Why do bugs dominate macro?

LindaB wrote in post #17706084
Yes, his 'Liquid art'.

https://photography-on-the.net …showthread.php?​p=17683761

Linda

Oh! Thanks for the link. That is excellent work.

Archibald wrote in post #17706099
Oh! Thanks for the link. That is excellent work.

You are welcome - superb aren't they. He has a load of bubble ones too - somewhere in the depths of the macro section (probably last winter)

Linda

I recently acquired an Olympus telescopic extension tube 65-116, and decided, after reading this thread's complaint about too many bugs, to shoot some flowers with it mounted (via adapter) on my Canon dSLR. Oddly, quite a few years ago, I had acquired an Olympus user manual for the telescopic extension tube although I did not own the accessory, and now I finally have the accessory to go with my user manual for it!

This shot with an OM 135mm f/2.8 lens (the adapter focus chip thinks it is Canon 50mm f/1.8) on the extension tube at full extension. Subject bloom (Phalaenopsis orchid) is 30mm from one side of petals to the other, so on sensor this is close to 1:1, and on my monitor this is about 9:1

EOS-Mike wrote in post #17696475
I often go to the macro forums to see things that aren't bugs, but it's rare.

Don't get me wrong, the insect photos are great, but I wonder why people don't photograph other smaller subjects more often.

Don't know why but I do shoot anything and hardly any insects

Entomology is a fascinating field to study and gets you out and about to places of natural beauty; plants apart I don't think other macro subjects would be as rewarding or intellectually stimulating, certainly my library would be much smaller.

How about skin lines like finger prints and palm prints for a macro topic?

Those damn bugs are EVERYWHERE!

I am guessing some of it is a bit like what we birders get out of it, sort of a hunters instinct thing, the thrill of getting the shot of a difficult subject that may not allow you a 2nd chance etc.. the fact that you simply can not be in control of everything, and need to rely a little on chance,.

All of that tickles a lot of built, in almost instinctual passion for the challenge.

racketman wrote in post #17711297
Entomology is a fascinating field to study and gets you out and about to places of natural beauty; plants apart I don't think other macro subjects would be as rewarding or intellectually stimulating, certainly my library would be much smaller.

mylifeis3 wrote in post #17711303
How about skin lines like finger prints and palm prints for a macro topic?

You can have it both ways:

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/8nvH​hQ

CyberDyneSystems wrote in post #17711310
I am guessing some of it is a bit like what we birders get out of it, sort of a hunters instinct thing, the thrill of getting the shot of a difficult subject that may not allow you a 2nd chance etc.. the fact that you simply can not be in control of everything, and need to rely a little on chance,.

All of that tickles a lot of built-in almost instinctual passion for the challenge.

Well said. For me at least, you've hit it on the head.

Nice, Moose

Why do people dominate portrait shots? Why can't there be portraits of desks, door frames, shoes, etc?

Here are some non-bug macros, but it gets a bit dull.

Shooting bugs is a left brain activity as it relies on superior technique...you find very few poorly done pretty bug images.
IMHO, macro flowers, on the other hand, can tolerate minor screw-ups and still be pretty.
I do flowers and not bugs.

chauncey wrote in post #17716189
Shooting bugs is a left brain activity as it relies on superior technique...you find very few poorly done pretty bug images.

Unfortunately this is not necessarily true, since macro shots of bugs are subject to exactly the same vagaries of subjectivity and critique as all works of art.
I myself have a plethora of substandard images that are embarrassingly popular. It is quite depressing when people praise your work and creativity and hold
up one of your least accomplished works as evidence of your skills. If nothing else, photographing bugs teaches us that beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
What some may perceive as hideous, treacherous or totally unjust is in fact just part and parcel of what makes the Universe beautiful, harmonious and perfect.

Snowyman wrote in post #17717047
...I myself have a plethora of substandard images that are embarrassingly popular.

Ditto -and they are routinely licensed. Hopefully someone isn't using them as examples of what shouldn't be done...

Wow, I'm impressed!

I feel that a big part of what draws people to bugs for macro is simply the amount of fine detail, patterns, and distinct clearly formed shapes that are readily had from them. They're an 'easy' subject to make something interesting out of because it is kind of easy to see them and know that there is interesting detail there to photograph without having already looked at them through a macro lens.

Lots of other 'small things' might also have interesting detail that you might like to photograph, but it is far harder to find something to use as a 'subject' for the photo.

Personally I'm planning to set up a shooting table over the winter, and focus on watches and computer parts.