Post your insects

[rhermans]

I do not have a macro lens so my shots are close-up using a Nikon 70-300 VR with a Nikon T6 diopter.
Here are 2 Orange Potter wasps manting.
Was a bit of a risk having to be close to this wasps which have a very painful sting

Great shots, and you have already proved with these shots that a macro lens isn't always required. (it helps but isn't needed)

With all the cropping that is possible, and all the different sensor sizes I think that the whole concept of macro photography - being shots taken at 1:1 or higher reproduction ratios - isn't relevant anymore.
Any image showing the subject larger than life is imho macro.

[Brownbear]

[IMG][/IMG]

A very pretty grasshopper

[Letrow]

[IMG][/IMG]

A very pretty grasshopper

Great photo Christina. I like the contrasting colours very much. The only thing I would comment on is that the white almost disappears due to DOF and high contrast.

[Letrow]

Syrphidae. I find it hard to identify which species it is, even with this page to help me out.

[Geoff F]

The UK Hoverfly Recording Scheme http://www.hoverfly.org.uk/portal.php is going to produce a new hoverfly identification book soon.

But in the meantime:

Firstly, is it a hoverfly or another fly design? My first check is to look at the wing veins; and in particular the outer cross veins. Near the wing tips, hoverflies have a couple of veins which run across the wing. It should be obvious once you start looking closely.

A few other flies do have a form of cross veins but these are usually well back from the wing tips or look totally different for a number of reasons. Hoverflies do have a 'false vein' in their wings but this can often be difficult to see in photos.

The Eristalis family of hoverflies all have a deep loop in an obvious long wing vein. Vein R4+5 but don't worry about technical terms, the loop should be obvious.

Next. Is the hind leg all black? If so it is Eristalis tenax. If the hind leg is partially yellow and the front and middle legs have yellow feet (tarsus) it is probably E. pertinax. Both of these species have a strong dark stripe down their faces.

If it has a partially yellow hind leg with black feet and no face stripe it may well be E. arbustorum. Similar to this but with a face stripe is likely to be E. interruptus.

Like the last one but with a faint dark mark across the wing suggests E. horticola. While a more extensive dark wing mark and a mostly black abdomen is likely to be E. rupium.

And that is just the basics of one rather simple family. There are a number of other Eristalis species with that distinctive wing vein loop but most of these have other distinctive markings. Such as the Helophilus range which have a lot of yellow on their abdomen and yellow/black striped thorax.

OK then, you are now all experts with the Eristalis family. The next lesson will concentrate on some of the tricky families.

When you are able to give an instant identification of the family by sight you will start to understand which camera angles are needed for a full identification.

[Frankie]

I saw this Praying Mantis reaching up to get the leaf above, but he just couldn't make it. With the camera on burst setting, I was able to get some pretty humorous shots. I've added my captions...

Da Plane, Da Plane


It's just a Thriller


Don't Cry for Me, Argentina


Ah, Ah, Ah, Ah, Stayin Alive


Of course, I welcome any other captions... These were just the first thing that came to my head with I saw them :-)

[Letrow]

When you are able to give an instant identification of the family by sight you will start to understand which camera angles are needed for a full identification.

Or we get you to come along, that seems a better solution. My identification skills are still so so...

[Letrow]

I saw this Praying Mantis reaching up to get the leaf above, but he just couldn't make it. With the camera on burst setting, I was able to get some pretty humorous shots. I've added my captions...

Da Plane, Da Plane


It's just a Thriller


Don't Cry for Me, Argentina


Ah, Ah, Ah, Ah, Stayin Alive


Of course, I welcome any other captions... These were just the first thing that came to my head with I saw them :-)

He looks quite funny like that

[Nass]

Greenfly of some ilk I think. Was sitting on a rose - just liked it because of the unusual white background.

[Dave Humphries]

I saw this Praying Mantis reaching up to get the leaf above, but he just couldn't make it. With the camera on burst setting, I was able to get some pretty humorous shots. I've added my captions...

Da Plane, Da Plane


It's just a Thriller


Don't Cry for Me, Argentina


Ah, Ah, Ah, Ah, Stayin Alive


Of course, I welcome any other captions... These were just the first thing that came to my head with I saw them :-)

Well spotted and photographed Frankie

Love the captions too

Made me smile, thank you,

[Geoff F]

When you are able to give an instant identification of the family by sight you will start to understand which camera angles are needed for a full identification.

Here is a typical example. At first I couldn't decide if this male hoverfly was Platycheirus peltatus or P. scutatus.



All Platycheirus males have distinctively shaped 'front feet' and this particular individual was a little more willing than many insects to be photographed.

So after a few attempts I managed a perfect angle which clearly shows the segments of the tarsus and the shape of hair on the front femur.

And the answer is, that's right . . . Platycheirus albimanus; both of my first thoughts were incorrect.

