nicolas claris
OPF Co-founder/Administrator
And the room is under your eyes now Mike...Mike Spinak said:
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Welcome to the new site. Here's a thread about the update where you can post your feedback, ask questions or spot those nasty bugs!
There's no place for Macro, Flora, Fungi, etc.
- Thread starter Mike Spinak
- Start date
Mike Spinak
pro member
Daniel Harrison
pro member
Thankyou Thankyou 
Josh Liechty
New member
Yet another picture
This is the only macro photo that I have on my webspace at the moment...
Thanks for making a general purpose macro forum, by the way.
This is the only macro photo that I have on my webspace at the moment...
Thanks for making a general purpose macro forum, by the way.
Diane Fields
New member
I don't do very much macro photography now---but just bought an anglefinder C and that should be a great help as I do have an interest in exploring it. I'm primarily posting this just to register support for the macro forum---and to try linking to an image.
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Don Lashier
New member
Macro is one place where I sorely miss my old Nikon 950 for it's greater DOF.
And a small 950 macro gallery
- DL
And a small 950 macro gallery
- DL
Ivan Garcia
New member
Drunk Bee
I hope you don't mind some insect behavior, I saw this bee drinking some beer at the BBQ I was having, some time later, I found her slumped over the flower and I could not resist.
I hope you don't mind some insect behavior, I saw this bee drinking some beer at the BBQ I was having, some time later, I found her slumped over the flower and I could not resist.
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Mike Spinak
pro member
There are a lot of excellent pictures, here.
I'm really pleased to see there are plenty of others, around here, who share my predilection for close-up photography.
Ivan,
Your picture reminds me of Leonard Lee Rue's book How I Photograph Wildlife. One technique he discusses in the book is mixing sugar and rum to get butterflies too drunk to fly, then posing them on pretty flowers for photographing (if I'm remembering right... it's been a number of years since I read the book). It seems like a nearly foolproof, effective technique, but I prefer less to use a less interventionistic methodolgy, even at the sake of missing some photos. But if a bee gets itself drunk at a barbeque, that's a photo opportunity to take advantage of.
Even though the bee's drunkenness was simply good fortune, getting the picture of the drunken bee required good observation and forethought. Well done!
One of the things I emphasize in my own photography, and when instructing others, is recognizing "the game" taking place in front of you, and then playing it effectively. A huge portion of success in advanced nature photography is being able to recognize what is happening, as events are unfolding, and having the understanding and the forethought to develop a good strategy to exploit what is occurring. Finding a bee drinking beer, and then undertstanding that this will lead to a good photo opportunity with the drunken bee, and then finding the flower where it is passed out... while not entirely natural... is a perfect example of successfully observing and playing the game as it developed.
Mike
www.mikespinak.com
I'm really pleased to see there are plenty of others, around here, who share my predilection for close-up photography.
Ivan,
Your picture reminds me of Leonard Lee Rue's book How I Photograph Wildlife. One technique he discusses in the book is mixing sugar and rum to get butterflies too drunk to fly, then posing them on pretty flowers for photographing (if I'm remembering right... it's been a number of years since I read the book). It seems like a nearly foolproof, effective technique, but I prefer less to use a less interventionistic methodolgy, even at the sake of missing some photos. But if a bee gets itself drunk at a barbeque, that's a photo opportunity to take advantage of.
Even though the bee's drunkenness was simply good fortune, getting the picture of the drunken bee required good observation and forethought. Well done!
One of the things I emphasize in my own photography, and when instructing others, is recognizing "the game" taking place in front of you, and then playing it effectively. A huge portion of success in advanced nature photography is being able to recognize what is happening, as events are unfolding, and having the understanding and the forethought to develop a good strategy to exploit what is occurring. Finding a bee drinking beer, and then undertstanding that this will lead to a good photo opportunity with the drunken bee, and then finding the flower where it is passed out... while not entirely natural... is a perfect example of successfully observing and playing the game as it developed.
Mike
www.mikespinak.com
Don Lashier
New member
Ivan, why is your site setting a third-party cookie for just an image? Just curious.
Great image btw, here's my "bug" shot:
- DL
Great image btw, here's my "bug" shot:
- DL
Ivan Garcia
New member
Don Lashier said:
The image is buried in a subfolder of my business site (a flamenco school in London) that may be the reason, sorry about that.
I am glad you liked my pic, yours is very nice too.
Ivan
Ivan Garcia
New member
Fly in the sun
Hello Mike.
Nice observation there, I read that book too.
I did not get the bee drunk by luring her with bait.
One of my guess spilled some beer on the table, I was using a honey based marinade on the lamb chops and the beer spilled on some of that marinade, the bee just drunk it on her own accord and, remembering my readings, I went to get my camera and followed her around, I took several shots and decided on this one, as it was the one that captured what had happened.
Thank you for your comments, and observations, keep them coming.
Here is another recent picture taken in my back yard, the fly was basking in the sun and allowed me to get close, I used an angle finder c to focus and waited for the fly to move to the right "pose", I hope you guys like it.
As an advanced amateur, your impressions are valued.
Kind regards
Ivan
I've got a lot of ugly reflections of the fly's hairs; any advice on how not to get those will be very appreciated. Natural light, no flash used.
Mike Spinak said:
Hello Mike.
Nice observation there, I read that book too.
I did not get the bee drunk by luring her with bait.
One of my guess spilled some beer on the table, I was using a honey based marinade on the lamb chops and the beer spilled on some of that marinade, the bee just drunk it on her own accord and, remembering my readings, I went to get my camera and followed her around, I took several shots and decided on this one, as it was the one that captured what had happened.
Thank you for your comments, and observations, keep them coming.
Here is another recent picture taken in my back yard, the fly was basking in the sun and allowed me to get close, I used an angle finder c to focus and waited for the fly to move to the right "pose", I hope you guys like it.
As an advanced amateur, your impressions are valued.
Kind regards
Ivan
I've got a lot of ugly reflections of the fly's hairs; any advice on how not to get those will be very appreciated. Natural light, no flash used.
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Daniel Harrison
pro member
Nice bug! It is sooooo hard shooting shiny bugs with flash!!!!
Daniel Harrison
pro member
And Ivan,
Cool fly. Was it alive when you took it's portrait I am not too sure what to do about the shiny hairs, pretty weird really. Do you have any idea why they are so colourful? Was the fly very wet?
Cool fly. Was it alive when you took it's portrait
I am not too sure what to do about the shiny hairs, pretty weird really. Do you have any idea why they are so colourful? Was the fly very wet?Ivan Garcia
New member
The fly was very much alive, it was very sunny that day and although I am not sure, since the fly was basking I guess she was dry.
Thank you for your feedback.
Keep it coming.
Kind regards
Ivan.
Thank you for your feedback.
Keep it coming.
Kind regards
Ivan.