RagE's Summer Pics 2006 (new images November 17)

[PS-RagE]

This summer instead of making a bunch of seperate threads, I figured I would just run a single thread and add pics to it as I go.

So here we go - Summer 2006

I got this extra-green grasshopper in a giant thorn bush in my back yard:

Nikon D2X, Sigma 180mm Macro, F/18, 1/60, handheld with dual flash


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Same with this cannibal:

Nikon D2X, Sigma 180mm Macro, F/11, 1/60, handheld with dual flash


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Different grasshopper, same bush:

Nikon D2X, Sigma 180mm Macro, F/14, 1/60, handheld with dual flash


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I think this little fellow was trying to intimidate me. It was this "grabbing" position he was in that caught my attention in the first place:

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm Micro, F/20, 1/60, tripod mounted with dual flash


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So much detail is lost in the downsizing. Here is a 100% crop of the little spider:

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm Micro, F/20, 1/60, tripod mounted with dual flash


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A little skipper butterfly:

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm Micro, F/20, 1/60, handheld with dual flash


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Last weekend marked the start of the "tadpole exodus" as the new almost frogs make their first trips up the beach. Unfortunately as the giant photographer would approach the tiny frogs they would do an about face and tear back into the water. I had to sit in a single place, not moving, until one came in range of the camera. I only got this single frog before my wife had had enough. (edit: I learned afterwards that this is actually a toad) Note the tail:

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm Micro, F/18, 1/60, tripod mounted with flash


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I don't know what the hell this is. Some kind of mutant grasshopper, I guess. They sure could jump! (edit: turns out it is called a "Camel Cricket" aka "Cave Cricket")

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm Micro, F/22, 1/60, handheld with flash

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This one was funny. Ever get the feeling you're in over your head? I think this little spider may have:

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm Micro, F/22, 1/60, tripod mounted with dual flash


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And, of course, the mosquito. This image is cropped about 30%. I'm going to try for higher magnifications in the future:

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm Micro, F/20, 1/60, tripod mounted with dual flash


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More to come!


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[ZorPrime]

Nice... damn mosquitos...

 

[arkamw]

Fantastic pics, as always.

Seriously though, you guys that can get that close to bugs to take pics (I am assuming you aren't sitting in your lawn chair using a 5000x zoom lens) have some brass ones. That closest that I really want to be to those bugs is squashing them. Actually, I'd prefer not to be that close.

 

[fugu]

Amazing, as always. How's the bh-40 working out for you?

 

[AMD[H]unter]

I normally dont post in here, but I just had to. Rage, those are som eof the most beautiful photos I have ever seen.

 

[darktiger]

Wow, cool pics...

 

[jebo_4jc]

Nice pics for sure. Looking forward to the rest.

 

[Jason711]

i think it is a cricket...

 

[PS-RagE]

Fantastic pics, as always.

Seriously though, you guys that can get that close to bugs to take pics (I am assuming you aren't sitting in your lawn chair using a 5000x zoom lens) have some brass ones. That closest that I really want to be to those bugs is squashing them. Actually, I'd prefer not to be that close.

Thanks!

With the 200mm at 1:1 ratio, I get about a 8" working distance from the insect (or whatever). So that would put your face about 15" or so from the subject - not really that close.

 

[daphatgrant]

Very cool pics man, I will be keeping an eye on this thread .

 

[PS-RagE]

Amazing, as always. How's the bh-40 working out for you?

Thanks fugu.

I love the little BH-40! It was a tad awkward at first (since I am used to the Markins M20) but it didn't take long to adapt. I use the drop notch to point the lens downwards and since the Markins is a right-handed model, that puts the tension knob on the right side when the notch faces forward - kinda awkward. With the BH-40's 2 notches I get the best of both worlds.

 

[PS-RagE]

Thanks to everyone else. Hope you guys like bugs 'cause I chase them all summer! Fuzzy and feathered things too but mostly creepy crawlies.

