My first macro photographs (living insects)

[JMak]

Hello Photomacrographers!

I have dug out a small selection of my best photos from 4 years ago, when I bought my first camera (during the Japan-hosted Fifa World Cup). These were shot using a Canon IXUS 50 (not the best camera for this). I have chosen these from hundreds of blurry, out of focus and overexposed shots. I cropped and adjusted them a bit in iPhoto. Tell me what you think, and try and identify the creatures!

[rjlittlefield]

These were shot using a Canon IXUS 50 (not the best camera for this). I have chosen these from hundreds of blurry, out of focus and overexposed shots.

You have chosen well. Compact digitals with builtin macro focusing can do surprisingly good work, as illustrated by these images. I used to go backpacking with a DSLR; now I take only a Canon A710 IS. The loss in capability is more than made up by the improvement in weight.

Tell me what you think, and try and identify the creatures!

In order, the beasts are some kind of:
1. woodlouse
2. true fly, order Diptera. I won't hazard a guess even to family from this one picture -- there are too many that look very similar.
3. crane fly
4. grasshopper
5. bee, probably a bumblebee.
6. moth. The overall shape reminds me of family Tortricidae, but that's a pretty wild guess.

--Rik

[JMak]

You have chosen well. Compact digitals with builtin macro focusing can do surprisingly good work, as illustrated by these images. I used to go backpacking with a DSLR; now I take only a Canon A710 IS. The loss in capability is more than made up by the improvement in weight.

Thanks for the feedback, it's much appreciated! My brother actually has a Canon Powershot A75 (3.2MPixels) and it has a much better macro function with manual focus (something my camera lacks). I took lots of failed shots of bees flying and landing on flowers, but my camera would auto focus on something slightly in front or behind the bee! My best shot is the fly on a leaf, because I didn't have much time to capture it.

In order, the beasts are some kind of:
1. woodlouse
2. true fly, order Diptera. I won't hazard a guess even to family from this one picture -- there are too many that look very similar.
3. crane fly
4. grasshopper
5. bee, probably a bumblebee.
6. moth. The overall shape reminds me of family Tortricidae, but that's a pretty wild guess.

--Rik

I'll have a look at these links after work