It’s another rather murky day. Lovely and warm, windless and surprisingly midge free or almost. I went out early with the dogs and didn’t bother taking a camera. A Cleg landed on my shirt and I spotted the little devil before it bit me. They have the most beautiful eyes so I went out with the 100mm macro, flash and stuck on 56mm of extension tubes. Needless to say I couldn’t find another one.
I did find three or four of these………………………………..
The next one is something else. Not only is it about two thirds the size but it’s eyes join in the middle.
That’s it for today. The hit rate is very low. I have stopped using a tripod for insects. It’s f9 up to f13, manual focus at closest and then try and find the little darlings. Half the time they have cleared off when I rock focus to where they were. The other images are usually out of focus. It is a matter of practise and patience. A lot more of both in my case but at least the individual eye lenses can be seen a bit in the first image. A first for me.
Enjoy Sunday, I hope I’m still in the UK this time next week. I was invited to a BBQ last night and for the first time folk were debating the issue of separation. I love Scotland but had to get off the fence. I told them it was at the best a bit divisive and at the worst treason. We then had a ridiculous conversation. Apparently RBS and Lloyds Bank have threatened to move to England. Seeing as both are bankrupt I really can’t see Scotland giving a toss the caber.
Have fun.
Impressive hand held macro Adrian.
ReplyDeleteI'll be glad when this independence nonsense is over. England can't be that bad a place, there's loads of jocks here.
Keith my best yet. It's a matter of finger eye co-ordination. The more I do it the better they will get. Never as good as the best because I only aspire to be better than middling.
DeleteNo matter which way the vote goes it will make bugger all difference. Ireland got the free state and I can go there when I want. Cameron, Clegg and Milliband did the 'NO' campaign no favours when they poled up. Northern English are getting sick of the royals, and the hoorays running our country. The Scots just regard them as tossers sans caber.
It's just a bit of fun.
Oh, I hope you're still in the UK this time next week, too. I shall be really heartbroken if GB becomes even smaller.
ReplyDeleteWhat's a cleg?
Frances, it won't make a jot of difference. So don't panic.
DeleteI am shifting my 'of no fixed abode' to Scotland. Regardless.
Politicians think they have power and prove it all the time by passing legislation. They tell lies better than second hand car dealers. They cut the security of our nation so that they can have pay rises. Awful people. Like bankers and corporate heads. There is no penalty for failure.
Their biggest sin is being reactive and not proactive. Any good manager should be the latter.
England since Wilson has been governed by a clique centred within a hundred mile radius of Buck House. It couldn't get smaller than that.
A Cleg is a big tan coloured horse fly. It has wonderfully iridescent eyes and a bite worse than a tigers
PS. Frances don't give it a moments thought. We survived the loss of America, Australia, New Zealand, India and before that bits of France. Why we hang onto a bit of Spain is beyond me but it does give the degenerates somewhere to live and insurance companies somewhere to hide.
DeleteBeautiful macro with the 56mm extension tube, and I have heard of that before.
ReplyDeleteBob. at 56mm extention on 100mm I can fill the frame with a big fly. It takes a bit of time to do it right but if I do I can print at a meter square.
Deletewhat fantastic close ups, well worth the rocking in an out to get the image. Scotland. i dont care what they do as long as i wake up each morning. Great photos.
ReplyDeletepeter
Peter, it is basically stuff and nonsense. Had Dithery let them include Devmax then the job would be done. He is just a useless lump of expensive, arrogant, spineless lard.
DeleteCracking macros Adrian, don't know the ID of the smaller one (why does nature make it so difficult?....)
ReplyDeleteThese are True Flies of the order Diptera (having two wings) and you can tell the sexes apart by the eyes...on the male they are close together and separated on the female.
I suppose, to help you blend in and avoid deportation after next week, you'll have to break out that tartan skirt that you've been keeping tucked away?
No aurora pictures yet?...[;o)
Trevor, I assumed it was a male cos in hoverflies it is the same. I couldn't find reference to flesh flies being the same. When I found there were a couple of thousand different ones I thought bugger it. I'll just try and get the wee beauties in focus. and sod their willies and fannies.
DeleteI will stay the same. I'm English and only funny men wear women's clothes in England.
No a waste of time though there was a good blip on Lancaster Universities Magne whatsit.
You know I really don't get this whole separation thing. As someone who comes from a country that separated itself I can say without a doubt, the the whole is stronger then it's parts. Great macro shots.
