Macro "Safari"

[emueller]

All shots from a recent macro "safari." Natural light. This is a departure for me since I have been working with flash exclusively and stopping down to f/22 or 32 for hand-held stacking. (I shoot unsupported with a lean-into and spray technique.) Hence, I assumed there would be an advantage of natural light in that the camera, Nikon D3S, will operate at a faster frame rate without flash. Not sure that helped much!

To add extra magnification, in minimalist fashion, I used the Nikon 5T or 6T (close-up lenses) added to the front of the Nikkor 200mm f/4D micro. The 5T yields a field of 25mm or about 1.4x and the 6T field is 20mm or about 1.75x life size. All images are more or less cropped.



#1 Fly (Lauxaniidae Meiosimyza), size 3-4mm, devouring prey - focus stack 5 slices, 1/200s @ f/22, iso 6400.






#2, Fly, (likely Muscoid), size 10mm, single image, 1/60s @ f/22, iso 6400, (got lucky at that shutter speed, considering unsupported technique!)





#3 Fly (muscoid) 7-8 mm., focus stack 10 slices, 1/250s @ f/22, iso 6400.





#4, Bee, diving in, single exposure, 1/400 @ f/22, iso iso 5600.





#5, Western Tiger Swallow Tail, (Papilio rutulus,) focus stack 5 slices, 1/400s @ f/11, iso 1250, (notice the damage to the wing.)





#6, Fly (likely another Muscoid,) size about 1 cm., focus stack 9 slices, 1/250s @ f/16, iso 6400





#7, Fly (another Muscoidea,) focus stack 6 slices, 1/160 @ f/22, iso 6400.





#8, Western Tent Caterpillar (Malacosoma californicum,) size 3 cm., focus stack 7 slices, 1/320s @ f/16, iso 6400.





#9, yet another fly!, single image, 1/400s @ f/16, iso 6400





#10, Blow Fly (Calliphoridae,) single image, 1/250 @ f/22, iso 6400





#11, Long-legged Fly (Chrysopilus,) size 5 mm, focus stack 4 slices, 1/400, f/22, iso 5000

[MJSfoto1956]

I really enjoy this set -- masterfully done.

[emueller]

I really enjoy this set -- masterfully done.

Thanks, MJS!

[sonyalpha]

A good set with excellent backgrounds that can make all the difference.

Sonyalpha

[emueller]

A good set with excellent backgrounds that can make all the difference.

Sonyalpha

Thanks! One advantage of natural light is that the background are smooth and bright. This is much more difficult to achieve with flash. Considering how well the D3S does at high iso, I will use natural light technique more often, henceforth!

[BugEZ]

Very nice job on a wide variety of subjects! You have steady hands.

Keith

[emueller]

Thank you, Keith! Very kind of you to comment, 'though I doubt my hands are ever steady enough! I'm still struggling for better technique, but way old!