February 2022 - Favourite uploads

[cbimages]

33 minutes ago, gvallee said:

 

The sad thing with sheep dogs is when people in towns have them as pets. They get either no or not enough exercise and become unmanageable.

We arrived at the farm the day before the owners left to be given instructions. We watched in amazement how Bo played alone with his stick, killing it, barking at it, legs up in the air. He was displaying a neurotic behaviour which got us worried. We thought he was going to be a handful. And what about all those paddocks around where we could lose him! He doesn't do this with us because we keep him amused. The tragic thing is that the farmer had an accident which left him paraplegic two years ago. He sold most of the sheep. So sadly, although Bo has all the space in the world to run around, he has no job. 

How awful for the farmer, and I guess he cares a lot more for Bo than he lets on, otherwise he might have given him away. It must have been harder as Bo us used to working, but at least he's getting his exercise on the run to/from the gate. There's no winners in this story.

It was early 60's when we got my dog. We had no idea then it was a working dog, but got it from a couple with a tiny back yard who could not care for it. I think she was about 5 months old and destroying their garden. They were also out at work all day. At least when she came to us, she was in the house or with us all the time we were home and I walked her morning and afternoon, as well as playing ball/stick etc. She saved me once - when I was about 13. She slept on my bed and someone started to get in the open window during the night. She went ballistic and launched herself. I'm not sure if she got a nip in to a hand, but there was a hell of a noise (venetian blinds back in those days) and male voice cursing. The window was only open a few inches, otherwise I reckon she'd have been out and at him. After we calmed down and tried to get back to sleep, she kept laying on top of me. Such a dear smart and faithful dog.

[Betty LaRue]

Dogs are very special. Once for several days, I was sick in bed with the flu,  and Katie, my tiny Yorkshire terrier laid near me the whole time. I had to drag myself to the kitchen where Katie’s food and water was, or she’d have starved herself until I got better.

[gvallee]

Bicycle Dragon (Ctenophorus cristatus)

 

 

 

[spacecadet]

On 23/02/2022 at 20:55, cbimages said:

Thanks spacecadet,

Thanyou CB for this excellent tutorial which I hope will continue. After some tests I think I may be able to live with f22 or at least 16 and work on my hand-holding technique. The assumption that 400ISO was fine isn't foolproof so I will try to stay at 100 now.

That Canon macro set is very spendy, even used, so I may have to run up something with old flashes and gaffer tape- at the moment I just hand-hold with one of those £10 Chinese remote triggers.

When I get the chance I move the beastie into the studio and use the old Minilites but the backgrounds fall short- I obviously need to take a leaf out of your book and paint it in many colours. 

The basic problem though is that I don't live in a country full of greeblies designed by Andy Warhol.

Please continue to inspire us.

Edited February 27, 2022 by spacecadet

[zxzoomy]

26th February, 2022. Hundreds of people protested about the Russian invasion of Ukraine beside the statue of Queen Victoria in Piccadilly Gardens, central Manchester, England, United Kingdom. It was organised by the Ukrainian Cultural Centre 'Dnipro' Manchester. 

 

[Betty LaRue]

19 hours ago, gvallee said:

 

I used to have a cottage in France with a couple of meadows in a valley by a river. I would get up early in the morning and photograph insects covered in dew. Then the sun would hit the meadow and everything and everybody dried out.

 

 

 

Nikkor 105mm macro? I shot with one for years. Also crop sensor. Loved it. One I hated to give up when I changed to Fuji. It made a good portrait lens if given enough room. I usually used it more for portraits in nature.

One of my 105mm shots.

Edited February 27, 2022 by Betty LaRue

[gvallee]

1 hour ago, Betty LaRue said:

Nikkor 105mm macro? I shot with one for years. Also crop sensor. Loved it. One I hated to give up when I changed to Fuji. It made a good portrait lens if given enough room. I usually used it more for portraits in nature.

One of my 105mm shots.

 

Lovely. Love the pollen sac. 

[Alan Beastall]

1 hour ago, Betty LaRue said:

Nikkor 105mm macro? I shot with one for years. Also crop sensor. Loved it. One I hated to give up when I changed to Fuji. It made a good portrait lens if given enough room. I usually used it more for portraits in nature.

One of my 105mm shots.

 

A brill images. Sharp, crisp and well lite. Not easy when you have a moving subject and a small depth of field.

 

Alan

[Betty LaRue]

12 hours ago, gvallee said:

Bicycle Dragon (Ctenophorus cristatus)

 

 

 

Where did it park the bike? Cute fella/gal.

[Betty LaRue]

1 hour ago, Alan Beastall said:

 

A brill images. Sharp, crisp and well lite. Not easy when you have a moving subject and a small depth of field.

 

Alan

 

1 hour ago, gvallee said:

 

Lovely. Love the pollen sac. 

Thank you both. There was a lot of chasing and blurred shots before I finally got a decent one. These are the kinds of images you can easily take 100 shots to get 3 decent ones, but only one I like enough to upload. I don’t know why I chase honeybees, other than I was/am fascinated with them. They allow me to practically get on top of them without coming at me. Live and let live. I always use single shot, too.

[gvallee]

30 minutes ago, Betty LaRue said:

Where did it park the bike? Cute fella/gal.

