Recent Macros (lots of pics)

[astro_south]

Been a while (late last year?) since I have posted some macros in here, not that I haven't been taking them. Thought I would share a few that I have taken since then

Apologies to those on AP and my Flickr and facebook contacts who have probably seen these before

1) Blue Banded Bee (With troypiggo's MPe65)
2) Lady Beetle
3) Chalcid Wasp (very small taken with extension tubes on 100mm)
4) Hoverfly
5) Flower Spider and dinner
6) Dragonfly
7) Dwarf Sedge Frog (maybe 2 to 3cm in length)
8) Shield Bug

Shots 5 to 8 were taken at Karawatha Forest (in Brisbane)

more to follow...

[astro_south]

9) Triangular Spider
10) Pirate Spider Egg Sack
11) Katydid Nymph
12) Yellow Coloured Lacewing
13) Blue Damselfly
14) Caterpillar
15) Dragonfly
16) Flying Ant

still more to come ..... :D

[astro_south]

17) Shield Bug
18) different Shield Bug
19) Stingless Native Bee
20) Stingless Native bee
21) Wasp
22) Hoverfly (the one in this month's photo comp)
23) Hoverfly
24) Young St Andrew's Cross Spider

Still some more to come ...:eyepop:

[astro_south]

25) Big Eyed Fly
26) African Carder Bee
27) Horsefly
28) Green Fly?
29) Orange Gnat?
30) Jumping Spider
31) Lacewing
32) Slender Bee Fly

Ok ... just got a few more now

[astro_south]

33) Leafcutter Bee
34) Nomia Bee
35) Translucent Leaf Hopper
36) Parasitic Wasp
37) Longicorn Beetle
38) Robberfly
39) Wasp
40) Wasp up close

Ok... that will do for now - that brings me just about up to date ;)

... if you have made it this far - thanks for looking :thumbsup:

[Liz]

Wowowowowowowow :eyepop: well done Andrew :thumbsup:
What an amazing collection of alien like bugs - so close and sharp, and some quite beautiful. Avoided the big hairy spider though :scared2:
You must live in bugcity (the bush) ;) ... they are supherb, and I would have been happy to have taken any one of those shots!!

[astro_south]

Thanks Liz glad you enjoyed them. Most of these are from around suburban Brisbane, a few in Karawatha Forest on Brisbane's southern outskirts. The insects are everywhere ... I think it is a matter of stopping for long enough to see them :)

[Kevnool]

What a great collection of pics.
It took a while to get through that lot lot.
Cheers Kev.

[stephenb]

Andrew they are spectacular! You must have a large collection of images? Well done, mate :thumbsup::thumbsup:

[StephenM]

Great collection Andrew! I was out this afternoon taking a few as well, which I'm about to post.

Cheers,
Stephen

[DavidU]

Great work !

[astro_south]

Thanks Stephen, Stephen, and David




:D Sorry Kev - like I said, it has been a while since I have posted and there was a backlog to get through. Thought it better to chuck all in one thread than generate 10 threads and flood the terrestrial photos.

[lacad01]

Looks like you've been busy Andrew :). Quite amazing and awesome shots, love the detail and colour :thumbsup::thumbsup:

[troypiggo]

Holy dooley. Massive collection, and such diversity. You have been busy. Wish I'd been able to come along to some of those sessions. Loving some of those insects, many I haven't even seen before. The bee-fly comes to mind. Some really cool shots in there. That triangular spider - I've only ever seen one of those before too, they're interesting.

[Vanda]

Loved the dragon fly and spider with prey in the first lot and the blue damsel fly? in the second lot. The insect eyes in sharp focus is very important in macro and if you can get the rest of the body in sharp focus also you will often have a winner.
What lens/lighting did you use?

Great results!

[astro_south]

Thanks Adam & Troy



Thanks Ian. The setup is as follows:

Canon 50D, EF100mm f2.8 lens, 580EXII and lumiquest softbox mounted on the camera hotshoe. The only change to this was the occasional use of extension tubes and the Blue banded bee that was taken with Troy's (troypiggo) MPe65 and MT24 twin light kit.

[Vanda]

Great lens and lighting Andrew -I'm considering purchasing the Nikon equivalent macro FL which comes with VR - a bit strange unless hand held shots are envisaged!