Here is the next wave of processed images:


Ever see a pile of white bubbles attached to a tree that looks like someone spat on it? Inside is a tiny little bug who blows those spit bubbles to conceal himself. However, after a rain, the bubbles break leaving an exposed little bug in liquid. Here he is:

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm Micro, F/13, 1/60, handheld with dual flash


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Here is another in the "I've never seen one of these before" category:

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm Micro, F/18, 1/60, handheld with dual flash


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Another one:

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm Micro, F/13, 1/60, handheld with dual flash


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And a fly:

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm Micro, F/18, 1/60, handheld with dual flash


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More as I process


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[PS-RagE]

Oh, and remember the little RRS Groundpod I received last week? Well, it is indeed a sturdy little fellow. Check this out:

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My wife says it looks like a piece of field artillery



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[DamienThorn]

Wow. I've never seen such clear pictures of critters like this. Thanks for taking them and putting them up - they're amazing!

 

[Jason711]

OMG, ITS A FREAKIN LAZER!

 

[MixManSC]

Freaking sweet photo skills going on here !! Keep up the excellent work. Thats a badass camera setup as well dude.

 

[PS-RagE]

I guess this is the last of it for this week:

Nikon D2X, Sigma 180mm Macro, F/14, 1/6, tripod mount

 

[Jason711]

those are some sweet photos, thank you for sharing with us.

 

[PS-RagE]

Lots of images to process this week. I experimented with my lighting a little more than usual last time out. I think some of the results came out pretty cool.

This first one is, I think, my favorite of the lot. Kind of Gigerish:

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm Micro, F/11, 1/60, tripod mounted with flash


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The Chershire Worm:

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm Micro, F/14, 1/60, handheld with flash


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I backlit this fuzzy fellow with the setting sun:

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm Micro, F/8, 1/60, handheld with flash


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Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm Micro, F/11, 1/60, handheld with flash


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A good disguise:

Nikon D2X, Tamron 90mm Micro, F/11, 1/60, handheld with flash


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A romantic moment:

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm Micro, F/22, 1/60, handheld with flash


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This little spider was so tiny I could barely see him much less focus. I bracketed my focus points and this one came out best:

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm Micro, F/22, 1/60, handheld with flash


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Lots more to come!

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[PS-RagE]

Next batch:

I was surprised to see that this flower-munching bug was actually furry and not shiny as he appeared:

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm Micro, F/16, 1/60, handheld with flash


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A little shallow on the DOF but I am trying hard to keep the backgrounds from going black:

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm Micro, F/9, 1/60, handheld with flash


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Not too often these guys will let you get close enough to stick a 90mm in their face at 1:1!

Nikon D2X, Tamron 90mm Macro, F/22, 1/60, handheld with flash


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This one is a little macabre. These ants found a dead grasshopper in a tree and took it down piece by piece:

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm Micro, F/10, 1/60, handheld with flash

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[draconius]

Oh, and remember the little RRS Groundpod I received last week? Well, it is indeed a sturdy little fellow. Check this out:
My wife says it looks like a piece of field artillery
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holy fuck

so whats goin on over on mars, im sure you can see it with that bigass lens

 

[Keytronic]

I was going to ask what kind of lens was that and how much does it cost ??

Also how much for pictures of the lady undressing 20 blocks down from your house in the top right hand window lol

 

[koopaGG]

Ew. Lol.

 

[PS-RagE]

I was going to ask what kind of lens was that and how much does it cost ??

Also how much for pictures of the lady undressing 20 blocks down from your house in the top right hand window lol

It is a Sigma 300-800mm f/5.6.

 

[Keytronic]

It is a Sigma 300-800mm f/5.6.

Wow that is alot of jack for a lens but i'm guessing the distance and picture quality is amazing to say the least i'll keep that in mind instead of going on vaction honey i need this lol the woman down the street is kind of hot

 

[PS-RagE]

Got a few unusual ones this week:

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 2000mm Micro, F/22, 1/60, tripod-mounted w/ focusing rail and flash


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This guy looks like a deerfly but had an orangish body. He would hover loudly, checking me out. I put the camera in Manual mode so I could both stop action and get some DOF and let the flash light him up:

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm Macro, F/11, 1/500, handheld with flash


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A pokemon?

