Unknown bug on Lichen

[Dave Humphries]

Been out and about with an old Panagor 90mm f2.8 Macro lens this weekend, it is the first time I've had a prime on the D5000 for so long

It is totally manual; no metering or AF, so learning to (remember to) focus AND (remembering to) set exposure has been a challenge

Here's one that worked out reasonably well, shot hand held.


Image size is 1000 x 691 (click link to see bigger)

EXIF 1/1000s (at f11 from memory) 90mm iso 400.

I am definitely liking having a macro lens compared to tubes on a normal one
Couldn't have got it this big in frame without a lot of phaffing before.

C&C welcome

[arith]

I like the detail; I think you might have a use for that macro considering the number of bugs there is.

[Shadowman]

Any chance you'll do this in HDR?

[Colin Southern]

Any chance you'll do this in HDR?

I can't speak for Dave of course, but in reality there would be no point as the scene is totally reflective and it's dynamic range easily captured in a single exposure (with heaps of "room to spare").

[rick55]

Great shot, Dave - I love the way you can see the wings of the rear-most wing through the translucent wing, almost like an echo.

Cheers,
Rick

[ScoutR]

I think I'd like it better if it was a flower , but it a cool bug, the wings are beautiful and look like stained glass.

[Jim B.]

Hi Dave,
Very nice! Not sure what bug it is.Haven't seen anything like it over here.Maybe a Springtail? I like the stained glass look in the wings,

Jim

[Geoff F]

Going by those thick wing veins, I would suggest that is an Alderfly; and Sialis lutaria is the most common. Usually found close to water.

Manual focus, I find, is usually the safest for this type of shot. Auto focus can be handy for all those insects that move faster than I can focus, but I always get a lot of false focus problems due to the camera auto focusing ahead or behind the intended target.

And a dark subject with so much brightness in the surrounding area will always be a challenge. I normally use spot metering with a little bit of compensation as required. But find full manual settings often give best results when I use flash.

Being able to review the results as you go along gives digital photography a great advantage over film; where an error of exposure only becomes apparent after developing several rolls of expensive film!