GardenersHelper
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It was windy on Sunday but I thought I'd spend some time in the garden anyway. Even if nothing works out it is nice to be outside.
There are more images of most of these subjects (some closer in ) in this set at Flickr.
Edit: There are 1300 pixel high versions of these images over at Flickr.
All the captures were hand-held and used diffused flash.
1. FZ200 and Raynox 150. This fly was a very cooperative subject. I got lots of photos of it. It sucked the bubble back in, but quickly blew another, and then after a very brief bit of grooming blew another, and then changed position and blew fourth one. It's a horrible reflection of the flash, but with such a reflective surface I suppose a strong reflection is inevitable. I imagine better diffusion would soften it and make it less ugly, but I can't work out how to do that at the moment. Perhaps I should have cloned it out, but I'm not sure I want to get into that. I'm comfortable with cloning in the background to remove visual distractions. But messing with the subject I'm not so comfortable with for some reason.
0732 2015_05_31 06 P1800633_DxO LR 1300h by gardenersassistant, on Flickr
2. FZ200 and Raynox 250. This really needed a more powerful lens than the Raynox 250 that I used, so I had to do a big crop on it. But to be honest I wasn't expecting anything at all from this as the leaf that the subject (a barkfly?) was on was continuously flying around in the wind. The subject was completely out of the frame for lengthy periods. I didn't think it was worth changing to something more powerful because it seemed like it would be a waste of time.
0732 2015_05_31 15 P1800730_DxO LR 1300h by gardenersassistant, on Flickr
3. This fly was also quite small. It was on a low down geranium leaf that was not moving nearly as much as the previous one. I think this was the scene that I used the Raynox 150 and 250 stacked for (I only used them once during the session. Given the wind it was a big ask.) This was captured at full zoom, which if it was the 150+ 250 would have made the scene width about 5mm, or about 4.5:1 magnification in APS-C terms. The image is uncropped.
0732 2015_05_31 27 P1800897_DxO LR 1300h by gardenersassistant, on Flickr
4. FZ200 and Raynox 150
0732 2015_05_31 21 P1800772_DxO LR 1300h by gardenersassistant, on Flickr
5. FZ200 and don't know. Either Raynox 150 or 250. The spider was fairly small. I think it is a Cucumber spider, perhaps Araniella cucurbitina.
0732 2015_05_31 28 P1800827_DxO LR 1300h by gardenersassistant, on Flickr
6. FZ200 and Raynox 150. Edit: Speckled bush cricket. Thanks Alf.
0732 2015_05_31 34 P1800969_DxO LR 1300h by gardenersassistant, on Flickr
7. FZ200 and Raynox 150. I think this is Rhopalus subrufus.
0732 2015_05_31 41 P1810088_DxO LR 1300h by gardenersassistant, on Flickr
8. FZ200 and Raynox 150
0732 2015_05_31 44 P1810129_DxO LR 1300h by gardenersassistant, on Flickr
There are more images of most of these subjects (some closer in ) in this set at Flickr.
Edit: There are 1300 pixel high versions of these images over at Flickr.
All the captures were hand-held and used diffused flash.
1. FZ200 and Raynox 150. This fly was a very cooperative subject. I got lots of photos of it. It sucked the bubble back in, but quickly blew another, and then after a very brief bit of grooming blew another, and then changed position and blew fourth one. It's a horrible reflection of the flash, but with such a reflective surface I suppose a strong reflection is inevitable. I imagine better diffusion would soften it and make it less ugly, but I can't work out how to do that at the moment. Perhaps I should have cloned it out, but I'm not sure I want to get into that. I'm comfortable with cloning in the background to remove visual distractions. But messing with the subject I'm not so comfortable with for some reason.
0732 2015_05_31 06 P1800633_DxO LR 1300h by gardenersassistant, on Flickr
2. FZ200 and Raynox 250. This really needed a more powerful lens than the Raynox 250 that I used, so I had to do a big crop on it. But to be honest I wasn't expecting anything at all from this as the leaf that the subject (a barkfly?) was on was continuously flying around in the wind. The subject was completely out of the frame for lengthy periods. I didn't think it was worth changing to something more powerful because it seemed like it would be a waste of time.
0732 2015_05_31 15 P1800730_DxO LR 1300h by gardenersassistant, on Flickr
3. This fly was also quite small. It was on a low down geranium leaf that was not moving nearly as much as the previous one. I think this was the scene that I used the Raynox 150 and 250 stacked for (I only used them once during the session. Given the wind it was a big ask.) This was captured at full zoom, which if it was the 150+ 250 would have made the scene width about 5mm, or about 4.5:1 magnification in APS-C terms. The image is uncropped.
0732 2015_05_31 27 P1800897_DxO LR 1300h by gardenersassistant, on Flickr
4. FZ200 and Raynox 150
0732 2015_05_31 21 P1800772_DxO LR 1300h by gardenersassistant, on Flickr
5. FZ200 and don't know. Either Raynox 150 or 250. The spider was fairly small. I think it is a Cucumber spider, perhaps Araniella cucurbitina.
0732 2015_05_31 28 P1800827_DxO LR 1300h by gardenersassistant, on Flickr
6. FZ200 and Raynox 150. Edit: Speckled bush cricket. Thanks Alf.
0732 2015_05_31 34 P1800969_DxO LR 1300h by gardenersassistant, on Flickr
7. FZ200 and Raynox 150. I think this is Rhopalus subrufus.
0732 2015_05_31 41 P1810088_DxO LR 1300h by gardenersassistant, on Flickr
8. FZ200 and Raynox 150
0732 2015_05_31 44 P1810129_DxO LR 1300h by gardenersassistant, on Flickr
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