Any bug photos during August 2015

[Ziggy]

Nice flies David, not sure if anyone has said that to you before

this was for fun the Soldier beetle, Rhagonycha fulva, I believe, took ages to get to the top. I am sure it felt it got a better take off from there

Nice.

[JBW]

[marlunn]

Visited Llantelli Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust - tend not to do much with the birds there but more about the wetlands

Common Darter, Sympetrum striolatum, it was a nice simple shot for the day, it was very sunny so the little blighters would not settle - this was pretty much last thing on our way out and it was getting cooler



and one from the garden this moring a Hoverfly - Sphaerophoria sp - wing length is 4.5 - 6.5mm

[JBW]

I would have found waiting for either of these shots worthwhile.

[Ziggy]

Tiny Skipper from yesterday.

[rachel]

Not sure if this counts as a bug or not but it's the biggest and most beautiful butterfly I've seen. Not posted for artistic merit or technique, just because I think it's so pretty.

It was sitting on the floor, and people were looking at it and walking round it. Then this boy came over and picked it up and I wondered what he was going to do with it....and he carefully placed it over the fence where it wouldn't get stood on

[Geoff F]

Besides having an interesting bug, Brian, I think that is one of your best rose shots. You have the exposure just right.

And everybody else has also done very well with these images.

[billtils]

Was taking some wild flower shots this afternoon when this bee buzzed into view. Hardcore macro buffs, please be kind - it was taken with my Nikkor 16-85mm zoom But it is August and it is a bug ... and I like the pollen grains so they are not being edited out!

[piggsy]

I have to say this winter has been pretty humbling I got started into "proper" photography in april last year with the E-PM2 and thought I was getting a lot better in the months since. It turns out it was like 50% that, 50% that I started out doing macro when I got the 60mm 2.8 macro in may, at the start of a cold and windy winter, and I got a lot better opportunities to shoot more things as time went on. Now it's been back into 10-20 degree weather for a while and man, it has been rough out there trying to find a bug

Starting to get a big warmer during the day lately and there are a few mating/larvae hatching things happening at night for me to find...

E-P5 / Tokina 90mm 2.5 AT-X / Raynox 150



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[JBW]

Perhaps the greatest advantage to a tropical local is the endless summer.

[JBW]

Was taking some wild flower shots this afternoon when this bee buzzed into view. Hardcore macro buffs, please be kind - it was taken with my Nikkor 16-85mm zoom But it is August and it is a bug ... and I like the pollen grains so they are not being edited out!

I have found two ways to do bugs (1) serious macro (2) a good close-up with a more background. Both have their beauty and neither is superior... just a different approach. And I like pollen too.

[IzzieK]

Perhaps the greatest advantage to a tropical local is the endless summer.

Yes..wouldn't be nice to have endless summer...! at sometimes 30°F here in winter, with the sun shining it feels like summer to me, at 60°F I am sweating...mind you in winter our temperature here can go down to minus, minus at times. well, better than the Canadian winter...that is what makes life exciting, continuous change of temperature and seasons...

[James G]

Haven't posted any bugs for a couple of months... have been out a lot, and still working through them Still these are from today....

#1 Six Spot Burnet Moth, Zygaena filipendulae


#2 Six Spot Burnet Moth, at a popular venue


#3 Meadow Grasshopper, Chorthippus parallelus (female)


#4 Meadow Grasshopper, Chorthippus parallelus (female)


#5 Heath Grasshopper, Chorthippus vagans


#6 Common Wasp, Vespula vulgaris,(worker)


#7 Black Beetle, Stomis pumicatus


#8 Silver Studded Blue ,Plebejus argus ... as close as I could get after 30 mins chasing!

[JBW]

close up false wasp on pink rose

[bnnrcn]

Many thanks to everyone for the lovely images

I just would like to let you know that I have just ordered a reverse ring for my kit lens which I don't use at all. I will play around with it and try some 'fake macro' shots. Then I might buy a decent macro lens when I'm really into macro shooting

[JBW]

Many thanks to everyone for the lovely images

I just would like to let you know that I have just ordered a reverse ring for my kit lens which I don't use at all. I will play around with it and try some 'fake macro' shots. Then I might buy a decent macro lens when I'm really into macro shooting

I don't know about a 'decent lens' but when i asked B&H about a superior macro lens for my Sony it came in at about 1,000 US. you might want to talk to 'Piggsy' from Brisbane about her set up. She uses a second hand lens that works very well.

[bnnrcn]

Thanks Brian, I'm not into serious macro photography yet. When the time comes I will have to empty my pockets

I don't know about a 'decent lens' but when i asked B&H about a superior macro lens for my Sony it came in at about 1,000 US. you might want to talk to 'Piggsy' from Brisbane about her set up. She uses a second hand lens that works very well.

[piggsy]

Thanks Brian, I'm not into serious macro photography yet. When the time comes I will have to empty my pockets

Couple secrets that were expensive to learn (although I got off light compared to most )

1) in rough order of what helps most - practice and general familiarity with gear and subject behaviour > light/flash/diffuser > comfortable camera setup (eg whatever works for you - flash bracket, monopod LED modelling lights) > lens > camera

2) high fstops are a great equaliser between equipment. Things that make lenses really expensive when you put them together that are of marginal value for macro - long, fast, sharp wide open, fast autofocus. Not that these are worthless - sometimes some subjects lend themselves well to being able to stand off a bit with a longer lens, and while it's not totally essential autofocus is very handy sometimes (especially if it's also really damn accurate like the micro 4/3rds CDAF). But a cheap $99 kit zoom lens with a $100 stack of achromatic diopters, or a second hand $100 F3.5 manual focus macro lens are going to be very very close to what extremely expensive lenses spit out once you have any worthwhile depth of field at small apertures around F8-F16.

Just want to share a guy's work who's one of the better macro photographers I've ever seen -

http://beingmark.com/

The camera he uses for most of those is a several year old 10mpx panasonic bridge camera that goes for $100 second hand these days, with a home made diffuser and some achromatic close up lenses.

[James G]

Just want to share a guy's work who's one of the better macro photographers I've ever seen -

http://beingmark.com/

Amazing... thanks for posting

[JBW]

Couple secrets that were expensive to learn (although I got off light compared to most )

1) in rough order of what helps most - practice and general familiarity with gear and subject behaviour > light/flash/diffuser > comfortable camera setup (eg whatever works for you - flash bracket, monopod LED modelling lights) > lens > camera

I have seen his work and he inspired me to get up close and personal even without the 'proper' gear.

I appreciate that you put the equipment behind the lens and learning how to use all aspects of the equipment you have at the top of your list. The laws of physics state that my equipment simply can't do what yours can. The laws of 'Art' say that if I have a reasonable amount of talent and work very hard to maximize my talent that I can in my own way put out beautiful shots that include close-ups if not macros of insects.

Which brings us back to an oft stated truth: This group is great for learning and inspiration. Glad you joined.