photoartflightMacro Sampler
WARNING _ LONG POST!!
Being we are not supposed to be out and about, especially here in NJ, I thought these images would give some an inspiration to see what you can find interesting to photograph in their own yards or close to home. You can post yours so we can see what is happening in others areas. They closed all the Parks and other outdoor spaces here and limit travel basically only for food & essentials. They are even limiting the amount of people in the stores. So here are some macro images I have taken in my own yards over the years with different types of cameras and lenses. I tend to use a variety of cameras, lenses & different types of m43 and Canon Cameras. Many times for macro images I adapt older Canon FD manual focus lenses on my m43 Panasonic or Olympus Cameras. Doing this I get an approximate FOV of 2X on these manual focus lenses plus get a longer working distance to my subjects and with increased depth of field (in simple terms). It is fun to see what you can come up with. The featured Damselfly image is taken with a Canon FD 200mm f/4 macro lens on a m43 camera. My most used FD macro is the 200mm because it gives me a longer working distance to my subjects. The following sampler of macro images are with both m43 Cameras and Full Frame Canon Cameras for an interesting Macro Mix.
Blue Dasher Head Shot – 200mm Canon FD Macro on m43 Camera (Full Frame Equivalent View – FOV ~400mm)
Praying Mantis Portrait – 150mm Macro Canon R
Eastern Pondhawk – 200mm Canon FD lens on m43 Camera (Full Frame FOV ~400mm)
Blue Dasher, Male – 300mm Canon EF lens with 1.4X Teleconverter
Water Drop Panorama – 2 images, 200mm Canon f/4 FD Lens, m43 Camera
Water Drops After Rain – 3 image Panorama, 200mm Canon FD lens – Panasonic m43 body
6 image Focus Stack & Pano – 200mm f/4 FD Canon Lens on Panasonic m43 Body
Dandelion 7 image Pano & Image Stack, 200mm Canon FD lens, Panasonic m43 body
Dandelion 5 image Image Stack for more Depth of Field, 200mm Canon FD lens, Panasonic m43 body
6 image, 200mm Canon FD macro, Panasonic m43 Body
1 shot, Canon FD 200mm Macro, Water Drop, Panasonic m43 Body
200mm, Single Image – Aligned camera so I was shooting straight in to subject eliminating the need for stacking multiple images.
Water Drops – Single Image
Female Blue Dasher Head Shot – 100mm Canon FD macro lens
Damselfly – 200mm FD Canon Macro lens
Flower detail – 200mm Macro lens, Panasonic m43 Camera
Day Lily After Rain – FD 200mm, m43 Camera
4-images stacked in CC Photoshop, 150mm macro @ f/8
Starburst on bud, 200mm FD on m43 Panasonic Camera
Milkweed bug eggs on leaf – Panasonic m43
Day Lily Stamen v1 – Short Stack (2 images) for softer background
Water Drops after the Rain – 10 images @200mm m43 Olympus Camera
3 image Short Stack – @200mm m43 Olympus Camera
Single Shot – 200mm @ f/4 for Softer Background
Water Drop On Leaf – 50mm, Panasonic m43 Camera
Lady Bug – 100mm macro
Echinacea Multi-image Pano, 200mm FD Macro lens, Panasonic m43 Camera
Korean Dogwood – 200mm, m43 Camera
TreeHopper (?) 200mm, Panasonic m43 Camera
200mm macro, RainDrops on Feather (looks like a fish) Panasonic GH2
Multi-Image Zinnia Image, 200mm m43
Teneral Eastern Forktail Damselfly, 200mm Canon FD lens, Panasonic m43 Camera
Eastern Carpenter Bee, 200mm FD Lens, Panasonic GH2
Jagged Ambush bug, 200mm FD lens on Panasonic GH2
Rain Drops, Multi-Image Stack, 100mm, Panasonic m43
Lichen on Wood, 200mm, Panasonic m43 Camera
Damselfly, 200mm FD Macro lens, Panasonic GH2
Closer View – Damselfly, 200mm Canon FD macro, Panasonic m43 body
Water Drops on Flower Stamen, 50mm FD macro, Panasonic m43
photoartflight 
well that just blew the opposition away, does the converter Panasonic/Canon add magnification or is simply lens n body? Or do u have extensions too?
