RagE's "Bugography" 2008

Awesome as always. I'm going to have to look into that RRS flash bracket. I'm using a delta 'flip' now.
 
Thanks guys!

Yep, the RRS flash bracket is great. Since it is an arc, the flash head can be rotated around to change the lighting angle - real handy.

Anyhow, here are the last images from Point Farms

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A marbled orb weaver:
spider44.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f22, 1/60, handheld with dual flash


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These two long-jawed orbweavers just finished mating and now she is trying to eat him! The wrestled like this for quite some time and finally he got away.
spidereatmate.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f25, 1/60, handheld with flash, diffuser
That one was a rather difficult photo to get. There was a strong breeze that just wouldn't quit and kept blowing my diffusion umbrella away.


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Last leg of the trip had us at Marten River Provincial Park.

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This guy looks like he's puckered up for a big smooch:
kissme.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f8, 1/60, handheld with dual flash


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A tiger moth caterpillar:
catplr9.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f18, 1/60, handheld with flash


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An thread-waisted wasp clinging to (I think) a white sweet clover:
ichwasp.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f22, 1/60, handheld with dual flash


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I suppose this isn't a view you'd want to see if you were a bug:
spider46.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f22, 1/60, handheld with dual flash


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This crab spider has caught a stablefly:
gotcha2.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f20, 1/60, handheld with dual flash


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A leafhopper:
leafhopper.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f18, 1/60, handheld with dual flash


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A treehopper:
treehopper.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f22, 1/60, handheld with dual flash


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Hoverfly:
hoverfly2.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f22, 1/60, handheld with dual flash


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Some kind of wasp:
ftlgwasp.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f22, 1/60, handheld with dual flash


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A dainty little white crab spider sitting on an aster blossom:
spider45.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f22, 1/60, handheld with dual flash
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Here are the final images from Marten River Provincial Park:

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Another view of the crab spider with her stablefly:
gotcha2b.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f20, 1/60, handheld with dual flash


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Not sure what this little spider is - maybe a hahnid:
spider47.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f29, 1/60, handheld with flash



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This stink bug is getting ready to do his thing:
stink5.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f22, 1/60, handheld with dual flash
.[/QUOTE]


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A different variety of grass spider:
spider48.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f22, 1/60, handheld with dual flash


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I also took a few pics of the gear I use to capture these images:

This is the 200mm Nikkor. Easily 90% of the pictures I take are through this lens:

200macrogear.jpg



For increased magnification (up to 1.75:1) I will add Kenko's Auto Extension tube set to the 90mm Tamron

90macro1p75x.jpg



You'll notice in many of the image notes, I will describe using dual flash. In order to elevate the second wireless unit, I attach it to an old monopod that I have epoxied a spike to:

flashstick.jpg


In upcoming images I will describe using triple flash. That looks like this:

flashstick2.jpg
 
So back to Northern Ontario. These images were captured at Esker Lakes Provincial Park:

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A teaberry:
teaberry.jpg

Nikon D2X, Tamron 90mm f2.8, f7.1, 1/15, tripod mounted, focus rail, polarizer


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These huge caterpillars were all over the park. Turns out they are luna moths:
lunacat.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f22, 1/60, handheld with flash

lunacat2.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f20, 1/60, handheld with flash

lunacat3.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f18, 1/60, handheld with triple flash


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This big-headed spider is a hackledmesh weaver:
spider50.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f22, 1/60, monopod with triple flash


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A borer:
borer.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f22, 1/60, handheld with flash


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A fly:
fly11.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f18, 1/60, handheld with flash


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A millipede:
millipede.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f22, 1/60, handheld with flash


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Eek! Help me!!!:
eek.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f22, 1/60, handheld with flash


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A milkweed blossom:
milkweed.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f16, 1/60, monopod with triple flash


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This little spider was in this exact same location 3 mornings in a row. I originally started off with my typical 1:1 close up but decided to pan back and get the whole leaf. Glad I did 'cause I love the two-tone background:
spider49.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f18, 1/60, monopod with triple flash


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Stunning. Thanks for the meta-pics of the gear, keep those coming too. I'm surprised you havent experimented more with CLS tho. With those wires all over the place 2003 called and they want em back! =p
 