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm Macro, F/18, 1/60, handheld with flash


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Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm Macro, F/14, 1/60, handheld with flash


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This was some good practice in profane language. This little guy was cold so was sitting perfectly still and I wanted to capture the morning light but, of course, a breeze kept blowing:

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm Macro, F/22, 0.77", tripod-mounted with focusing rail


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This guy is really tiny. Those blossoms he is sitting on are yarrow. These images are the center half of the originals:

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm Macro, F/32, 1/60, tripod-mounted w/ focusing rail and flash


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Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm Macro, F/32, 1/60, tripod-mounted w/ focusing rail and flash


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More tomorrow

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[KodiakStar]

Simply amazing.

 

[4saken]

Excellent shots. Nice setup you have.

 

[PS-RagE]

These are a bit more "traditional" than the last couple of batches.

I believe this is a "carpenter bee". Can't say I'd ever seen these in Northern Ontario before:

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 2000mm Micro, F/18, 1/60, tripod-mounted w/ focusing rail and flash


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I accidentially knocked this guy's lunch out of his mouth after taking this pic:

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 2000mm Micro, F/25, 1/60, tripod-mounted w/ focusing rail and flash


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Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm Micro, F/16, 1/60, handheld with flash


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This nest was in the pin cherry tree from the picture above:

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm Micro, F/32, 1/60, handheld with flash


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The bush was just crawling with bees last weekend. Every flowering plant had three or four clinging to it:

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm Micro, F/25, 1/60, handheld with flash


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[Kadath]

FIRST CLASS

 

[s10010001]

very nice..

thanks for the hebby jibbies...

 

[PS-RagE]

Thanks!

Returned last Sunday from my annual week long (10 day) camping trip. Got a lot of images to process this time around. Here is the first wave:

The park was buzzing with these yellowjackets. They were eating everything in sight. There was a distinct lack of other insects in the park and although we did have a cold front hit mid-week, I'm pretty sure these guys were killing them off. This one was lying on his back in a pine tree eating another bug. I only got this single frame before he choked it back and flew away:

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm Micro, F/14, 1/60, handheld w/ flash


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Here was one of their victims - he's missing a few parts:

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm Micro, F/14, 1/60, handheld w/ flash


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Here is something you don't see too often (and probably never wanted to) - a slug crawling on a pile of bear shit! Yummy recycled blueberrys

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm Micro, F/14, 1/60, handheld w/ flash


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Speaking of blueberrys:

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm Micro, F/10, 1/15, tripod-mounted w/ focusing rail, reflector


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Many of the insects left in the park (i.e. not eaten by yellowjackets) were really little so I had to increase magnification. This tiny little fellow was making a cocoon as I watched! Neat stuff at around 2X:

Nikon D2X, Tamron 90mm Macro at full extension with additional 68mm extension, F/20, 1/60, tripod mounted w/ focusing rail and flash


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Now here is a little thing. This is a red spider mite. To the eye it doesn't look like much more than a dot. Can't guess at the magnification - 3X, 4X? I had about 1/2" working space. The background is my fingernail:

Nikon D2X, Tamron 90mm Macro at full extension with additional 68mm extension plus inverted 50mm, F/20, 1/60, tripod mounted w/ focusing rail and flash


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A real closeup of a stinkbug:

Nikon D2X, Tamron 90mm Macro at about half extension with additional 68mm extension plus inverted 50mm, F/20, 1/60, tripod mounted w/ focusing rail and flash


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Another in the realm of the tiny (around 2X). Saw quite a few of these strange little fellows. I'm not sure if this is something he carries on his back or if it is part of him. When they noticed you looking at them they would drop and hide under their "shells":

Nikon D2X, Tamron 90mm Macro at full extension with additional 68mm extension, F/16, 1/60, handheld w/ flash


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A spider in the woodpile:

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm Micro, F/16, 1/60, handheld w/ flash


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A little caterpillar munching at his perch:

Nikon D2X, Tamron 90mm Macro at full extension with additional 68mm extension, F/22, 1/60, handheld w/ flash


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Hey! What's going on under there?

