Macro/Close ups of Insects **Pic Heavy**

[Cobweb]

The other week, got bored again and took out the old macro filters, they screw onto the front of the lens and are basically magnifying glasses.
I don't need a macro lens, too expensive and I would never use it, anyway the filters do the job pretty well...

Shot on a 50mm Nikkor f1.8 with a +1, +2 and +4 stacked macro filters from Hoya. Shot on Nikon D100.

1
Weird Striped Ladybird.

2
Fruit Fly, I think.

3
Haven't a Clue!

4

5
Scorpion Fly.

6
Wild Honey Bees

7
Jewel Beetle.

8
Hoverfly

9
Damsel Fly eating an unfortunate baby fruit fly, notice the suicidal fly behind

10
Common Daddy long legs, female.

11
Horsefly?

12
Baby Frog, just out of the pond, smaller than a five pence piece.

13
Hawk Moth Caterpillar.


Thank you for looking and please correct me if any of the identifications are wrong! :twak:

 

[teflon]

Very nice. Especially liked the muted colours in the first and the slightly backlit honey bees in the sixth.

Thought the Hawk Moth Caterpillar was quite nice too.

 

[bramble]

Lovely! fascinating creatures

 

[Black Sheep]

I used to use Macro filters on my 35mm stuff, cheap and cheerful but work

Now I just use the macro setting on my Fuji S5700 not tried them on that

Here's on of mine...

Cheers Richard

 

[tjwuk]

Nice shots. Particularly like the damsel, with the fly creeping up behind.

 

[robin wood]

Nice pics. I am not big on insect IDs but I do know 6 is a bee fly not a bee. Flies have huge eyes and only 2 body segments. The bee, wasp, any clan have 3 body segments so there would be a narrow waist between head and thorax like this.

I would have called 3 the scorpion fly and 11 looks like one of those dung flies that clouds over fresh cow pats?

 

[Wilderbeast]

very nice indeed! like those alot!

 

[Pablo]

Great pics. I think 3. is a Scorpion fly as well and the damslefly is an Azure damselfly. If this is what a filter can do I'm really impressed. I'm saving for a proper macro for next summer.

Cheers,

Pablo.

By the way I think the Jewel beetle is a Scarab or dung beetle, although I'm not an expert.

 

[andywinkk]

Nice pics them Michelle, is that the filter you was on about at the meet ?,

 

[Cobweb]

Yup andy

 

[Lake]

Hi guys! Nice pics indeed! Here are some of my shots:

Lucanus cervus (female)

Formica rufa on pine needles

Cantharis rustica (Ehm!!! )

 

[Chinkapin]

Very nice, I love macro shots.

 

[MrEd]

Here is a couple of mine

More can be seen here
http://www.flickr.com/photos/flat4/sets/72157601849190546/

and here
http://www.thetimechamber.co.uk/photogallery/macro.php

get a macro lens, they are awesome and double up as a fast medium telephoto prime aswell

 

[scubapauly]

I'll throw some of mine into the mix

You can see a slideshow of the rest of my Macro stuff here;
http://scubapauly.zenfolio.com/p560584405/slideshow

 

[MrEd]

there is some talent in this thread, nice pics everyone, i love macro. the insect world fascinates me big time!

 

[kimbo]

Some truly beautiful pictures here. I'd love to do some more macro shots but seem to always get the lighting wrong. Doh!

 

[MrEd]

Some truly beautiful pictures here. I'd love to do some more macro shots but seem to always get the lighting wrong. Doh!

I use one of 3 methods

1. simple diffuser on a hot shoe mounted flash gun (sb600)

2. An off camera flash triggered by the onboard flash with a stofen diffuser and a bracket i made

3. or i use this

i prefer 2 and 3 best, although i use the sigma most but vary the light output etc on it accordingly.

in a nutshell its all about diffusing the light

 

[Bravo4]

 

[Roy North]

There are some great photos here. very inspirational.
I must get back to taking more clos-ups.
Thanks for sharing them with us.

 

[Hoodoo]

Nice pics. I am not big on insect IDs but I do know 6 is a bee fly not a bee. Flies have huge eyes and only 2 body segments. The bee, wasp, any clan have 3 body segments so there would be a narrow waist between head and thorax like this.

I would have called 3 the scorpion fly and 11 looks like one of those dung flies that clouds over fresh cow pats?

Flies, like all insects, have 3 large body segments (tagmata), the head, thorax, and abdomen, whether you have a narrow constriction between the tagmata or not. The main difference is that flies are in the order Diptera. Di- meaning two, -ptera meaning wings. Flies have 2 wings (1 pair). Hymenopterans have 4 wings (2 pair).