Uh Oh, Happy Is Learning How To Putt

Tonight the light was perfect to try my theories from Saturday about macro and shutter speed. I was able to use direct light and positioning myself favorably, keeping the ISO low thanks to the high ambient light. Sometimes the highlights in the image were close to burning out, so I had to be careful.

I've also done some reading on outdoor flash photography, and tried some fill flash on a few shots. The first image is an example. I want to break out my macro flash kit but don't want to do it in such a public place. I already get a few stares as I creep along, staring at plants looking for bugs. At least with the headphones on I can't hear what people are saying about me. ;)

I took seven or so photos of this guy. All were the same except this one, where it chose to partially extend its proboscis. It retracted quickly and wasn't in the next shot a few seconds later.

Love this color of blue, but getting an entire bug in the shot in focus is proving to be a real challenge. They move a lot, and typically so does whatever they land on. I think they land to avoid the wind, so it's lose-lose for me when I try to shoot them.

This guy looks like a wasp, but I think it's a beetle using a wasp pattern to fake out predators. So furry!

Fuzzy flower sex bits.

Another shot of the same species of wasp from the other day, only this time I made sure to capture its compound eyes. If I didn't spend most of my time sleeping through physics class, I'd probably be able to explain in detail why the eyes are not in focus when they are clearly in the depth of field. Instead, I will say it probably has something to do with reflection and refraction and leave it at that.

Okay. I had no idea aphids were so frickking disgusting. They're like mosquitoes for plants. Hundreds of them, in rows, systematically sucking the plant dry. I don't get grossed out easily, but as I looked through the viewfinder at their grotesque swollen bodies, I got a shiver.

/nervous laughter

I get a decent angle on a dragonfly and it's the most boring looking dragonfly ever. At least the wings look good.

I achieved excellent detail on this one because it was the size of my fist.

Pre-gross intermission. More aphid-like bugs up next.

These ones didn't bother me that much because of their cool color. At first I thought they were eggs stuck to the leaf, but then I looked closer. Not in the shot are what appear to be several dead bug bodies lower down on the leaf. It's like a (blurry, whoops) battleground.

Brundle sat watching me watch the ducks.

Oh, if only I could find an ant to shoot...

My first arachnid. May it be a sign of great things to come.

© Jeremy Buehler and Bug Noir (www.bugnoir.com), 2010.