almost always sharper than a zoom of similar quality. Both the zoom and the new macro lens are in Nikon's S series, which is geared toward professionals/serious amateurs. They typically are sharper, more robust, and better weather sealed than the consumer grade lenses. At least that is their advertising statement. I can say they are typically more robustly made, although even the high end lenses these days use a lot of plastic. Of course there is cheap plastic, and better grades of plastic.

[clovishound]

Went down to a retention pond about 1/2 mile from my house. It is bordered on two sides by scrub woods. I walked the perimeter looking for bugs. At first I thought it was going to be a bust. Then I felt something on my arm. I thought it was just a small branch I was brushing up against, but the feeling persisted. I looked and saw this guy hitching a ride.

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I gently moved him to the bushes and proceeded to take some pictures of him.


Later I ran into a colorful ladybug.

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[clovishound]

Got rained out early, but still managed a few.


This was a HUGE caterpillar. Ended up focus stacking to get more in focus.

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This guy was doing his best to rid the wildflower bed of caterpillars. I have another that is rather gross.

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Same spider, same flower as a couple days ago.

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[clovishound]

And for a little break from the insects, here are some flowers, sans critters.

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[clovishound]

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[Sir Henry]

Beautiful!

[clovishound]

Nice cool morning at Cypress Gardens. Not as many insects out, but the ones that were there were slower and less skittish.

Lots of dragonflies.

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And, a sleepy frog on the way out of to the parking lot. I had to perch somewhat precariously on a pile of stones covering a culvert to get close enough, but I was careful, and successfully got several shots without incident.

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This poor fellow was missing his left front leg. I guess it's not as big a deal when you have 6 to start with, and only live a few weeks anyway.

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[markiver54]

Once again, incredible photography. We are certainly privileged to have you share these pics with us.

[CT_Shooter]

CH, your photography continues to amaze me. I'm so glad that you're sharing it with us.

[clovishound]

Couldn't resist another outing while the weather is cooler.

He won the stare down contest.

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Gotta do some research and find out what this little guy is.

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This leaf caught my eye and I channeled the Pup's artist side. I should have taken several at different focus points and done a focus stack, but I thought I had it all in focus. Still, I like it.

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There are going to be a lot of little green spiders around soon.

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[dave77]

Very nice photos but you sure have some colorful bugs. Around here a standard Ladybug and a Monarch butterfly is about as colorful as our bugs get.

[clovishound]

I would have said the same thing, until I started photographing them. We don't have the variety they do in tropical areas. A lot of the insects look very plain until you photograph them and look at them under magnification.

[BrokenolMarine]

You seem to know a lot about the ID of the things... I found this on the front of the UTV after I drove through the woods picking up the cards from the security cams around the farm... It's creepy looking, about halfway between a quarter and a half dollar size, and had part of it's web on the front of the UTV as well.

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It looks a bit like a crab. But the hairs make it look creepy.