Nikon D2X, Tamron 90mm Macro at full extension with additional 68mm extension, F/22, 1/60, handheld w/ flash


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Lots more to come........


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[Joves]

Great shots man. Now you got me thinking. I need to lean more towards the D2X, despite the extra weight and, cost. Have you used the 85mm f/2.8 PC Micro? Im wondering how good it is.

 

[PS-RagE]

Great shots man. Now you got me thinking. I need to lean more towards the D2X, despite the extra weight and, cost. Have you used the 85mm f/2.8 PC Micro? Im wondering how good it is.

Thanks

If you are interested in macro, what you need is glass (or tubes) and a flash bracket - not a new body.

No, I have not tried the 85mm PC. It is a neat sounding lens but certainly has its limitations. Here is a good article on it.

 

[Keytronic]

your posts so make me want to buy a 200mm micro

 

[Keytronic]

Hey! What's going on under there?

Nikon D2X, Tamron 90mm Macro at full extension with additional 68mm extension, F/22, 1/60, handheld w/ flash



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That quote makes the picture so awsome i think i'm going to use that as my desktop wallpaper

 

[PS-RagE]

Took a little time at the end of the day to process so here is some more.


Once again tried my hand at some LBBs (little brown birds):

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 80-400 VR at 400mm, F/7.1, 1/60, handheld w/ extended flash


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This guy was probably the biggest caterpillar I've ever seen:

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm Micro, F/14, 1/60, handheld w/ flash


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Some kind of bee?

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm Micro, F/14, 1/60, handheld w/ flash


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A little spider in its web rolls up dinner:

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm Micro, F/18, 1/60, handheld w/ flash


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This shy fellow didn't want to have his picture taken:

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm Micro, F/18, 1/60, handheld w/ flash


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I guess this is a lichen. Looks like something from War of the Worlds:

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm Micro, F/16, 1/60, tripod-mounted w/ flash


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My wife thought I was nuts poking my 12mm lens at this hive..... actually I used extension on the 80-400 to decrease the minimum focusing distance:

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 80-400 VR at 400mm with 68mm of extension, F/14, 1/60, tripod-mounted w/ focusing-rail and flash


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Although not a good technical photo (kinda cluttered), I still like this one. Did I mention LBBs are rather hard to photograph?

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 80-400 VR at 400mm, F/11, 1/60, handheld w/ extended flash


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Heres one for the whole family! A hungry yellowjacket chews the eye from a roadkilled chipmunk

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm, F/16, 1/60, handheld w/ flash


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more to follow.......

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[Absentee]

Heres one for the whole family! A hungry yellowjacket chews the eye from a roadkilled chipmunk

I loled

Nice shots. can't wait to see more. and I still envy your setup

 

[PS-RagE]

OK - last batch for tonight.

An isolated clump of ground cedar :

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm micro, F/5.6, 1/20, tripod-mounted

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Yet another LBB:

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 80-400 VR at 400mm, F/5.6, 1/320, handheld with extended flash


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Out with the Big Gun. Lots of woodpeckers in this park. This one was about 20 feet up a tree 40 feet away:

Nikon D2X, Sigma 300-800 at 800mm, F/5.6, 1/160, tripod mounted w/ extended flash


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Finally a cranefly that came out. These things glow like lightbulbs when you flash them. I've been trying to get a good pic of one all summer.

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm micro, F/16, 1/60, handheld with flash


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An empty chrysalis shell:

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm micro, F/16, 1/60, handheld with flash


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Another spider in the woodpile. You'll see more of this guy - got a number of good pics of him:

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm micro, F/20, 1/60, handheld with flash


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Back to the world of micro. The spikey bush on the right is a single juniper moss bunch. This whole scene was maybe 10 mm high:

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 60mm micro at full extension with 68mm additional extension, F/14, 1.3", tripod mounted w/ focusing rail, diffuser


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Thats all for tonight


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[wake6830]

These are fantastic photos. Please keep sharing!