Mr Tiny Moth, at less than 1cm (0.3in), was hanging upside down like it was the most natural thing in the world to do! (Maybe he was a bat in a previous life.) So cute! I was smiling the whole time I was snapping shots of it. 8D
All my macro shots are handheld, and taken with my Sony 30mm f/3.5 macro lens. If you want to get a macro lens, I'd suggest getting one with a much, much longer focal length. Why? Because with a longer focal length, you don't have to get so close to a bug. With my macro lens, I have to get kissing distance close, and I'm not exaggerating.
This is how I do it: I see a macro subject, I start snapping. I look at the LCD screen, I press the shutter button, then I move closer, then I press the shutter button again, then I move closer again, and I keep doing this until I scare the poor bug away. Many times, I don't realize how close I have gotten until I stop looking at the screen and I look around the lens to check the physical distance—and realize I am about to smack into the bug with the edge of my lens.
With moths, grasshoppers and planthoppers, I don't mind getting so close. But with spiders, I am wary. I check the physical distance more often, but that means I take more time to get my shots, which means my subject is less likely to hang around, which means I won't get as many shots as I need. I always take 10-15 shots at least. Because my macro shots are handheld, I know I have to take that many to beat the odds. There will be blurry shots!
Mr Tiny Moth? I did get too close. He flew away. I did not see him fly away though. One moment he was there on my screen and the next he was gone. I had pressed the shutter button anyway and ended up with a shot of nothing. XD
LOL!! Why does it look like he's trying to pull down the branch he's hanging onto?? Aiyaya, the visual translations that go through my head!
Love the perspective and shot, fav!!
You are the queen of bug shots Livia, I'm glad you are so persistent! :))
For me anything that moves, bugs, animals, vehicles or people - my hit rate is about 1 in 10 at best, but when it works that 1 makes me really giddy :)
very cool macro ...as a kid i would spend hours hanging upside down from trees and things my mother always said the same about me(Maybe he was a bat in a previous life.
He almost looks like a bat! Love the eyes! Wonderful capture and I love your story about how you get them! Great persistence! With butterflies, it seems I can't get closer than about 10 feet before they flit away, so to get one closer is always a bonus!
Thanks for all the info. I know exactly what you mean. I only have a macro filter but I still end up getting physically too close and scaring the little critters away. I saw some neon blue damsel flies today but not a hope of getting a shot...too quick for me. This is fabulous as always xx
It's just amazing how they let you go so close to them! The insects I see usually just flies away as soon as I take out my camera! LoL Well done Livia and thanks for explaining your shots.
Fantastically done! Thanks for the tips on how you get these amazing shots! I have a 60mm macro lens and am feeling that I'd like to upgrade to a 100mm...in a perfect world anyway!
Livia you crack me up!!! Sounds so much like myself and then they want me to be watching out for snakes!!! Ha! Im lucky i get the shot in focus with 20-30 shots!! I just pray as i slide the card into the computer!!!
This is a great photo, Livia. Thanks for the explanation. I do not have a separate lens but have to do what you say, move in to a point to get a macro. I also have Sony but no dedicated macro setting and end up with many blurry photos that look fine on my screen and very close to what I am shooting.
He has a lot of personality - love his huge eyes and his pose. This is awesome - as are all your macros! I would never see these tiny beings if it was not for you and your macro lens - great work. This morning I caught myself staring at a super tiny spider - must be your influence.
Great shot of the bat-bug! :) I have the same problem when I put extension tubes on my camera - I often end up bopping it into flowers, bugs etc. without realising just how close I was getting!
what a cute and funny upside down moth :) I am amazed by how close you get, i cant get within 3 feet of bugs that fly and jump without them disapearing, and i try to move as stealthily as i can!
LOL - same here :) My daughter told me the other day I was about to touch a moth with the camera! Nice shot, guess he was enjoying just hanging around :)
I don't think I've ever seen the under-carriage of a moth...pretty cool! And thanks for sharing your process, too. You make it sound so easy (which made me laugh a little at my own process, lol)
A great, big, different and extra catchy "THANK YOU!" to everyone! Thank you so much for taking the time to stop by. I'm grateful to you for your constant encouragement and feedback, and I'm grateful to the bugs for letting me take photos of them! I'm well and truly addicted to macro shots. 8)
@myautofocuslife You`re welcome. For me it`s always a pleasure to watch you magnificent pic.`s ( and to read you always so kind comment on mine )
Only, sometimes I `ve no words left to express how beautiful you pic are, I`ve use them all before
I think I have seen one of these! They are tiny! When I shot pics of bugs with my p and s, I did that " shoot and walk forward" trick. I still do, but not as much. I get some "macro" shot with my zoom lens as I can stay out of the bugs' faces and that is good. I have the other lens that came with my canon t2i...it is an 18mm-55mm. I am so confused about getting a macro lens. I mean, if this lens goes down to 18 mm, then isn't that the same as a macro lens? I think it only goes to f 5.6 though so maybe that it why it is not a "true Macro" I cannot get that close to anything and it hold the focus and really want a "super macro" lens. So when you say get one with longer focal length, what is a good one that fits that bill? Thanks for all the tips! I love your macro bug pics!
To sum up: A macro lens has the capability of achieving at least a 1:1 magnification. This means the subject appears as life size on the sensor. The lower the focal length of the lens, the lower the cost. But the lower the focal length of the macro lens, the closer you also need to be to the subject you're photographing.
Great lesson on macro. Thanks. Now if I could only get one. For now though, I plan on taking your same technique with a basic 35mm lens, and attempting to take shots of wild cats. Tigers, lions...you name it. Lol. Hahaha...how long before I'm eaten? Awesome capture by the way. Love the position of the moth.
June 4th, 2012
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Love the perspective and shot, fav!!
For me anything that moves, bugs, animals, vehicles or people - my hit rate is about 1 in 10 at best, but when it works that 1 makes me really giddy :)
Only, sometimes I `ve no words left to express how beautiful you pic are, I`ve use them all before
http://www.slrphotographyguide.com/camera/lens/macro.shtml http://www.slrphotographyguide.com/camera/lens/best-macro-lens.shtml
To sum up: A macro lens has the capability of achieving at least a 1:1 magnification. This means the subject appears as life size on the sensor. The lower the focal length of the lens, the lower the cost. But the lower the focal length of the macro lens, the closer you also need to be to the subject you're photographing.
I hope that helps! 8)