[ScoutR]

Here are a couple from the garden today. These are not the best photographs, my Nikon is broken and I decided to play around with the magnification filters on the 200mm Lumix G1 lens.

#1 This sparkly green fly on the coreopsis caught my eye and even though I cut off some appendages and there is really nothing in focus, I still like it. I wanted the fast shutter speed because I was shooting hand held in awkward positions so I was not that steady and there was a bit of a breeze and coreopsis tends to blow around easily... Anyway, I'm thinking the blurriness is OOF and not camera shake or wind related as the shutter speed was 1/2000s. Can anyone analyze this and tell me if I am on the right track with regards to the blurriness?


Lumix G1 14-200mm zoom @ 200mm f5.6 ISO 200 7x close up filters

#2. Same green fly from a different angle and different settings. I stopped down to f11 for this one. It's a bit sharper (I think) but I'm really not sure if that is due to more DOF or that the operator managed to click the shutter when the fly was in focus. With these filters I focus by moving the camera back and forth, not the focus ring and with 7x filters theres not much wiggle room.


Panasonic Lumix G1, 45-200mm lens @ 109mm, f11, 1/800s, ISO 200, 7x close up filters

#3. Another terrible shot photographically speaking, but I kind of like it. These are aphids on the coreopsis stems. They are the size of pinheads, and I was just a little horrified when I zoomed in on them. They weren't there yesterday!


Panasonic Lumix G1, 45-200mm lens @ 200mm, f5.6, 1/200s, ISO 200, 7x close up filters

Wendy

[Letrow]

Here are a couple from the garden today. These are not the best photographs, my Nikon is broken and I decided to play around with the magnification filters on the 200mm Lumix G1 lens.

#1 This sparkly green fly on the coreopsis caught my eye and even though I cut off some appendages and there is really nothing in focus, I still like it. I wanted the fast shutter speed because I was shooting hand held in awkward positions so I was not that steady and there was a bit of a breeze and coreopsis tends to blow around easily... Anyway, I'm thinking the blurriness is OOF and not camera shake or wind related as the shutter speed was 1/2000s. Can anyone analyze this and tell me if I am on the right track with regards to the blurriness?


Lumix G1 14-200mm zoom @ 200mm f5.6 ISO 200 7x close up filters

#2. Same green fly from a different angle and different settings. I stopped down to f11 for this one. It's a bit sharper (I think) but I'm really not sure if that is due to more DOF or that the operator managed to click the shutter when the fly was in focus. With these filters I focus by moving the camera back and forth, not the focus ring and with 7x filters theres not much wiggle room.


Panasonic Lumix G1, 45-200mm lens @ 109mm, f11, 1/800s, ISO 200, 7x close up filters

#3. Another terrible shot photographically speaking, but I kind of like it. These are aphids on the coreopsis stems. They are the size of pinheads, and I was just a little horrified when I zoomed in on them. They weren't there yesterday!


Panasonic Lumix G1, 45-200mm lens @ 200mm, f5.6, 1/200s, ISO 200, 7x close up filters

Wendy

I don't think that you would 1/2000 sec even with wind, having said that I don't know what would be sufficient. 1/500 or 1/1000?
What is strange about the first photo is that it just looks soft, it's like you were in focus but smeared something on the lens (see my David Hamilton remark in Macro Flower thread). It looks nice actually.

Can it be the effect of the filters? The colour seems different as well. How many are you using (stacked) for your magnification???

[SJEaton]

I'm only starting out but have found that I really like taking macro images of flowers and insects too

[SJEaton]

Found this little critter on my car windscreen the other day!

[SJEaton]

[Letrow]

When you are able to give an instant identification of the family by sight you will start to understand which camera angles are needed for a full identification.

Here is a typical example. At first I couldn't decide if this male hoverfly was Platycheirus peltatus or P. scutatus.



All Platycheirus males have distinctively shaped 'front feet' and this particular individual was a little more willing than many insects to be photographed.

So after a few attempts I managed a perfect angle which clearly shows the segments of the tarsus and the shape of hair on the front femur.

And the answer is, that's right . . . Platycheirus albimanus; both of my first thoughts were incorrect.

And a beautiful photo Geoff, nice detail you have here

[Letrow]

I'm only starting out but have found that I really like taking macro images of flowers and insects too

I like these colours Samantha. What kind of lens are you using for macro?

[SJEaton]

I like these colours Samantha. What kind of lens are you using for macro?

Thanks, I haven't actually got a DSLR yet, I have an Olympus SP800UZ so have just used the macro setting

[Geoff F]

A couple of interesting subjects there, Samantha.

A Red-legged Shieldbug and what looks like a 24 spot Ladybird. I have found a couple of them this year but they aren't that common.

If you are new to macro photography I will issue the standard warning. Macro photography is addictive and can damage your wealth.

Besides a new dslr and macro lens there will be a high grade tripod and external flash. Plus all those identification books at around £40+ a time.