Macro Photo thread
Discussion
Not a great shots, but does anyone know what sort of fly this is?
![](http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7373/11150700983_ca985cb193_b.jpg)
Fly of some sort by ddarno, on Flickr
![](http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7373/11150700983_ca985cb193_b.jpg)
Fly of some sort by ddarno, on Flickr
ddarno said:
Not a great shots, but does anyone know what sort of fly this is?
![](http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7373/11150700983_ca985cb193_b.jpg)
Fly of some sort by ddarno, on Flickr
I think that is a pretty great shot! Also, I don't know. Ed will be able to tell you.![](http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7373/11150700983_ca985cb193_b.jpg)
Fly of some sort by ddarno, on Flickr
RobbieKB said:
ddarno said:
Not a great shots, but does anyone know what sort of fly this is?
![](http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7373/11150700983_ca985cb193_b.jpg)
Fly of some sort by ddarno, on Flickr
I think that is a pretty great shot! Also, I don't know. Ed will be able to tell you.![](http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7373/11150700983_ca985cb193_b.jpg)
Fly of some sort by ddarno, on Flickr
Edited by Ed_P on Sunday 1st December 19:35
Ed_P said:
RobbieKB said:
ddarno said:
Not a great shots, but does anyone know what sort of fly this is?
![](http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7373/11150700983_ca985cb193_b.jpg)
Fly of some sort by ddarno, on Flickr
I think that is a pretty great shot! Also, I don't know. Ed will be able to tell you.![](http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7373/11150700983_ca985cb193_b.jpg)
Fly of some sort by ddarno, on Flickr
Edited by Ed_P on Sunday 1st December 19:35
Thought you might be interested in the setup I'm using for "ultra" macro work at the moment. By brother-in-law made the bespoke flash bracket for me (he used to build single-seater hillclimb cars in his workshop, so making this was a piece-of-cake). All machined out of solid aluminium sheet/tube.
![](http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3832/11353133753_4f9b50acf2_c.jpg)
Bespoke Flash Bracket for Macro by Ed Phillips 01, on Flickr
![](http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3832/11353133753_4f9b50acf2_c.jpg)
Bespoke Flash Bracket for Macro by Ed Phillips 01, on Flickr
Ed_P said:
Thought you might be interested in the setup I'm using for "ultra" macro work at the moment. By brother-in-law made the bespoke flash bracket for me (he used to build single-seater hillclimb cars in his workshop, so making this was a piece-of-cake). All machined out of solid aluminium sheet/tube.
![](http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3832/11353133753_4f9b50acf2_c.jpg)
Bespoke Flash Bracket for Macro by Ed Phillips 01, on Flickr
Example shot, example shot! ![](http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3832/11353133753_4f9b50acf2_c.jpg)
Bespoke Flash Bracket for Macro by Ed Phillips 01, on Flickr
![bounce](/inc/images/bounce.gif)
RobbieKB said:
Example shot, example shot! ![bounce](/inc/images/bounce.gif)
OK then! These are Hypogastrura springtails, about 1.5mm long ...![bounce](/inc/images/bounce.gif)
![](http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5474/11351928525_9f61fa1b19_c.jpg)
Follow my leader ... by Ed Phillips 01, on Flickr
Some impressive stuff on this thread! I've only just discovered macro, here are a few shots I took with a friend's rig (Pentax K30 with 35 and 50mm f2.8 macro primes) until I sort out my own...
![](http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3812/11704967505_4cabe75b30_c.jpg)
20131230-MacroIV-104 by gravelben, on Flickr
![](http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3681/11704975925_2c952b5de1_c.jpg)
20131230-MacroIV-47 by gravelben, on Flickr
![](http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7333/11704986525_75141fd912_c.jpg)
20131230-MacroIV-100 by gravelben, on Flickr
![](http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3825/11705727366_1fe53114d8_c.jpg)
20131230-MacroIV-70 by gravelben, on Flickr
![](http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7341/11634747756_8c549d622c_c.jpg)
Fly on daisy (2) by gravelben, on Flickr
![](http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3812/11704967505_4cabe75b30_c.jpg)
20131230-MacroIV-104 by gravelben, on Flickr
![](http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3681/11704975925_2c952b5de1_c.jpg)
20131230-MacroIV-47 by gravelben, on Flickr
![](http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7333/11704986525_75141fd912_c.jpg)
20131230-MacroIV-100 by gravelben, on Flickr
![](http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3825/11705727366_1fe53114d8_c.jpg)
20131230-MacroIV-70 by gravelben, on Flickr
![](http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7341/11634747756_8c549d622c_c.jpg)
Fly on daisy (2) by gravelben, on Flickr
GravelBen said:
Some impressive stuff on this thread! I've only just discovered macro, here are a few shots I took with a friend's rig (Pentax K30 with 35 and 50mm f2.8 macro primes) until I sort out my own...
