Some macro shots - not one for bug haters!

[Dr. Z]

Some from this week!





















All taken with my Sigma 105mm Macro and 430EX. For some (Definitely the ant shot, not sure about some of the others) I used stacked Kenko extension tubes.

This was physically the most demanding 'shoot' I have ever done - the heat / humidity was almost unbearable and my clothes were wringing wet afterwards!

[Mark]

Fantastic. Usually when I even think about taking a picture of a butterfly they just fly off. I do have a few pics to process but they're nowhere near as detailed as those. I did once get a fantastic shot of a crane fly that was so dopey it couldn't be bothered to move and just sat there for 10 minutes posing while I shoved a camera up it's backside, but that was a very rare exception.

I just wish I could take photographs even one tenth as good as some of those I see here and the other place.

[Stan_Lite]

Truly stunning shots Durz - the detail is fantastic (love the ant shot).

Thank you for sharing your talent with us

Stan

[Dr. Z]

A couple more that I forgot to upload

[Haly]

Very nice shots

[Dr. Z]

Originally Posted by kitten_caboodle

number 7 is amazing - they all are - but that one 'talks' to me

Thanks

It's about the enjoyment you get taking the photos as much as the end result. Keep plugging at it and I'm sure you will/do take pictures every bit as good

Absolutely. Having the "right" kit only goes so far. I only picked up a camera in anger for the first time ever just over a year ago! Its all about the practice you get and how hard you work to learn all the parameters at first, then getting the shots comes a bit easier

Being exceptionally critical and not being afraid to bin shots that you arent happy with helps an awful lot too

[Mark]

OK, maybe you're right, to a point. I can do ninja, sometimes.



Found this attached to a wall last night (so no context, sorry). Closest camera to hand was the compact, which I seem to be more successful with than the big thing I've got as well. Didn't have time to fiddle, so left it full auto and ninja'd. The poor sod took a faceful of flash and flopped around like it had been on way too much alcohol.

I can fully understand people having phobias after seeing that face. Definitely not one I'd want to see up close on a lonely, dark night. Consider the flashbulb as revenge if you will.

[Will]

Do you ever sell your photographs? You could make a packet I reckon.

Some amazing shots there - truly awesome.

[Dr. Z]

Originally Posted by Vixen

Do you always use black borders on your shots? If so, why?
I think I prefer the butterfly shot without the border, but I can't put my finger on the reason right now.
I agree that the snake one is my favourite . Where were they taken?

Its not a snake

I tend to put a border on my shots yes, because almost always they look incomplete without some kind of framing. Its a psychological thing. They arent always black but they are almost always block colours so as not to be distracting

They were taken at a place called Butterfly World which is next to Dobbies garden centre. The falconry thing there had been moved to some castle health spa type thing somewhere else, which was a bit annoying

@Will - as macro shots go, those ones are "easy"/average to take. Nobody buys shots like that really, and there is certainly no way I am anywhere near good enough to go professional. Think of it like Gilly and bowling, its that sort of perspective

[Will]

Who's Freefaller?!

Well to me they look like amazing shots - much better than some of the things I've seen in magazines .