Macro and landscapes (contains spiders!)

[Andy]

Hi folks Signed up here a while ago but only just got broadband in so hope to be about a bit more.

Below are some of my favourite shots from this summer...so far

A big jumping spider


A jumping spider

(I think that one might be the same species as the first but I still don't know what it is!)

A small jumping spider(2-3mm)


I also spend a lot of time chasing springtails about with my camera...

(Entomobrya intermedia)

All the above were shot with a Canon 40D and MP-E 65mm but I also use a 100mm for bigger beasties


Occasionally I manage to get the macro lenses off the camera long enough to shoot some landscapes






Cheers,
Andy

[John C]

I really like the first spider photo. It seems that was an indoor photo based on the reflections of the lighting in the eyes...many, many eyes.

[Alis]

Beautiful pictures, Andy. The spider pictures are great!

[ScoutR]

Wow! the third spider is a jewel. I love the sunset and the daffodils too. Wish I could offer some critique but I'm a beginner so I'll stick with the praise.

[Andy]

Thanks very much folks

I really like the first spider photo. It seems that was an indoor photo based on the reflections of the lighting in the eyes...many, many eyes.

The first shots were taken inside a heated greenhouse at a local butterfly farm but the reflection in the eyes is from the flash - in the first two the arc is from half of a ringflash (MR-14EX) and in the third there are two rectangular highlights from a twin flash (MT-24EX).

Scotland isn't really the best place for jumping spiders as they prefer hot and humid to cold and damp so I get loads of species in the butterfly farm than I don't in the woods. There are some in the woods but mostly the same few species with Zebra spiders being the most familiar:



(that was taken out in the woods but the subject is on my hand)

I also get ones like this (Pseudeuophrys lanigera) on my house but the big ones of these are only about 4mm and often well camoflaged against their surroundings so can be a bit harder to find.

[Dave Humphries]

Hi Andy and welcome to CiC,

These are all excellent, I wish I could get macro results like these.

I did get a set of extension tubes recently but haven't tried them yet

Cheers,

[Andy]

Thanks Dave....all it takes is a set of extension tubes to get you well and truly hooked on macro I got some about 5 years ago to use on a 50mm but still find plenty use for them as they can get me to about 6.3x with a lens that normally does 1-5x. Handy for subjects that are less than 1mm but even then they don't exactly fill the frame!

(Sminthurides aquaticus - a common water springtail found on the pond I posted pics of)

With just the extension tubes and no flash I found it difficult to get much worthwhile shooting handheld so I got a focus rail to make tripod shooting easier....I still use the rail lots too so it's been another good investement. If I'm shooting handheld I usually use flash.

[Dave Humphries]

Hi Andy,

all it takes is a set of extension tubes to get you well and truly hooked on macro

Yes, that's sorta what I am afraid of, last century with my old Pentax screw mount SLR, I had a set of bellows on a rail system, I seem to recall it did make life easier

The intention is to use my 'new' (but £15 s/h) manual tubes with an old 50/1.8 I have knocking around. Apart from that my 18 - 200mm zoom only does about 0.22x

Only flash I have at the moment is the one on top of the pentamirror; I was wondering about a couple of small, cheap s/h units and building something for macro use instead of buying say, an SB600 or two. But it's all money!

Cheers,

[Andy]

I can't see any problems using smaller flashes - the macro flashes I use are pretty gutless for distance work but are powerful enough up close. Have you considered building a flash tunnel....something like this? Cheap and fun to build

I've only had a brief play with bellows but quite fancy getting a set for higher magnification work. Have seen some nice Novaflex tilt and shift ones that look like a lot of fun. They're lots more money than I'd want to spend for occasional use though

[Dave Humphries]

Hi Andy,

Not a patch on yours, but the fruits of staying out in the garden with the on-camera flash yesterday evening.


Nikon D5000 + 18 - 200mm @ 200mm and 0.5m, 1/200s @ f11, ISO1600

Not entirely happy with the background, I was trying to show the web, but there are too many holes in the tree behind, other shots with better background were worse focus

Cheers,

[John C]

I think the photo is still great despite the bright spots in the background. These wicked looking creatures always seem to build their webs in inopportune locations. The spider is nice and sharp. Thanks for sharing.

[Andy]

Nice one Dave.....the spider looks ace I'm still looking for one against a nice clean background too....

...and preferably one that has built a nice flat web so I can get it all in focus.

One thing I have noticed with the ones in my garden this year is that they tend to build a web close to where you leave them. I may try putting one in a spot where I can get a nice background and hoping it builds a web

I've also tried focus stacking with them as they are pretty good at sitting still:

The while line is a bit of the web it was hanging from....it built a web at the top of a jar I'd put it in and just sat there for hours while I messed about taking 100's of shots

[honey]

I can't see any problems using smaller flashes - the macro flashes I use are pretty gutless for distance work but are powerful enough up close. Have you considered building a flash tunnel....something like this? Cheap and fun to build

I've only had a brief play with bellows but quite fancy getting a set for higher magnification work. Have seen some nice Novaflex tilt and shift ones that look like a lot of fun. They're lots more money than I'd want to spend for occasional use though

Great spider pics!!! Dave , you and Andy make these beasties look almost beautiful
Love the shot of the water springtail, stunning shot Andy

[Dave Humphries]

Hi Andy,

They don't move that much do they.

I chucked a blade of grass at the web and this chap went over, inspected it, then dis-entangled it so it dropped to the ground and was back in the middle of the web in less than a minute - I was impressed!

There are a lot around this year, might post another pic tomorrow if you don't mind me tagging on to your thread.

Honey,

Thanks for the kind words, I don't like 'em much, certainly not indoors, but these are quite placid if not disturbed thankfully!

Cheers,

[batman44]

I have to say these pictures are great...but goosebumps all over! YUK!
I will take a picture of "anything".... but not sure about these until I have a very very very long lens attached!
I took a pict of a banana spider for my son last year.... because and only because he say's I'm the best!!!!! But never again, I still get creepy crawly looking at it knowing I took it!

Great job guys! Kuddos for not shaking in your boots!

[Andy]

Thanks Batman and Honey

I chucked a blade of grass at the web and this chap went over, inspected it, then dis-entangled it so it dropped to the ground and was back in the middle of the web in less than a minute - I was impressed!

There are a lot around this year, might post another pic tomorrow if you don't mind me tagging on to your thread.

No worries Dave...fire away with the pics I did warn folk that there would be spiders in here....just not how many

Although these Garden spiders (Araneus diadematus) we've posted shots of are all females. The males have much smaller abdomens...hopefully you can see in this rather heavily compressed pic:


I suspect you'll have some lesser garden spiders (Meta segmentata) in your garden too.
They can be a bit easier to photograph as there as so many of them to chose from