Bugs in the grass

[LordV]

Some bugs spotted whilst doing dewdrop refractions. All in the size range 2.5mm to 4mm body length. They don't refract very well with a flower placed behind them but it makes an interesting BG.

Brian V.

Click on Pics for larger size

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1379/1112698184_7651a522bd.jpg (http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1379/1112698184_2ac0a3b734_o.jpg)

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1186/1112698420_e52d549a2e.jpg (http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1186/1112698420_8d3a1d5bde_o.jpg)

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1006/1112698532_242371ab13.jpg (http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1006/1112698532_72a541c305_o.jpg)

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1358/1112698544_d79c3e5f35.jpg (http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1358/1112698544_80624884c1_o.jpg)

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1185/1112698558_9c4b83f58a.jpg (http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1185/1112698558_4995f2e76f_o.jpg)

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1435/1112698564_578e6cf346.jpg (http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1435/1112698564_13fd5616c7_o.jpg)

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1220/1112753340_f40764e189.jpg (http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1220/1112753340_81b1960877_o.jpg)

[Bill Pham]

as usual they all great. like the first one best though. you sure do have some interesting bugs in your garden. lucky man

Bill

[LordV]

as usual they all great. like the first one best though. you sure do have some interesting bugs in your garden. lucky man

Bill

Thanks Bill :)
Not sure you'd want #1 in your garden- it's a black biting fly- scourge of the tundra from what I can understand :)
Brian V.

[dreamline]

Great series again Brian.

1 and 2 are my favourites, even if #1 bites...

Managed to kneel on an ants nest yesterday, while hunting a beetle, so I'm quite familiar with biting insects at the moment...:rolleyes:

[Nick_C]

Thanks Bill :)
Not sure you'd want #1 in your garden- it's a black biting fly- scourge of the tundra from what I can understand :)
Brian V.

Definately wouldnt! I go mad if a wasp flys near me, look quite silly actually, waving my arms about & all that, people must think "what on earth is wrong with that guy" lol, never liked creepy crawlies.

Great photos though, I dont mind them on here ;) on average what aperture would you say you use most of the time?

Whenever ive tried bug shots, the main problem is lack of DOF.

[Nick_C]

Great series again Brian.

1 and 2 are my favourites, even if #1 bites...

Managed to kneel on an ants nest yesterday, while hunting a beetle, so I'm quite familiar with biting insects at the moment...:rolleyes:

LOL, the things we do in order to get that perfect shot :p

[LordV]

Definately wouldnt! I go mad if a wasp flys near me, look quite silly actually, waving my arms about & all that, people must think "what on earth is wrong with that guy" lol, never liked creepy crawlies.

Great photos though, I dont mind them on here ;) on average what aperture would you say you use most of the time?

Whenever ive tried bug shots, the main problem is lack of DOF.

Thanks Nick :)
Worst thing you can do with wasps around- much more likely to sting you.
For shots around 1:1 I'm normally trying for about F11 when using flash but this series are taken between 2:1 and 4:1 with the apertures between F6.3 and F9. I often make up for the lack of DOF by taking sequential shots and focus stacking them (see http://www.wonderfulphotos.com/articles/macro/focus_stacking/ ).
Many of the above shots are focus stacked from 2 or 3 pics.

Brian V.

[LordV]

Great series again Brian.

1 and 2 are my favourites, even if #1 bites...

Managed to kneel on an ants nest yesterday, while hunting a beetle, so I'm quite familiar with biting insects at the moment...:rolleyes:

:) :)

Yes you soon know it when you do that. Those black biting flies though are something else- suspect it's the only bug that gets me every now and then (mossies seem to leave me alone or I don't react to the bites). They do have amazing eyes though :)

Brian V.

[Nick_C]

Thanks Nick :)
Worst thing you can do with wasps around- much more likely to sting you.
For shots around 1:1 I'm normally trying for about F11 when using flash but this series are taken between 2:1 and 4:1 with the apertures between F6.3 and F9. I often make up for the lack of DOF by taking sequential shots and focus stacking them (see http://www.wonderfulphotos.com/articles/macro/focus_stacking/ ).
Many of the above shots are focus stacked from 2 or 3 pics.

Brian V.

I tried that on a butterfly the other week, it was sitting there quite still so I fired off a burst of shots & made sure I didnt rotate or anything weird which could cause problems in combinez, well I tried but I couldnt get a decent stack, there was quite a lot of ghosting effects, and yet ive had perfect success on still subjects with the camera on a tripod, controlled conditions and all that.

[lcpete]

Hi Brian great series again
The second shot is great the way the red light highlights the back of the spider
Pete

[LordV]

Hi Brian great series again
The second shot is great the way the red light highlights the back of the spider
Pete


Thanks Pete :)
You made me look at that spider shot again- just wonder if i have got flower refraction in the legs on the far side :)- the legs are pretty transparent.
brian v.

[Attic]

Lovely set Brian, I like #2 and the way the light shines off his little legs :-)

[Nick_C]

After reading your page im thinking I will try the manual stack, that might be where I went wrong.

[Action_Man]

Lovely series Brian - i like the tightrope walker.

I was going to ask if you ever get bitten by insects - but you answered that :) ...

[LordV]

Lovely series Brian - i like the tightrope walker.

I was going to ask if you ever get bitten by insects - but you answered that :) ...

Thanks Gordon :)

yes but very rarely - not sure if it is the black biting fly that is responsible but something gets me and I've never spotted the culprit. Only ever been stung by wasps when I was attacking their nests (many moons ago)

Brian V.

[Nick_C]

I got stung by a hornet when I was doing a bit of gardening the other day, but then I did stumble upon a hornets nest so that could have been the reason, aggressive little buggers I must say.