 

Bicycle Dragon is a generic name given to Australian lizards which run on their back legs. At lightning speed. 

Glad you commented Betty, it made me realise that I hadn't put its common name 'Crested Dragon'.

[Betty LaRue]

1 hour ago, gvallee said:

 

Bicycle Dragon is a generic name given to Australian lizards which run on their back legs. At lightning speed. 

Glad you commented Betty, it made me realise that I hadn't put its common name 'Crested Dragon'.

Glad to oblige, Gen!

[Marianne]

On 25/02/2022 at 20:37, gvallee said:

 

Marianne, I cannot help you with Sony equipment for macro lights but in general, a ring flash is not a good idea. A horrible circle shows in the subject eyes. Canon and Nikon have different systems. This is my set up with my Nikon, the Commander kit.

Here, here and here. 

 

Each flash comes with a little stand if you want to mount it elsewhere than on the camera. I have a third one which I sometimes place behind the subject when its colour is very dark. 

 

I also sometimes use a gorilla pod clamped to my tripod. In the picture enclosed, there was an insect on the leaf. I find insects a lot more cooperative than birds. Usually you can relocate them without too many problems. The issue is with jumping spiders: they love to hop on the lens or tripod. Stay still for a minute will you!?

 

I didn't find that insects mind the flash. I shoot repeatedly at close range and they're still posing for me. I shot the close-up of the paper wasp below literally touching it. A whole series. It never complained.

 

Examples of shots taken with this set up:

Here, here,  here,  here, here, here

 

 

On 25/02/2022 at 21:51, cbimages said:

Thanks for the kind words Marianne. I totally agree with Gen about a ring flash. I had one for many years, and you can certainly get away with it sometimes, but the circle of light is not so good most of the time. Mine was an old Sunpak, and I recently gave it away to a friend. She offered some $$ for it, but I was able to show her they sell for very little. 

I now use the Canon Macro Twin Lite MT 24EX. I has two lights easily moved and you can change the output levels individually etc, although I rarely do, sometimes I  have one at a different angle. I handhold for my photography. Most of the stuff I shoot won't stay still long enough to set up a tripod. So in some ways similar to Gen's setup.

I've never had an issue with anything getting upset by the light, except rarely if an insect etc has big eyes and I shoot a of shots, they sometimes turn away, or rub an arm over their eye. Praying mantis don't care for too much light. but I've never had anything become aggressive.

Gen, I'm laughing, jumping spiders that turn their back to you get me!!!!!

 

Thanks Gen & Carol - I'll have to see what Sony has that is similar. I was looking at a $45 Neewer ring light as a cheap alternative but I also didn't like the ring-shaped catchlight in the eyes.  I could try using my Nikon speedlight off camera, but would have to get a commander since the Sony doesn't have a pop-up flash to set it. I also have a large Gary Fong softbox thing that goes on it and spreads light very far but I think it would be useless and blocked by the lens when shooting so close.

 

 I used to have a micro Nikor 105mm that I bought used and sold for about what I paid for it more that a dozen years later. I was happier with it on my full frame D700 than on my D5100 crop frame backup camera. Now I have the 90mm G Series Macro which doubles as a great portrait lens and both my Sonys are full frame.

 

I'm regretting the purchase of the second Sony a few months ago a little, since there is other equipment I really want/need, although though not having to switch lenses so often is nice and knowing I have a backup is essential as I learned many years ago when the shutter on my D700 started acting up while I was shooting some kids jumping their horses.

 

I've sold a few large framed prints of some macros shot with my new setup lately, but through an agent who takes a healthy fee, so I haven't quite covered the cost yet of the new camera yet (and a,but hope to do so shortly)

 

 

[Rebecca Ore]

3 hours ago, Marianne said:

Thanks Gen & Carol - I'll have to see what Sony has that is similar. I was looking at a $45 Neewer ring light as a cheap alternative but I also didn't like the ring-shaped catchlight in the eyes.  I could try using my Nikon speedlight off camera, but would have to get a commander since the Sony doesn't have a pop-up flash to set it. I also have a large Gary Fong softbox thing that goes on it and spreads light very far but I think it would be useless and blocked by the lens when shooting so close.

 

I've seen descriptions of homemade brackets with small speedlights on cold shoes connected to the camera with cords in one of John Shaw's books.  I haven't had one made but have Godox radio controllers but no small Godox flashes (Godox TT350S Mini Thinklite TTL Flash for Sony Cameras).  B & H shows a DotLine dual flash macro bracket for a little under $70, but not in stock now (special order).  The guys there may be able to help you. 

 

I've got Godox flashes from a speed light through two AD200 strobes to a SK400 II plug-in with radio, infrared, and PC plug controls.   Good deals for the price, maybe somewhat less reliable than Nikon flashes.   I've never used Sony flashes, but they also make a small one.

 

Shaw also talks about lighting the backgrounds rather than have them go pure black, also some ways to go beyond 1 to 1, also the advantage of having reflectors made of crumpled aluminum foil on cardboard.  John Shaw's books are somewhat outdated (film era) but worth reading.   

 

I've used a small Nissin i40 flash on the hot shoe with its wide angle filter engaged, but while that works, it's not ideal.  The Godox TT350S flashes are $76 plus tax each.   I don't have one, so can't say how reliable they are.