Hoverfly

dazdmc

dazdmc

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Lately I've been trying to get back into macro, and remembering how frustrating the focusing can be on live subjects. This was taken on my D5300 with DX VR 70-300mm lens (at 300mm) and a 36mm extension tube. This setup means I can get the macro shots I want and am able to stay away from the beasties and not spook them, it also allows for more light, smaller appertures/faster shutter speeds. Not perfectly sharp where it should be but not too bad I don't think.

hoverfly.jpg
 
Looks pretty good to me. I have a Nikon 28 - 300 full frame lens and been wondering for a while if using an extension tube would work successfully.
Seems it just might.
 
Thanks Helen. You really should try a set of tubes, they are cheap and cheerful but can give perfectly good results when used correctly. Mine are made by Neewer and found on Amazon, they cost me just shy of £40 for a set of three tubes. You can of course spend a lot more than that but seeing as they dont have glass/optics in them I really didn't see the point in spending a small fortune. I have bought quite a lot of the cheaper neewer stuff and to be fair all of it has worked flawlessly, it's certainly not as refined as other high end stuff but it works. I use one of their ring lights, a small light box/tent which is fantastic value for money, a set of ND filters and of course the extension tubes. If I was making money from this I would invest in better kit/accessories but I prefer to spend my hard earned on decent lenses.
 
Hoverflyes are not beastie's, their your friend. In fact one of a gardener's best friends :)
 
These poor fellows are often mistaken for wasps by youngsters, and agree that macro shots of plants and moving insects isn't easy, but just wondering that if you cropped a little off the top and side, still leaving it square ,the hoverfly would be a bit bigger in the image, and maybe if you could also lighten the hoverfly a little to make it stand out a bit more, just a thought, not a criticism.
 
dazdmc said:
Yes they are beasties, but good ones. Second largest group of pollinators on the planet, and they also help keep the aphids from my plants, especially the lupins:)
Hahahah...so true...i just wished they worked on slugs and snails... :p
Click to expand...
 
Bozzie said:
These poor fellows are often mistaken for wasps by youngsters, and agree that macro shots of plants and moving insects isn't easy, but just wondering that if you cropped a little off the top and side, still leaving it square ,the hoverfly would be a bit bigger in the image, and maybe if you could also lighten the hoverfly a little to make it stand out a bit more, just a thought, not a criticism.
Click to expand...
I have actually cropped a little tighter on another version, which as you suggested works a lot better. I'll try lightening up the hoverfly, but my photoshop skills are terrible!!! Have to say it looks ok on my main monitor though? Maybe it's time to recalibrate!
 
No need to Ian, I deleted the comment Helen. I had made an error in an upload, sorry for the confusion.
 
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