photoartflightMacro Sampler
Posted on April 11, 2020
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
Dandelion Closeup Image Stack
Posted on May 8, 2018
Very closeup images of Dandelions going to seed remind me of fireworks! One of my favorite setups for this is a m43 Panasonic Camera body with an old Canon FD 200mm f/4 manual focus macro lens. So with this setup I can go to 2x macro without extension tubes, plus I have a great working distance. It is sort of equivalent to a 400mm macro on a 35mm format. This lens seems to work great on m43 bodies. Plus it gives a great working distance to your subjects. These are image stacked from 4 to 7 images at different focus points and combined in Photoshop.
Small Leaf On Rain Dropped Leaf Background
Posted on June 26, 2017
This is a 2 image stacked photo, shot at f/4. It was a windy day, so I did not want to use a small f/stop because the leaves were blowing back & forth. It does not show here, but there was quite a bit of distance between the two main leaf subjects. So with the wind moving the leaves, I did not want a slower shutter speed that would show movement. I shot wide open at f/4 to minimize movement and focused the 2 shots for each main subject. Combined in Photoshop for the final image. I cropped the bottom leaf because there was too much open space in the bottom right corner.
Dandelion Short Image Stack
Posted on June 24, 2017
After a rain, I was looking for macro subjects in the yard. I found this Dandelion with a couple of little water drops on it. It was not a full “ball” on top so you could see inside to the center more easily.
I tried a 2 shot stack @ f2.8 for the featured image and a 4 shot stack for the image below. Both were shot handheld with a Sigma 150mm macro.
4-images stacked in CC 2017 Photoshop, 150mm macro @ f/8
Korean Dogwood Berry
Posted on July 28, 2016
Some images in the yard, just looking to see what I could find to keep myself amused. I liked the Korean Dogwood berry close-up. That was at about 1.5X. Then I noticed this one had a visitor next to it. I guess it was about a quarter of an inch in size. Sometimes it is interesting to see what you can find close to home. 2 images stacked in Photoshop.
Update – Bee Fly, Bombylius major
Posted on April 19, 2015
We found this bug on a window screen and thought it was interesting. We were not sure what kind it is, but I thought I should take some shots of it. We finally found out what it is, a Bee Fly, Bombylius major. These are shot at approximately 2X magnification. It almost looked a little “mean” and had a “cool” fuzzy look for some macro shots. It has the body of a bee and a face of a mosquito.
Some comments I found online:
“A curious flying insect which was about 10mm long, hairy, beige/brown coloured, triangular in shape with a long snout which had the ability of flying backwards.”
“Approx. 1 cm long, wing span twice body length, mix of light brown and black, teardrop shaped, hovers and darts at leaves and dead twigs, long spear-like proboscis approx half body length apparently non retractable.”
“If I was to describe it compared to other animals it was a cross between a bee, a golden mole and a narwhal – but that sounds really silly.”.
Butterfly Wing Detail – Tubular Veins
Posted on December 20, 2014
Another detail photo of a Butterfly wing taken in the studio at approximately 6.5X. Butterfly wings are made of two layers (membranes) that are nourished and supported by tubular veins. The veins also function in oxygen exchange – breathing. Covering the wings are thousands of colorful scales, together with many hairs.
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