Thanks for the comments guys.
Pete, I used Helicon and I'm sure it's good normally but I was almost certainly doing the shooting all wrong!
Gary that's a stunning shot and indeed I'm not convinced that everything needs to be in focus anyway (big fan of selective focus) but I'm just having a go at 'super-real' -long way to go yet
I didn't check- what lens did you use? I'm not convinced the SMC 100mm macro is very happy above f16 and with 100mm of extention tubes I definitely need some help with DOF.

Finally got round to having a go at stacking.
The software couldn't make head nor tail of my 20 images so I had to stack them by hand in PhotoShop.
Dead cranefly (and passenger, caught twice), K-x, F9, 1/6th (mirror up), table lamp lighting, tripod (no bellows or rack), SMC 100mm macro, focus moved on the lens ring.

Thanks Clarky,
I suspected I would be a bit late with this
Phenomenal work rate, and dedication - did you see the horsefly taking lunch in his arm?

gotta be dead and a stacked image?
But the resolution! is this a benefit of full frame or larger?

Thought I was fairly handy with a macro lens, apparently not.
link

Anagram (well, swapped initials) of my name, as opposed to bad spelling

Hey! nice one Amin, well done mate.
You definitely deserve it after all your patient experimentation. It always annoyed me how quickly you picked up the craft and how patient your wife was or was she glad to see the back of you down in your shed

how about this?

Sorry, I'll have to leave you to have the last word.
I bowed out with genuinely pertinent information.
I've got a life to lead now...

Well, I'm going to bow out gracefully with one more anecdote
The children came bursting into my bedroom this morning to find me reading the rest of Chris Evans' Auto biography on the iPhone. Ben sat next to me and asked about space shuttles so I flipped over to youTube and within seconds (on wifi)showed him some launches, full screen and beautifully clear.
He then started messing about in the window, so, still lying down I grabbed a couple of shots. This is the better composition but others controlled the highlights better.


Later this morning outside Molly's preschool, I was finally able to show one of the pregnant mums some examples of baby pictures. I had it cued up and put the phone to sleep in my pocket, thanks to multi-threading, I was able to whip it out and go instantly to my 'people' gallery where the baby was waiting to charm her