Welcome to My Little World by taffy

Welcome to My Little World

On my walk today with my macro, I saw this tiny pink beach flower. It had some kind of speck of dirt, I thought, but when I looked through the lens, I made out a leg or something. Then, on my computer, I discovered this spidery creature. Very cool surprise!
Incredible macro.
June 25th, 2014  
I love a surprise! Well done! Fav!
June 25th, 2014  
Either a grasshopper or a katydid ...in nymph stage. So cooL! Great bug macro. I just posted one similar.
June 25th, 2014  
Fantastic macro shot! Have never see this insect with the long antenna and tail! Have considered the Nikon 105mm but it seems pretty heavy. How do you like it?
June 25th, 2014  
Beautiful! Fav
June 25th, 2014  
Stunning! Love the color and great detail.
June 25th, 2014  
Well spotted Taffy.
June 25th, 2014  
Great shot!
June 25th, 2014  
Fabulous macro! I love the world of the teeny tiny!
June 25th, 2014  
@loweygrace Thanks Lois -- it is a heavier lens but it is absolutely amazing glass. This and my 14-24 are my best lenses and I think when I use them, I can see the quality in the outcome. I do have to take a few as because of its weight, I can easily end up with a slight blur. On a tripod, it's magical! It was the first lens I bought and I've loved it as I've used it over the past 4 years or so. You'd not regret it (but I would look for a used one as it's pricy).
June 25th, 2014  
Excellent focus, details, color, etc. :)
June 25th, 2014  
am amazed with your super talent-from architecture, landscapes and now macro bug shots-ur so good in every genre or any styles-but I really wish I could identify your artwork by just looking at it-your very own signature style..and I think you should- because you're really an amazing artist.
June 25th, 2014  
Super sharp!
June 25th, 2014  
@joemuli Thanks Joey. I think it's a matter of personal preference as I like the variety. If I had to identify anything stylistic about my choices it's an emphasis on structures and fun with processing. I also think that my world changes completely when I leave Chicago and live on Beaver Island, then changes radically back again when I return in August. You'll probably see less architectural work over the next few months and more about nature. . . because that's where the opportunities are. I admire those who have a clearly articulated style such as your subtle work with dreamy images and lensbaby types of images, or others who work largely in high key, or do birds or flowers. Right now, I feel like I still have a LOT to learn! I always appreciate your visits, comments, and insights!
June 25th, 2014  
This is amazing Taffy and even moreso for the story! What a great find! Can I ask you about the lens/image as well? Is this very cropped? I see you are using a D600 which is full frame? I have been using a borrowed 100mm macro (not the L series which would be much better glass) on my 6D (also full frame) and feeling like I just can't get very close? Minimum focussing distance is 31cm so I often want to get closer but find I have to step back a bit. I haven't tried it yet on my old camera as it seems counter-productive (BIG backward step from my new one) but the cropped sensor might be an advantage? I also find it pretty hard to get a sharp image which is probably just the near-constant breeze and my unwillingness to get my tripod out just for a few quick shots in the garden when I have nothing else to photograph … anyway was just curious if you find any of the same things.
June 25th, 2014  
Fabulous capture of the little bug! Great clarity and lovely colours in the image! Fav!
June 25th, 2014  
Wonderful capture with fine detail in this little bug and bloom! You are so fortunate to be able to spend summers in a natural setting, winters in the highly constructed urban setting and travel to foreign lands in between- all with a lens focused on the local sites.
June 25th, 2014  
Amazing - what is it?
June 25th, 2014  
@aliha Hi Alison -- thanks for the kind comment on my shot!! Yes, this was cropped quite a bit, something that I could not do as much on my D90 (cropped sensor camera). I find that the D600 has such good clarity, along with this 105 macro which is a great lens, that I can crop quite a bit. For this shot, I took about 10 successive ones all "focused" in a similar area of the bug. Only one came out clear enough to crop and enlarge. So this one had a lot of luck to it. I had focused on the 'spot' because I was curious about what it was, but never expected to see this baby katydid (according to MaryBeth). The lens is heavy and does much better when I use a tripod, but I agree about the hassle for a short photo session. And often, the angles are such that a tripod wouldn't be all that helpful -- it would take longer to set up than the bug would be in place! And wind is a serious problem -- I have to up the speed to counteract. Fortunately, it was quite bright when I did this one.
I'd only go to your crop sensor if the image quality is equivalent -- otherwise, I don't think it's worth the tradeoff, at least on my Nikon ones.
June 25th, 2014  
Wonderful detail and I love the pink
June 25th, 2014  
@aliha Correction...I didn't crop as much as I thought I had -- about 30% of the total I would guess. Here's the original on my flickr page: https://www.flickr.com/photos/taffyraphael/14315996347/
June 25th, 2014  
Amazing clarity -- check out that eye! Just think -- if that little speck is there again tomorrow, you could try out our " @Darylo " lens.
June 25th, 2014  
OH my....very cool. Love it when we discover something we didn't know was there while processing.
June 25th, 2014  
Wow, such long legs. What an amazing find.
June 25th, 2014  
It is truly amazing the things in this world that we seldom see! Great capture, Taffy!
June 25th, 2014  
I like the colours - what kind of bug is it?
June 25th, 2014  
@taffy Gotcha! Thanks for taking the time!
June 25th, 2014  
Fantastic macro...must be a great lens!
June 25th, 2014  
Excellent macro.
June 25th, 2014  
great capture.
June 25th, 2014  
Super macro !
June 25th, 2014  
Cool macro.
June 25th, 2014  
Superlative work,, fave
June 25th, 2014  
Fabulous macro, fav
June 25th, 2014  
Looks like an anorexic grass hopper.
June 25th, 2014  
I did the same thing with my waterlily yesterday! I thought there was a little bit of fluff on a petal and brushed it off. When I looked at the photos it was a tiny little spider. It's amazing what you find sometimes.
Cute little bug you caught here on the pretty flower.
I agree with you that it's just too difficult to use a tripod with macro in the garden.
June 25th, 2014  
Great shot, love the vibrant colours and the focus on this little creepy crawler
June 25th, 2014  
Wow! This must be tiny tiny! Great shot, very interesting bug and I love the pink pop of the flower.
June 25th, 2014  
Congratulations on making the Trending Page. Well deserved.
June 25th, 2014  
Beautiful shot
June 25th, 2014  
@jyokota I'm wondering if the clip can go on the macro too? Or is that absurd? Beautiful Macro Taffy.
June 25th, 2014  
Fantastic macro, what a great surprise.
June 25th, 2014  
Great macro shot.
June 25th, 2014  
A clear Fav.
June 25th, 2014  
What a funny looking creature. Great capture!
June 25th, 2014  
Brilliant focus and colours, stunning!
June 25th, 2014  
So cool!
June 26th, 2014  
Fabulous macro!
June 26th, 2014  
@darylo I thought I'd give it a try, but I suspect it won't work on it -- too much magnification I think.
June 26th, 2014  
Incredible macro - colours and lighting are perfect
June 26th, 2014  
Isn't it fun to discover something in the pic you didn't notice or realize. Cool shot
June 29th, 2014  
Fav.
June 30th, 2014  
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