Insect macro

Very hard to do this sort of stuff in windy conditions! Are these crops using the 100mm and the ringflash?

OK - they're crap !!!



There does seem to be a bit harsh lighting from your flash. But can't really do a critique on macro Geordie. Wish I was able to take shots as good as this.

Lighting is too harsh for me, got a diffuser? I don't use flash at all for macro infact much prefer natural light and keeping it simple with the camera settings.
While they are focused, they seem lacking in critical sharpness which is really required to raise a macro. Perhaps you've reached the limits of the lens abilities, the crop is too harsh, or my guess maybe the ISO is too high and that's destroying the definition?
Apart from that you've done well on a windy day, I was in the garden today myself and just gave up!

I'd say it was the wrong sort of wind for the tripod used.

Lose the TC and replace with tubes, that way there is no extra glass to muddy the image

The photobucket jpg is a sharper than how it shows on this forum. I'd agree it's a bit burnt out on the legs (too harsh flash), but the bigger part of the challenge here is composition I think. The fly doesn't pop as much as it could because there are other distracting elements competing for the viewer's attention (flowers).