Fantastic light and tones in these, along with superb composition.
It almost feels deserted but if it's anything like when I was there years ago, I'd say it was anything but.
You can almost feel the age in these.
Great shooting 👏👏👏

I would second that. It was a good read too 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

As above. Haven't seen one in years. Nicely shot. And good to see you are looking after them 👏👏👏

Well I got a reply today, they were able to give me an ID from the images I submitted.

Your insect appears to be a solitary wasp from the genus Croosocerus. The females burrow into dead wood, lay their eggs and provision the growing larvae with small flies and other insects.

Best wishes

Jim Hardie

So thanks for the link Mick 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

Anyone got directions ???

Cheers again guys 👍🏻👍🏻
Nigel,
The reverse is what happens. The closer I get the more flash I need.
With some of them I am so close that the bug is inside the range of the flash cone, it's a ringflash and I had to make a hood to fit inside the ring as the diffuser was pushing the light across the front element and causing flare, so the closer I get the more I need. Usually flash is on 1/8th 1/4 or 1/2 power. I can drop it to 1/128th
You may be right about these being a little over cooked. As I shoot everything to suit me and don't much bother with histogram. I just go by eye. 🤔🤔🤔 not going to be always right.
Nearly always fun though 😁😁😁

Thanks everyone, as ever your comments are much appreciated, I really do enjoy getting out in the garden and rooting around for bugs 😁😁😁


Cheers Tyr,
I don't have a 180mm sigma. It's out of my price range, it shows up as a 180mm lens as I have to input a fl for Sr.
My macro kit is
K1
Bellows
Sigma 105mm macro
Ringflash and home made diffuser.
With this setup I can get to about 5:1 magnification depending on the bug in question. Maybe a little more.

Well that was a productive walk. Cracking set hard to pick a fav, as you caught the light and shade so well on all. But I'll go for 3 just for its abstractness and textures 👍🏻

That could well be true, then health and safety could kick in and everyone pushed back to a ridiculous distance, and ruin it for every one.

I'm not going to go into the use of flash or how well it has worked here, as its not an area that I know about, but however you did it, it seems to have worked really well. That first shot, I wouldnt have known flash was used at all, and its interesting to see how the separation plays a huge part in the dof even at f1.4.
Cracking set, with the 1st one being my pick