Snails have been hitting our strawberries like they're an all you can eat buffet. I found a snail close to our plants this morning, I placed it on a half eaten strawberry, and then tracked it with the camera as it moved hoping to get something interesting.
Tech Specs: Canon 80D (F14, 1/250, ISO 100) + a Canon MP-E 65mm macro lens (2x) + a diffused MT-26EX-RT with a Kaiser adjustable flash shoe on the "A" head (the key), E-TTL metering, -1/3 FEC). This is a single, uncropped, frame taken hand held. In post I used Topaz Sharpen AI and Clarity in that order. I used an artificial flower to keep the background from being black.
View attachment 15549Snail on a Strawberry by John Kimbler, on Flickr
I chased this semi-active Long Horned Bee as it moved around a flower and when it would pause I'd look for a way to compose it. Just out of the frame, to the left, I'm holding on to that stem with my left hand and I'm resting the lens on that same hand to help keep the scene steady. Having the camera and the subject on the same "platform" gives me a lot of control over the framing and where I want the area of acceptable focus to be. I focused on the leading edge of the bee's mandible and then twisted my wrist to lay the depth over as much of the critter's face as I could. It's harder for me to explain it than to do it, I've built up a lot of muscle memory shooting macro hand held these fifteen years.
Tetralonia malvae, male.
Tech Specs: Canon 80D (F11, 1/250, ISO 100) + a Canon MP-E 65mm macro lens (over 2x) + a diffused MT-26EX-RT with a Kaiser adjustable flash shoe on the "A" head (the key), E-TTL metering, -1/3 FEC). This is a single, uncropped, frame taken hand held. In post I used Topaz Sharpen AI and Clarity in that order. I used an artificial flower to keep the background from being black.
View attachment 15550Long Horned Bee III by John Kimbler, on Flickr
It's pretty common on cool mornings for a critter like this Long Horned Bee to feel the heat coming off of my hand and climb onto my finger to get warm. I took this photo at life size to give you a sense of just how small they are.
Tetralonia malvae, male.
Tech Specs: Canon 80D (F14, 1/250, ISO 100) + a Canon MP-E 65mm macro lens (1x) + a diffused MT-26EX-RT with a Kaiser adjustable flash shoe on the "A" head (the key), E-TTL metering, -1/3 FEC). This is a single, uncropped, frame taken hand held. In post I used Topaz Sharpen AI and Clarity in that order. I used an artificial flower to keep the background from being black.
View attachment 15551Long Horned Bee IV by John Kimbler, on Flickr
The way I took this shot of these mating 22 Spot Ladybugs in a single frame was to focus on the eyes of the female and then twist my wrist to lay the area of acceptable focus over the male. With a scene like that one the eyes of both critters must be in focus, or the composition won't work. Tricky to do since the female would occasionally move and the male will sometimes wiggle his backside. Not gonna lie, I missed focus a few times cause he made me laugh
Tech Specs: Canon 80D (F11, 1/250, ISO 200) + a Canon MP-E 65mm macro lens (set to about 2.5x) + a diffused MT-26EX RT (E-TTL metering with -1/3 FEC). This is a single, uncropped, frame taken hand held. In post I used Topaz Sharpen AI and Clarity in that order.
View attachment 15552Mating 22 Spot Ladybugs by John Kimbler, on Flickr
This is an emerging male Red Mason Bee (Osmia bicornis) chewing his way out of a cocoon. I've been raising these critters for roughly five years.
Tech Specs: Canon 80D (F11, 1/200, ISO 200 due to Highlight Tone Priority) + a Canon MP-E 65mm macro lens (set to about 2.5x) + a diffused MT-26EX-RT, E-TTL metering, -1/3 FEC, second curtain sync). This is a single, uncropped, frame taken hand held.
View attachment 15553Emerging Red Mason Bee by John Kimbler, on Flickr
Tech Specs: Canon 80D (F14, 1/250, ISO 100) + a Canon MP-E 65mm macro lens (2x) + a diffused MT-26EX-RT with a Kaiser adjustable flash shoe on the "A" head (the key), E-TTL metering, -1/3 FEC). This is a single, uncropped, frame taken hand held. In post I used Topaz Sharpen AI and Clarity in that order. I used an artificial flower to keep the background from being black.
View attachment 15549Snail on a Strawberry by John Kimbler, on Flickr
I chased this semi-active Long Horned Bee as it moved around a flower and when it would pause I'd look for a way to compose it. Just out of the frame, to the left, I'm holding on to that stem with my left hand and I'm resting the lens on that same hand to help keep the scene steady. Having the camera and the subject on the same "platform" gives me a lot of control over the framing and where I want the area of acceptable focus to be. I focused on the leading edge of the bee's mandible and then twisted my wrist to lay the depth over as much of the critter's face as I could. It's harder for me to explain it than to do it, I've built up a lot of muscle memory shooting macro hand held these fifteen years.
Tetralonia malvae, male.
Tech Specs: Canon 80D (F11, 1/250, ISO 100) + a Canon MP-E 65mm macro lens (over 2x) + a diffused MT-26EX-RT with a Kaiser adjustable flash shoe on the "A" head (the key), E-TTL metering, -1/3 FEC). This is a single, uncropped, frame taken hand held. In post I used Topaz Sharpen AI and Clarity in that order. I used an artificial flower to keep the background from being black.
View attachment 15550Long Horned Bee III by John Kimbler, on Flickr
It's pretty common on cool mornings for a critter like this Long Horned Bee to feel the heat coming off of my hand and climb onto my finger to get warm. I took this photo at life size to give you a sense of just how small they are.
Tetralonia malvae, male.
Tech Specs: Canon 80D (F14, 1/250, ISO 100) + a Canon MP-E 65mm macro lens (1x) + a diffused MT-26EX-RT with a Kaiser adjustable flash shoe on the "A" head (the key), E-TTL metering, -1/3 FEC). This is a single, uncropped, frame taken hand held. In post I used Topaz Sharpen AI and Clarity in that order. I used an artificial flower to keep the background from being black.
View attachment 15551Long Horned Bee IV by John Kimbler, on Flickr
The way I took this shot of these mating 22 Spot Ladybugs in a single frame was to focus on the eyes of the female and then twist my wrist to lay the area of acceptable focus over the male. With a scene like that one the eyes of both critters must be in focus, or the composition won't work. Tricky to do since the female would occasionally move and the male will sometimes wiggle his backside. Not gonna lie, I missed focus a few times cause he made me laugh
Tech Specs: Canon 80D (F11, 1/250, ISO 200) + a Canon MP-E 65mm macro lens (set to about 2.5x) + a diffused MT-26EX RT (E-TTL metering with -1/3 FEC). This is a single, uncropped, frame taken hand held. In post I used Topaz Sharpen AI and Clarity in that order.
View attachment 15552Mating 22 Spot Ladybugs by John Kimbler, on Flickr
This is an emerging male Red Mason Bee (Osmia bicornis) chewing his way out of a cocoon. I've been raising these critters for roughly five years.
Tech Specs: Canon 80D (F11, 1/200, ISO 200 due to Highlight Tone Priority) + a Canon MP-E 65mm macro lens (set to about 2.5x) + a diffused MT-26EX-RT, E-TTL metering, -1/3 FEC, second curtain sync). This is a single, uncropped, frame taken hand held.
View attachment 15553Emerging Red Mason Bee by John Kimbler, on Flickr
