Macro Photography

[ExFmem]

3. Background- you don't want your subject to get lost in the background if possible, and simple uncluttered bgds make your subject pop. There are several things you might consider to have more control over this aspect of your pic:
* sometimes even moving a little left/rt or up/down will produce a very diff. bgd (angles, again)
* choose a leaf/flower etc. and carefully position behind your subject. You can use a paperclip, etc to attach it to a twig etc or have your SO hold it for you
* you can use manmade objects like flowerpots or whatever is nearby


Ambush bug
Here I used a poincettia leaf for contrast


Robber fly
A flower pot was in the backgrd. here


An inch worm camouflaged as a twig
A bougainvilla leaf was used, but I think it came out rather garrish, so not too successful in this case.
Experiment and have fun.

PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR BACKGROUND

[ExFmem]

4. Manual vs. Auto mode - I only use full Manual Mode so I can adjust the aperture, shutter speed and ISO quickly. I start with 1/250 @ f 13 ISO 100 and review my pic, then adjust as desired.

5. Manual vs. Auto focus - I only use Manual focus as I find Auto focus is not precise enough in this venue. With such shallow DOFs, precise sharpness is essential.


Bug bunk beds
Here I was unable to get a precisely focused shot, and I'm still kicking myself!

6. RAW vs. jpeg - I only shoot in RAW so I have more flexibility in post processing, especially pulling out more detail in darker areas.

7. Patience and persistence - Sometimes a subject will reposition or "do something", so stick with it.

The spider hunting wasp I posted previously was VERY time consuming, as I had to wait for her to make the nest, then go out and find a spider, kill it, and return to the nest. She ONLY put the very first spider in by backing into her nest, thus allowing me a view of her face w/ her prey for 1 - 2 seconds. (This is so she can lay her egg in that spider). All the subsequent spiders she stuffs in head first, so I only would get a bum shot. If I missed the shot, I had to start all over again with her next nest. I went through MANY crossword puzzles, but finally got it.

Here's a female thornbug that I discovered high in my yellow poinciana tree. While photographing her w/ her eggs an ant approached, so I got 2 for the price of one.


As with many things, LUCK plays a role.

[Duke]

Beautiful photos ExFmem

I got Sharifa now asking for a macro lens -O

[Amoli]

Katja and ExFmem - wonderful pics

This really has had me looking at my plants much closer..

[nan]

beautiful... superb

[Bushcraft]

Brilliant pics here

[Flutterby]

Wow, ExFmem, some really good advice here!! Never thought of putting in a "fake" background but it makes so much sense!! I love that pic of the Bug Bunk beds!! -O

[ExFmem]

Duke, from the EXCELLENT photos I see from both of you, that would be a very wise purchase. It will provide you with hours of enjoyment, as well as those of us who will be blessed with seeing them. Go for it!

Thanks to all for the nice comments, always appreciated.

Flutterby, to be clear, more often than not, the bug/whatever you're trying to photograph is gonna be on the move, or will fly away if you move anything near it, so only relatively "calm" bugs will allow for a back drop change.

This robberfly w/ prey certainly would not tolerate any unnecessary movement, so you take what you get for a bgrd.



Here the tree leaves in the bgrd were okay to me, so I stayed w/ that.



It's just an element to be aware of that you can exercise some flexibility and control over in certain instances. When you have an idea, in your mind's eye, of how you want an image composed, take a little extra time to think it through and avoid distracting sticks/twigs/elements.

[Bushcraft]

I'm way out of my comfort spot here Awesome pics

[Katja]

Thanks so much for the help ExFmem Your pics are absolutely fantastic , wow.