I have extension tubes also, but these are just the lens and m43 adapter to mate to the m43 cameras. The m43 sensor is much smaller than full frame Canons, so when you attach them to a m43 camera body the image from the lens is actually much larger then the smaller sensor in m43 bodies. So you are only getting a smaller center area of the whole image circle from the lens actually hitting the sensor. So it is about a 2x magnification of the area actually used on the sensor from the lens. Sort of the same theory with Canon 1.6x & Nikon 1.5x Cropped sensors. It is easier to say 2x on m43 instead of Field of View on the sensor. Hope that makes sense.
These are excellent captures. Always interesting to read your blog. Happy Easter and stay safe and sound!
Thanks Greta!! I hope you stay safe also! And have a Happy Easter! Thanks again!
What am amazing series of captures, Reed. The brilliant colors and sharp, often selective focus really makes them stand out. I was especially delighted by the multi-image stacks with raindrops, in which there is often a wonderful reflection in each drop. Thanks too for including info about the lenses that you used for the images–it was fascinating to see how many FD lenses you used. It is regretful that Canon switched lens mounts when they moved to digital so that you can’t really mount the pre-digital lenses (FD) on the Canon digital cameras (EF). If I am not mistaken, old Nikon lenses will physically fit on newer Nikon bodies. As someone who does a fair amount of macro work, I can’t help but be impressed by the sheer amount of patience and diligence that you had to have to shoot these images.
Thanks so much Mike! That is why I use them on m43 camera bodies. Especially for macro work. On the Olympus bodies, the camera has stabilization so they work fine. On Panasonic I tend to use a tripod, but also easier to frame for what I want. All of the FD lenses I had from years ago for film cameras before the EF lenses came out. Plus now you can buy them used fairly inexpensively on eBay. Also it makes you think about focus, your f/stops for more or less depth of field, etc. for what you are expecting in your final image. Another advantage is you tend to have a little more depth of field for a given f/stop since you are actually not using the full image, only using the center area of the image on the sensor that on a full frame sensor would fill a larger 36x24mm sensor. Sort of equaling the FOV of 400mm on a full frame camera. Thank again and be safe out there!
Fantastic images, Reed. The best of the best! The shot of the damselfly peering over the flower is so charming!
Thanks Eliza! With staying at home orders everywhere I was trying to show what you could photograph in your own yard. Even closeups of ordinary items could be interesting. Stay safe and Happy Easter!
Awesome series and variety, Reed! I was back and forth viewing them, most enjoyable, full of colors and lots of details. 🙂
Thanks Donna! Since we are restricted to home I thought I would post images from my new yard and quite a few from my old yard that had a pond. It was like my outdoor macro studio! Never quite knew what would be there!
Great collection, Reed. Quite a fine menagerie in your yard and all excellently captured. I think you are correct about the treehopper but which one I can’t say. You could post an ID request on BugGuide.Net.
Thanks Steve! In our old home we had a 20×40 pool. When the kids left we took it out and put in a pond with waterfall. So it turned into my outdoor macro studio!
What a wonderful series Reed, some of the damselfly/dragonfly photos are extraordinary! I wish I had a backyard😏. I’ll have to try to photograph a visiting sparrow on my balcony (same restrictions here).
Thanks So Much Belinda! Stay Safe and Stay Well!
You too!
Fewer place to go means longer narratives and longer posts… nothing wrong with that! Enjoying the read and photos. William — “What a wildly wonderful world, God! You made it all, with Wisdom at Your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations.” Psalms 104 The Message
Thanks William! Hope all is well!