Experimenting with Macrotechniques

I have been experimenting trying to find out how many images I need to stack to produce front-to-back sharpness in my small insect images with around f5.6. I concluded that only 7 of the series of 15 images I traditionally use contain any elements that are in focus for my very small subjects so I have been stacking just those frames and get much cleaner images without haloing. I have now set the stack number to 10 though will still only stack those frames with something in focus. With single shots, I tried high aperture number eg f18 or F22 (last 4 images) but the quality certainly falls off when fully closed down (last image). Lucky to have some great models for my experiments particularly the Tachina fera mating pair mating comfortably in a folded leaf and the Dung Fly exuding a droplet of water which is reflecting the spurge flowers it is resting on.

Toft's May Festival

Every year, my village, Toft, holds a Spring Festival, which, on Sunday, included Maypole dancing (even the men were coopted to dance this year) , Dressing the Well and Springling water from branches of Rosemary, a Church Service and Parish tea. This year we had a special Nurturing Nature theme so, on Saturday, we sampled the creatures in the Bourn Brook to get an indication of the state of the water.. There were fewer animals than should be there, confirming the feared high level of pollution, but we did find the larvae of the Green Drake Mayfly, Pond Olive, and Banded Demoiselle. I put up a panel of photos from my Wildlife Garden in the Village Hall display.

Meet Misumena our Macrophotography Model

Yesterday the RPS and CCC Nature Groups held a very informative Macro workshop led by David Smith of OM-Systems. Although he had his own model, Frankie, the Ghost Mantis, I think Misumena 1 and Misumena 2, a couple of flower spiders, stole the show. This is M2 parading rather attractive dark green patches and stripes - excellent for hiding in Meadow Sweet flowers.  They can change colour (not sure of the timescale of the changes) and often those in Buttercups are bright yellow. 

These are mainly single shots at F13-F18 but the last two are an in-camera jpeg stack versus a stack done from Raws in Zerene stacker.

Overcast but very warm day produced lots of insect activity including this beautiful male Orange Tip Butterfly and this very hairy Anthomyoiid Fly feeding on a dead Snail. Otherwise spiders in abiundance and 10 species of Plant Bug (Dock and Hairy Bug not shown)..

Encounters at Paxton Pits

Today I helped with a Guided Walk at Paxton for U3A Sawston Bird Group - lots to see including various insects such as this Hornet, which I couldn't get a clear view of through the leaves but this has added a pictorial vignette, which I like. Also shown Variable and Common Damselflies, Craneflies, Scorpion Flies, a Grizzled Skipper and also lots of birds including the final very confiding Dunnock.