Now that it's spring and the critters are out, I'm trying out macro photography again. These three images were taken with the Panagor 90mm/f2.8 lens.

I find macro photography incredibly frustrating. Most of my shots are out of focus and those crazy bugs want to move around all the time! I guess I got lucky and happened to catch them still in these images. Nice thing about flowers is they cooperate!

Anyway, I hope you like these. Thanks very much for taking a look!

[Bob Harris]

I am going to be completely honest with you Lori, these are just plain wonderfully great. Love the detail, clarity, DOF and color, I wish I could find something I don't like, but I can't. Bob

[joe.penn]

Super nice shots Lori!!!!!!

[charliezap]

A very nice series Lori that makes me itch to get outside into the world of small.--charliezap

[bluestringer]

Excellent macro shots. The color and detail is outstanding. Very well done.

[MSL]

I can't see why you find it frustrating when you can produce brilliant results like this!
I'm playing around with macro, using handheld and extension tubes. On the rare occasion when I get things in focus, I find I've forgotten to hit the green button so the exposure settings are all wrong.
I'd be interested in seeing the EXIF data from these images to see if I could learn from them.

[slowpez]

Good lord, the reflections in the eyes on the first one, the incredible detail in the second and the marvelous color in the third. You should stay frustrated. Absolutely beautiful all.

[Cee Cee]

wow! that lens and your talent, quite some combination.

[loco]

I am going to be completely honest with you Lori, these are just plain wonderfully great. Love the detail, clarity, DOF and color, I wish I could find something I don't like, but I can't. Bob

Aww, Bob, that's awfully sweet of you! I appreciate those very kind words!

Super nice shots Lori!!!!!!

Glad you like them, Joe! Thanks and thanks for the lens!

A very nice series Lori that makes me itch to get outside into the world of small.--charliezap

Many thanks, Charlie! I look forward to your shots!!

Excellent macro shots. The color and detail is outstanding. Very well done.

Many thanks for those nice comments!!

I can't see why you find it frustrating when you can produce brilliant results like this!
I'm playing around with macro, using handheld and extension tubes. On the rare occasion when I get things in focus, I find I've forgotten to hit the green button so the exposure settings are all wrong.
I'd be interested in seeing the EXIF data from these images to see if I could learn from them.

Thank you so much! I appreciate that! I'm in the same boat - focusing is difficult with macro.

The bumblebee and fly shots were either at f11 or f14 (sorry, manual lens and I'm not certain which). ISO 160, and shutter speed 1/160s. I used the ring flash.

The dogwood shot was f11 I believe at ISO 200, 1/125s.

Hope this is helpful!

Good lord, the reflections in the eyes on the first one, the incredible detail in the second and the marvelous color in the third. You should stay frustrated. Absolutely beautiful all.

Many thanks Susan!

wow! that lens and your talent, quite some combination.

Thank you so much, CC! Really appreciate those wonderful comments!

[MSL]

Thank you so much! I appreciate that! I'm in the same boat - focusing is difficult with macro. The bumblebee and fly shots were either at f11 or f14 (sorry, manual lens and I'm not certain which). ISO 160, and shutter speed 1/160s. I used the ring flash. The dogwood shot was f11 I believe at ISO 200, 1/125s. Hope this is helpful!

Very helpful. I'm trying to shoot macro with no flash, handheld, so getting to high f numbers only happens when it is really bright (while at the same time with the sun at an angle that neither I nor the camera cause shadows)

[loco]

Very helpful. I'm trying to shoot macro with no flash, handheld, so getting to high f numbers only happens when it is really bright (while at the same time with the sun at an angle that neither I nor the camera cause shadows)

I'm glad it was helpful. I have had virtually no success shooting macro without a flash. The lens I'm using is 90mm and requires a fairly high shutter speed to prevent camera shake, so a lot of light is required. Plus, flash really helps to freeze the action.

[Den]

Great shots!
Don't you wish you could just blink your eyes and be able to see closeup like this when you wanted to. (Except when looking in the mirror of course). Might not ever get out of my backyard though

[loco]

Great shots!
Don't you wish you could just blink your eyes and be able to see closeup like this when you wanted to. (Except when looking in the mirror of course). Might not ever get out of my backyard though

Thank you so much, Den! Glad you like them. Yes, I'd love to have that ability!

Oh, and for the record, I was corrected on Flickr. Apparently, that is a male carpenter bee, not a bumblebee. I had no idea there was a difference!

[bluestringer]

I'm with loco. I tried shooting macro without a flash, and hardly ever had a decent shot. I invested 50 bucks in a Sunpak ring flash and it really changed my macro shooting. Get a lot more keepers.

[MSL]

I agree my keeper rate is pretty low, but I'm okay with that. And I'm not going to argue with anyone who shoot with flash. But the images you get with and without are completely different. Almost all the with flash images I've seen are fully lit up, Great for seeing colours and details, but as the loss of the contrast that comes from having shadows. There is also the temptation to use a small aperture, which gives a great depth of field, but that too can add or subtract from the impact the image has. I've posted a few of my first attempt macro images recently if you want to see what I mean.
I'll also note that I push myself to shoot handheld macro so that I can shoot low light non-macro at slower and slower shutter speeds or with slightly higher apertures than I might otherwise be able to shoot.