Lots of Fun-guy's!!

[Andybazyoung]

1


2


3


4


5


These were taken this afternoon in a wooded area of Dartmoor National Park. My first attempt at Macro & Fungi. I could have spent all day there but the rain beet me. C&C requested please

[Dave Humphries]

Hi Andy,

I have numbered the shots so people giving C&C can more easily refer to them. You may find this useful to solicit a greater quantity and quality of C&C.

It would also have helped if you provide the shooting (EXIF) data for us - I peeked and saw they were all shot at f/3.2, which I guess is pretty much wide open.

The first rule of macro is that usually you cannot get enough Depth of Field, so a narrower aperture would help a lot.

Unfortunately, the first rule of "Fun-Guys", is they inhabit very dimly lit areas, which doesn't help

It explains the 800 iso, slow shutter speeds and f/3.2.

Your exposures are pretty good; perhaps #1 would have stood half a stop more and #4 half a stop less, but nothing too bad.

Also they don't appear too soft (well done) - did you use a tripod?

On #2 - I don't think I've seen one that colour 'in the flesh' so to speak.

Hope that helps,

[Andybazyoung]

Hi Dave, thank you for your comments. Yes all using a tripod. Number 2 is still a mystery although one of my colleagues at school called it an 'ink top' but I've not been able to confirm that.
Andy

[Geoff F]

#2 is the really interesting one.

Amethyst Deceiver. I will need to consult my other computer to get the latin name.

First one I have ever seen was a month ago when working as a maintenance volunteer at a wood just south of Dartmoor. That one was in really deep shadow.

Generally speaking, I don't like using flash with fungi but sometimes it is unavoidable. In that case I set my camera manually and use a bit of auto flash output compensation to reduce the effect.

Otherwise, long shutter speeds on a tripod are the only option. I tend to use mirror lock up to reduce any shutter bounce which might cause blur. Cable shutter release also helps; but I usually leave it at home, unless I am specifically doing long exposures.

And in sunshine, which can cause 'hotspots' on some areas, I often hold up a piece of card to create some light shadow.

Fungi, in spite of the potential low light problems, are usually easier than flighty insects or flowers which blow around in the wind!

[Stagecoach]

Hi Andy,

A good first attempt at fungi and macro.

Dave has covered most things and unfortunately the conditions were not ideal for these shots. I'm a great believer that you do not need to have all of your subject in sharp focus as long as you ensure the significant part is sharp and you have achieved pretty good results here using the wide aperture of f3.1 due to the lighting.

Flash could have helped but with the wet shiny surface this would have given you clipping problems.

I look forward to seeing some more of these.

Grahame

[Andybazyoung]

Hi Geoff,
As you have bento the area these were taken in Soussons wood by Postbridge.
Thanks for naming number 2.
The comments made by Donald Stagecoach & yourself are really valuable; thanks. I think I'm back there tomorrow with another group so will hopefully try to adjust my settings and techniques & will try to get a different set of results.
Andy

[Geoff F]

Just to be technical for a moment Amethyst Deceiver is really called Laccaria amethystea.

Looks like it might still be a bit damp first thing tomorrow but gradually drying up and better for the next few days. My next 'appointment' with the rest of the maintenance volunteers is Thursday. Which then means a couple of easy days for my aching back and legs to recover!

The woods where I have been photographing and recording insects, plants, etc are Andrews Wood which is near Loddiswell.