![](http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3812/11704967505_4cabe75b30_c.jpg)
20131230-MacroIV-104 by gravelben, on Flickr
![](http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3681/11704975925_2c952b5de1_c.jpg)
20131230-MacroIV-47 by gravelben, on Flickr
![](http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7333/11704986525_75141fd912_c.jpg)
20131230-MacroIV-100 by gravelben, on Flickr
![](http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3825/11705727366_1fe53114d8_c.jpg)
20131230-MacroIV-70 by gravelben, on Flickr
![](http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7341/11634747756_8c549d622c_c.jpg)
Fly on daisy (2) by gravelben, on Flickr
Nice work Ben ![](http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3812/11704967505_4cabe75b30_c.jpg)
20131230-MacroIV-104 by gravelben, on Flickr
![](http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3681/11704975925_2c952b5de1_c.jpg)
20131230-MacroIV-47 by gravelben, on Flickr
![](http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7333/11704986525_75141fd912_c.jpg)
20131230-MacroIV-100 by gravelben, on Flickr
![](http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3825/11705727366_1fe53114d8_c.jpg)
20131230-MacroIV-70 by gravelben, on Flickr
![](http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7341/11634747756_8c549d622c_c.jpg)
Fly on daisy (2) by gravelben, on Flickr
![thumbup](/inc/images/thumbup.gif)
You'll get away with a shutter of around 1/200 for stationary bugs so I would probably dial in a bit more aperture and/or wind back the iso a bit (try for 1/200 + f11 if possible). Most guys use flash - advantage being you can get up to f16 + 1/200 with iso 100ish. Downside is that non-diffused flash can be very harsh! All good fun
![smile](/inc/images/smile.gif)
First experiments with reversed 50mm f1.8. Not done anything about improved lighting yet.
![](http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7385/11769232736_79ce1ccd5d_c.jpg)
Spidey by gravelben, on Flickr
![](http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2829/11769234036_b6714b29a9_c.jpg)
Stamen by gravelben, on Flickr
Had a go with the 50mm reversed onto the front of the 80-200 f2.8 as well. Hard to get good results freehand on a windy day! Starts getting pretty dark once you stop down the 50mm as well, definitely more lighting required for that.
![](http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5476/11769224416_71cafe0b76_c.jpg)
closer spider (1) by gravelben, on Flickr
![](http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2828/11768470775_d802c08f7d_c.jpg)
closer spider (2) by gravelben, on Flickr
Same spider as above for comparison - its a big crop at 1:1 but the last two are full frame, no crop. To give an idea of the magnification with that combination, its body is 5mm wide and its head/neck thing is 1mm wide.
![](http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7385/11769232736_79ce1ccd5d_c.jpg)
Spidey by gravelben, on Flickr
![](http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2829/11769234036_b6714b29a9_c.jpg)
Stamen by gravelben, on Flickr
Had a go with the 50mm reversed onto the front of the 80-200 f2.8 as well. Hard to get good results freehand on a windy day! Starts getting pretty dark once you stop down the 50mm as well, definitely more lighting required for that.
![](http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5476/11769224416_71cafe0b76_c.jpg)
closer spider (1) by gravelben, on Flickr
![](http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2828/11768470775_d802c08f7d_c.jpg)
closer spider (2) by gravelben, on Flickr
Same spider as above for comparison - its a big crop at 1:1 but the last two are full frame, no crop. To give an idea of the magnification with that combination, its body is 5mm wide and its head/neck thing is 1mm wide.
Edited by GravelBen on Sunday 5th January 07:18
Just managed to catch this wee fulla too... the smaller they get the harder they are to get in focus!
![](http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2816/11770214924_b0c90c1793_c.jpg)
Spider Mite (1) by gravelben, on Flickr
![](http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2816/11770214924_b0c90c1793_c.jpg)
Spider Mite (1) by gravelben, on Flickr
Daylight + on-board flash for the spider, it struggles to get around the end of the doubled up lens well though. The mite had a fairly bright LED torch shining on it as well as it was inside. Neither were in direct sunlight.
This one isn't real macro but I still like it - taken with the 18-70 as its usually the only lens I carry up mountains:
![](http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2826/11784563803_19373ee292_c.jpg)
NZ Speargrass Weevils (2) by gravelben, on Flickr
This one isn't real macro but I still like it - taken with the 18-70 as its usually the only lens I carry up mountains:
![](http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2826/11784563803_19373ee292_c.jpg)
NZ Speargrass Weevils (2) by gravelben, on Flickr
Edited by GravelBen on Sunday 5th January 21:26
Available light only with reversed 50mm (might have been at f/5.6 or f/8 I think):
![](http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3750/11795449806_b2a3f10e64_c.jpg)
Spider eyes - natural light only by gravelben, on Flickr
Same spider with flash, unhappy with the 'ringing' effect which I think is an artefact from the in-camera sharpening. Have turned the sharpening down now so hopefully it won't happen again. Macro is definitely a learning curve!
![](http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5486/11795450746_e8e853dcab_o.jpg)
Puppy dog eyes by gravelben, on Flickr
![](http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3750/11795449806_b2a3f10e64_c.jpg)
Spider eyes - natural light only by gravelben, on Flickr
Same spider with flash, unhappy with the 'ringing' effect which I think is an artefact from the in-camera sharpening. Have turned the sharpening down now so hopefully it won't happen again. Macro is definitely a learning curve!
![](http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5486/11795450746_e8e853dcab_o.jpg)
Puppy dog eyes by gravelben, on Flickr
Edited by GravelBen on Monday 6th January 10:06
At the risk of taking over the thread, I think I'm getting better at this!
![](http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5508/11811281626_485a0d05da_c.jpg)
Crab Spider (1) by gravelben, on Flickr
![](http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5508/11811281626_485a0d05da_c.jpg)
Crab Spider (1) by gravelben, on Flickr
A selection from my local churchyard this morning ...
![](http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3696/11837767126_9b23830e98_c.jpg)
Leaf-litter Lifeforms by Ed Phillips 01, on Flickr
![](http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3696/11837767126_9b23830e98_c.jpg)
Leaf-litter Lifeforms by Ed Phillips 01, on Flickr
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