ReplyDeleteMersad
Mersad Donko Photography
Mersad, we have two societies in the UK. The Plebs and the ruling class. The latters time should have been a thing of the past. The ruling class feed enough money out of the trough to keep the normal folk in beer and fags. It needs a good shake up.
DeleteYour country didn't so much separate as implode. I seem to remember I was in the Aegean trying to find mines which you lot or the other lot had laid. Both sides shooting at us. That was a problem we created after the second war. So no worries as long as you are happy now.
Don't say you separated voluntarily many NATO soldiers died to protect the weak and sort your country out. They did their best to stop you committing crimes that the civilised world hadn't seen for two hundred years.
Amazing macro images. I'd like to have been the fly on the wall for when Fardre turned up. The whole "banks" moving was a sneaky move, it's funny when the supermarkets joined in too, but smiled when the supermarkets with no political allegiances said it might save them money but it was too early to tell either way (Lidl/Aldi).
ReplyDeleteI heard last night and tonight might be good for some Northern lights action. No idea what time though
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DeleteFARAGE NOT FARDRE
DeleteDouglas, I'll have a few more hours with macro before the winter.
DeleteThis referendum has got a bit silly.
The greatest activity was between laate on Friday. Nothing happened here.
You may have missed the cleg , but you certainly got lucky with the flies. I hate to see a separation for dubious reasons. The reasons I hear sound pretty shallow. But I'm sure they'll keep a nice old guy like you!
ReplyDeleteRed, it isn't so much luck as just taking lots of images and praying. The hit rate is less than 25%.
DeleteI will be glad when the referendum is over.
I prefer the flies to the talk of separation as I have no idea about the whys and wherefores of your politics. And don't care to know. There is enough political nonsense here at the moment with our elections next Saturday.
ReplyDeletePauline, it has an upside. I only get one newspaper a week.
DeleteSpectacular photos of those flies Adrian. You will have go hunting for 100x midges next ~ now that is a ridiculous thought ;)
ReplyDeleteCarol, I don't have a microscope so I can only get 5X life size. They will print at over a meter wide so would look spectacular.
DeleteI applaud you for the sharpness of these images. I cannot do macros.
ReplyDeleteJohn, I wish I could say it was down to clean living. The Canon 100mm macro lens is a beauty.
DeleteBrilliant macro shots Adrian. I am quite green with envy.
ReplyDeleteJohn they are my best yet. I was surprised how well they turned out.
DeleteThey are the most wonderful shots and (using cmd instead of ctrl on Apple) the enhanced images are spectacular. This may be the post that has tipped me over the edge and back into DSLR land (although I'd keep my bridge cameras too).
ReplyDeleteGraham, I still have an Olympus bridge camera but rarely use it now as it gobbles batteries and the lens wobbles about.
DeleteI am happy with these. you can do a great deal with a 21MB image 5616x3744px.
These are all cropped but not seriously and would print easily at arouun 2' to 3'. There are some good spiders in the stables so I will go looking for them tomorrow.
The flash on these images is automatic. It's a ring flash and I have 1/4 the power to one side. The camera works it all out by having a flash just before the main one.
I just love playing.
Woooww ... Excelentes macros Adrian. Son de profesional!!
ReplyDeleteUn abrazo.
Thank you Laura, I am happy with these.
DeleteHi Adrian, Yes, I have decided to post again hopefully regularly. Was not much inspired until today. I always hated insects - never knew they look like that. They do look fascinating and beautiful in your pictures :))
ReplyDeleteWe survived the loss of America, Australia, New Zealand, India and before that bits of France. Why we hang onto a bit of Spain is beyond me but it does give the degenerates somewhere to live and insurance companies somewhere to hide. ---- he he he!! great comment.
Ruby, there are very delicate and some are beautifully coloured seen close up.
DeleteAnd Im glad to know that you re doing well and having fun :))
ReplyDeleteRuby, I am fine at the moment.
DeleteAbsolutely perfect macros Adrian, they're so hard to shoot!
ReplyDeleteMaria, I have several pictures of places an insect used to be. Little blighters fly away Just as I get them in focus.
DeleteIt seems "Meant to Be" to meet you just when all eyes are indeed on what Scotland will do next! I appreciate your view from the grass roots so to speak.
ReplyDeleteCloudia, there is not much interest or passion in the Highlands but down here near Perth matters are getting a bit heated.
DeleteI'll get some photographs.