Here is a collection of macros taken over the last few months. I’ve just gone through my backlog and processed a few. All taken with a Canon 40D fitted with the Canon 100mm F2.8 macro lens.
You macro guys must have some awful dreams
Imagine what delights your sub conscious could have selecting some of these out of your brain to deliver into a situation in your REM state. It would be of course when your locked in a room and cant escape too for sure, legs wont work and youre positive that everything else thats living is as hungry as you. Such is the quality of the detail in these pictures you'll be sure to know exactly what it is your trying to run away from ... not another alien probe !!!
Really enjoyed these, you could compile a handsome collection of insects from the work you macro guys submit ... its awesome.
Thank you for all your comments – I really do hope that no one has nightmares as a result!
Dave (DavidU) - The praying mantis was on one of my wife’s plants, under the patio and it remained there long enough for me to crawl around it and shoot a few angles. I even managed my first praying mantis mosaic, although leg movement between frames caused some alignment problems as did the shifting perspective of the background.
Humayun – #5 is the 1st time I’ve used Off Camera Flash (OCF with the 580 EXII) rather than the ring flash and as you have noted, the lighting is a gazillion times more pleasing. The dragon fly eating a moth (#6) was taken in early morning daylight, contre-jour with the 40D on-board pop up flash acting as a fill in. The rest were taken with the ring flash.
The ring flash is a highly portable and compact unit but produces flat, harsh light compared to the 580 EX OCF, although with the 580 EX fitted on my home made flash bracket, I keep whacking the surrounding shrubbery thus scaring off the insects!
Did you use the 580 as a single flash or with another as fill in?
The hover fly in flight was amazing. Great shots.
Hi Ian
Only #5 was shot with the 580. I’ve had the 580 for just over a week now and this was my first outing with it. In my 35mm film days of yore, I recollect having to use the Guide Number to do the power output calculations based on film speed and subject distance, not so with the 580!
The 580 was mounted some 12-15cms above the front of the 100mm lens (lens hood fitted) pointing down, with a Lumiquest flash diffuser fitted. I had to push the shadows quite hard to bring out the detail in the body of the insect.
The whole set up is quite bulky and unwieldy compared to the more compact configuration of using the ring flash, but the quality of the lighting is vastly superior.
Beautiful images, Dennis. They look a little over-sharpened to me (on this computer at least).
Also some of the background in some of them has gone pixelated - not sure what's going on then - looks like jpeg compression but it could be just me.
A great set! Well done.
Quote:
Originally Posted by h0ughy
Dennis, you are indeed a gifted man. Your images show great detail and care - i personally like the last one with the green backdrop.
Thanks Mike and Dave!
Mike – I’m pushing some of these quite hard in CS4, using the Topaz plug ins, in an attempt to give them more texture due to the flat lighting from the ring flash. I can sometimes get away with this when the insect fills the frame, but when I have to crop, the quality does suffer.
Most of the crops are not sharpened as in traditional CS sharpening. I think that the gritty look comes from the Topaz Detail plug in where I use the micro contrast option to “improve” the flat looking texture.
My wife has just removed all the old annuals and cut back the perennials in our garden, which means fewer flowers and therefore fewer insects in our garden for a while. So the macro opportunities for me will be limited for the next couple of months.
