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Insects of the day (2)

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  • wild edgeswild edges Posts: 10,497
    I hate this phone. It has three cameras (not including the narcissism one) and still can't take a good picture. I was trying to take a photo of this bee and it picked the sneaky beetle to focus on instead.
    If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
  • LunarSeaLunarSea Posts: 1,923
    Some fabulous insect shots! I've taken loads, I'll upload a few more later but for now, I am delighted to see a friend from last year back




    But never get your breakfast stuck on your tongue :lol:






    Seriously WOW! @NormandyLiz. Dare I ask what equipment you used and also what settings?
    Clay soil - Cheshire/Derbyshire border

    I play with plants and soil and sometimes it's successful

  • REMF33REMF33 Posts: 731
    edited July 2023
    @NormandyLiz On Basse Normandie - Orne - not far from Domfront. We do rarely get them in London so I suppose might in our bit of Normandy but I have never seen one. (Alas not there often enough.) My uncle in law used to get them a lot but he was a bit further south east in Sarthe.
    I did have a look, of course :) Gosh lens prices have shot up! One can hire it for £25 for a weekend or day hire, though... When I get back from my holiday, perhaps.
    I'd be quite interested to know what shutter speed (and lens) you used too!
  • REMF33REMF33 Posts: 731
    Slow-worm said:
    @REMF33 I love all these photos, but yours are my favourite of today!

    Aw thanks!
  • NormandyLizNormandyLiz Posts: 788
    As requested, I use a Canon 60D (ancient and battered), and for macros I have a Tamron 90mm f2.8 macro lens, which is 1:1. That shot was on f5.6 (I think it's a little more forgiving than a wider aperture for flying insects), iso 320, shutter speed 1/2000. Faster would have been nicer to limit the wing movement, but then the blurred wings do give a feeling of how they fly.

    If it helps at all, I tend to shoot insects in high speed bursts unless they really aren't moving at all, and even then I'll use it if there's any wind. No tripod so you can go with it. And the real key is to focus on the eyes. 


  • I hate this phone. It has three cameras (not including the narcissism one) and still can't take a good picture. I was trying to take a photo of this bee and it picked the sneaky beetle to focus on instead.
    You can tell the phone where to focus by touching the screen at that position.
  • wild edgeswild edges Posts: 10,497
    You can tell the phone where to focus by touching the screen at that position.
    This phone doesn't listen sadly. With closeups it starts flicking between cameras and confusing itself if the objects are too small. I've found that I have to get my hand behind the object to stop it trying to focus on the background but it either makes a terrible photo or scares the insect away. I think the focus selector area is too wide but I can't see a setting to make it smaller.

    If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
  • NormandyLizNormandyLiz Posts: 788
    That's a superb shot, @Sheps. Even if you'd rather not have the weevil there to model for you.
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