Featured Macro - Discussion & Photos

If you're not sure about Macro, have a look at this awesome page.....

http://beingmark.com/macro-illustrated/


As the fella says, he's been doing it for a long time and I don't think we can expect to match his skill and quality, but if you have some Macro shots post them up, good or bad.

I'm no expert either, I've got a 40mm Macro lens that I don't know how to use, but I don't let that stop me, and even by taking photos of creatures you start to learn more about them, which is great for this site.

 

Some shots from my backyard today....

Native Bee on Cadagi Seeds



Fly on a Sunflower


Mozzie on my leg

 

got the focus a bit better on this one I think...

 

cheers Mark. I've taken some tips from the website page I linked to in the first post.

So far I....
1. use the inbuilt flash
2. sometimes hold a piece of white paper (I used a book with a white back cover) above/infront of the flash to direct the light downwards on the subject. The fella from the website made a "snoot" so I might have to do that too.
3. put the focus on manual, find your focus, then rock back and forth slowly and click when the focus is right

If you don't have a macro lens you can still give it a go and do some cropping on the computer.

 

Like WOW Stevo, I think you know a bit more about macro than you realise, you are doing an excellent job. Awesome work.

 

This was taken under a glass table near my clothes line a few years ago. Hand held Tamron 90mm Macro lens. I was a little worried about being bitten. This image has actually won a lot of awards, many of them overseas.

 

This little fellow was only about 1 1/2 cm long. Tamron 90mm Macro lens hand held.

 

Taken at night, at Girraween National Park. Tamron 90mm Macro lens hand held.

 

Couple of fungi, hard to take these guys are they are usually very low to the ground, in a dark, moist area. Tripod is needed and usually me sitting on my butt Tamron 90mm Macro lens.

 

Some awesome pics by both of you (letsgo n stevo) Nice work and inspiring.

I don't have a proper macro lens but like you said that shouldnt stop me. Laziness is the only thing slowing me down....

 

Letsgo, awesome photos. I only "liked" your wasp photo because it freaks me out ... I've had too many stings from them ... I don't think I could get that close. Actually I found another nest in my yard yesterday and it did cross my mind when I saw your photo, but I think i'll give it a miss with my 40mm lens!

 

I went to the Nursery today and bought some plants/flowers for the bees. I noticed a Rhino Beetle on another plant, so instantly I thought... wow there's a photo opportunity!!!! So I removed it from that plant and transferred it to the plant I was buying and hid it under the leaves so it wouldn't be noticed at check-out (maybe they wouldn't care anyway, but it would just be less drama if it wasn't noticed. I think I need to make some kind of Defuser because I think there's too much extreme reflection from the beetles shiny surfaces.

 

I know i' getting a bit carried away with this... but i'll get over it soon...

Here's my pond....

 

Spectacular snaps Stevo and Letsgo! Love it!

 

yeah that's the one Mark. Just be aware that with the 40mm you have to be very close to the subject. So you wont be capturing blue banded bees because they'll fly away, unless you pin them down. From what I've read people prefer the 100mm macro, but as you can expect that's a whole lot more money. If you're happy with just having to get very close then the 40mm is good, and not too expensive. You can also use it to take normal photos like family portraits etc, the same as a prime lens.

Are you going to get one?