Backpacking macro

Images of undisturbed subjects in their natural environment. All subject types.

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JayMcClellan
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Backpacking macro

Post by JayMcClellan »

Hi I'm new to the forum and thought I'd start by sharing some macro shots from a recent backpacking trip into the McCormick Wilderness in Michigan's upper peninsula. My wife and I strived to keep our pack weights low and I didn't want to bring along a heavy camera, so these were shot using my Olympus TG-6. Although the image quality can't compete with higher-end lenses and a bigger sensor, I think they're "surprisingly not bad" for a waterproof camera that fits in a shirt pocket and weighs 9 ounces. It also shoots 4k video and has a decent(ish) 4X zoom with 25-100mm at 35mm equivalent. I usually use its max focal length for macro. These are single handheld shots with no post-processing at all except cropping and downscaling to 1024px. Comments are welcome.
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MarkSturtevant
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Re: Backpacking macro

Post by MarkSturtevant »

A nice variety! One has to wonder about the identity of some of the items. The first picture has mosses, and the leafy things might be liverwort. But the green cups are ...? Either those are one of the reproductive structures from the liverworts, or fruiting bodies of lichens.
Mark Sturtevant
Dept. of Still Waters

Pau
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Re: Backpacking macro

Post by Pau »

Nice pictures and...welcome to the forum!, Jay
MarkSturtevant wrote:
Sat Nov 26, 2022 7:45 am
A nice variety! One has to wonder about the identity of some of the items. The first picture has mosses, and the leafy things might be liverwort. But the green cups are ...? Either those are one of the reproductive structures from the liverworts, or fruiting bodies of lichens.
Both the leafy things and the trumpet shaped structures are parts of a lichen of the genus Cladonia
Pau

Marcepstein
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Re: Backpacking macro

Post by Marcepstein »

Nice shots of the lichens!

JayMcClellan
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Re: Backpacking macro

Post by JayMcClellan »

Thanks, I hadn't realized that both the "trumpets" and "leaves" are parts of the same lichen. Looking at the second shot I see it's similar, with the stalks growing directly up out of the leaves.

MarkSturtevant
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Re: Backpacking macro

Post by MarkSturtevant »

Yes, I can see that now.
Mark Sturtevant
Dept. of Still Waters

Ramos Kenneth D
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Re: Backpacking macro

Post by Ramos Kenneth D »

Olympus has made quite a name for itself over the years. :smt023 These are all good images with lots of subject matter as to or in regards to diversity. One thing about macro is that oftentimes, I am thinking, bringing the focus to bear on to a main subject can take away from the habitat in which it is found, leaving one to wonder just where it all fits in, in the environment in which it is or was found. Still it is all subjective I suppose. A really nice set of images here. :D

JayMcClellan
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Re: Backpacking macro

Post by JayMcClellan »

Thanks Kenneth (sorry I wrote Ramos at first but I assume that's your last name). I understand what you mean about missing the larger context when focusing in close. My wife and I shot a lot of video on that trip, mostly with GoPros but also some with the TG-6, and I generally tried to get establishing shots before moving in for macro so for example I have the forest, the stump, and the tiny lichen growing on the stump. I hadn't really done much macro work on previous hikes. I think having some extreme closeups adds a refreshing change of perspective to our trip videos and I plan to include more of that in the future.

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