D2X doesn't have a pop-up to act as the commander so you need to either put it in the hotshoe or use a remote cable. Only the main flash is "wired", the others are all fired via CLS
 
A little closer to home at Kettle Lakes Provincial Park:

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You can see as we get to the end of the season the bugs are starting to look old. Here is an assassin bug:
assassin2.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f22, 1/60, handheld with flash


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"Roger, clear for take-off":
takeoff.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f18, 1/60, handheld with triple flash


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A tiny little wood frog:
frog4.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f16, 1/60, monopod with triple flash


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Not sure what this is - a cranefly maybe?
cranefly3.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f22, 1/60, monopod with triple flash


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A fat stinkbug:
stink6.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f22, 1/60, monopod with triple flash


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A little wolf:
spider52.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f22, 1/60, handheld with flash


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Another unidentified little guy:
beetle3.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f22, 1/60, monopod with triple flash


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A datana caterpillar:
catplr10.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f22, 1/60, monopod with triple flash


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Another little beetle:
beetle4.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f22, 1/60, monopod with triple flash


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A forest wolf:
spider51.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f25, 1/60, handheld with flash


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And a matched set of treehoppers:
twohoppers.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f22, 1/60, monopod with triple flash

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Great shot! Any poisonous spiders in Canada? I've seen several black widows around lately, I wish I'd had the presence of mind to take some good shots.
 
Amazing Pictures! I was wondering wth this thing was i took a similar picture of with my 50mm macro.
"A unique perspective of a harvestman:"

Neat, we dont have those in Cali, so I was ammused.. I think the one I took a picture of is the exact same species.
 
Great shot! Any poisonous spiders in Canada? I've seen several black widows around lately, I wish I'd had the presence of mind to take some good shots.

Thanks - glad you like 'em.
Larry Weber (Author of "Spiders of the North Woods") said:
Only a few spiders have venom virulent enough to be harmful to be harmful to humans, and none live in the North Woods. Remember, spiders are timid; and even if provoked to attack, most have fangs that are too tiny to puncture human skin.
 
Amazing Pictures! I was wondering wth this thing was i took a similar picture of with my 50mm macro.
"A unique perspective of a harvestman:"

Neat, we dont have those in Cali, so I was ammused.. I think the one I took a picture of is the exact same species.


Thanks! Actually, those guys are everywhere in North America (fields on tree trunks and open ground).
 
Although I do still have a few hundred images to sort and process (and hope to get out again before the snow flys), work has just had me running too crazy to take the time.

Here are a couple 100% crops of above images:

hoverfly2detail.jpg



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cranefly3detail.jpg



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Here is the little toad on the toadstool with his eyes open:

toad2.jpg



And an ant grabbing eggs and running off with them before the evil photographer eats them:

anteggs2.jpg


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Pics are epic as hell....
But I hate you for giving me nightmares now for my arachnophobia. Shit head!

Heh, my girlfriend is the same way! I sent these photos to her and she freaked about the spiders! :D

But the photos really are great.
 
Freakin' sweet pictures, they look so good and clear. How much does all the equipment cost?
 
dude.. wow.. just.. wow..

i gotta ask, what is your keep to toss ratio on these sorts of pics??? keep maybe 1 in 10 shots 1 in 100??? I know having good equipment makes a hugh difference, but we are talking critters here, and they dont like to hold still.

 
Freakin' sweet pictures, they look so good and clear. How much does all the equipment cost?

Total equipment cost is astronomical. As I've said before, this is the single most expensive hobby I've ever been involved with. The usual gear I'll use to capture these images (not including extra stuff carried in backpack) is in the $10k range


dude.. wow.. just.. wow..

i gotta ask, what is your keep to toss ratio on these sorts of pics??? keep maybe 1 in 10 shots 1 in 100??? I know having good equipment makes a hugh difference, but we are talking critters here, and they dont like to hold still.

You said it. Sometimes the subject will stick around and let me snap off fifty frames. Other times I'll get only a few images.

For example, this guy:
snake3.jpg

was curious and let me take around 30 pictures of him.

This guy on the other hand:
snake2.jpg

poked his nose out of the leaves only long enough for me to get a single frame.
 
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