More macro photos...

[Flyer]

Hi all,

Uploaded few more pictures to my macro gallery
http://FlyerOz.smugmug.com/photos/13629777-M.jpg

http://FlyerOz.smugmug.com/photos/13624886-M.jpg

http://FlyerOz.smugmug.com/photos/13629496-M.jpg

http://FlyerOz.smugmug.com/photos/13624885-M.jpg

All taken with Sigma 105 EX with reversed Nikkor 50mm F1.4, hand held with SB800.
Hope you like them.
Cheers.

[glamy]

Hi Flier,
Good shots, are you a masochist ora sadist? (Is that your arm and blood?)
Cheers,
Gerard

[wahr42]

These are awesome, I hope I don't come across these nasties! They're HUGE!

Great shots, very clear and vibrant. Lens combination pays off! Looks like that mozzie could suck down a cow!

[mudder]

G'day,
Wow...
http://flyeroz.smugmug.com/photos/13624886-M.jpg - Hmmm, a recent comment was "suffer for your art"... Who's arm is that?
http://flyeroz.smugmug.com/photos/13629496-M.jpg - This is amazing... Looks like he just woke up too, I think he's got "sleep" in his eyes

Good macro shots!

Cheers,
Mudder

[AlistairF]

Wow Flyer! great pics... Nightmares for me tonight.

What do you use to join the two lenses together? A double-threaded ring?

[leek]

Wow... Amazing macros... I love the mosquito shot and can't believe that you got the matrix detail on the eyes of the fly...
Something to aspire to...

[sirhc55]

Flyer - as per your previous posts your macro shots are inspirational. A great combination of Sigma and Nikon

Chris

[Matt. K]

Well done Flyer and thanks for posting. Your macro technique is excellent as are the pics. Make very large prints and frame them.

[Killakoala]

I agree with everyone. They are absolutely fantastic. The 'fly's eyes' are amazing.

Simply wonderful pics..thanks for sharing..

[stubbsy]

Flyer

Awesome

Care to explain your technique?

Cheers

[Flyer]

Thanks a lot guys.
The picture of mossie was a fluke. I was taking some photos of other insects in my yard & when I finished I noticed couple of mossies on my legs. So I tried to bend down like some contortionist & managed to take 3 pics. They all came pretty good I thought.

AlistairF - Yes, I use step-down ring. Actually it's 2 rings - 52mm with male thread on both sides & 52>58mm male-female. Something I used with my old Sony F717. You can buy just one ring to do the job. I got mine from EBay for few $$ each.

Stubbsy- I use Sigma 105EX with 50mm Nikkor attached face to face with step-up (or step-down) ring. Adding reversed lens acts like adding a close up filter, but with much higher magnification- +20 diopter in this case. That gives you 2:1 magnification, as opposed to Sigma's 1:1 by itself.
I use a flash bracket with SB800
Then I set the camera to manual focus, AP or M, usually select f32-29 for maximum depth of field.
Then the hard part begins - finding bugs & trying to sneak up on them!
With this combination you will be shooting at approx. 30-50 mm. That's the distance from the front glass element (which is the rear element of Nikkor ) to the subject. Very, very close!
So with the camera pre-focused I move VERY slowly towards the subject, until it gets in focus & squeeze the shutter button...
Only to discover the bug took off, or moved, or more often then not I moved!
Mornings or evenings are the best as the cool weather slows the creatures down.
Hope this helps.
Cheers.

[stubbsy]

Flyer

Thanks for your excellent and detailed explanation. Now to go try it (once I get some more $$$ for lenses etc)

Cheers

[skippy]

Hey Flyer, this is probably a silly question, but those are crops, right? Seriously impressive pics - just what I was hoping to do with macro photography.

If those are resized images I think I'll have to rethink how I do macro pics. Any idea if it would work with the 70-300ED glass and the 50/f1.8?

[Flyer]

The two fly shots are not cropped at all.
The other two were slightly cropped to about 70-80% of original photo I guess.
All were resized for the web of course.
Not sure if 70-300ED glass and the 50/f1.8 combo will work.
I have a Sigma 70-300mm so will try it later & let you know the results.
Cheers.