Bugs, birds and blooms...

Bugs, birds and blooms... · 09:48 PM

... FINALLY!

Spring has made an appearance here, so I got out and did a little shooting...

I'm think I'm starting to get a feel for the Sigma 180 macro-K20D combo... and it's pretty sweet

All shots are hand-held jpegs with minimal PP.

My First Official Fly of 2008! (It's dining on some spilled sugar water on the hummingbird feeder)
Pentax K20D ,Sigma 180mm f/3.5 EX APO Macro IF
1/500s f/9.0 at 180.0mm iso640

My First Official Honeybee of 2008! I love bugs!!! (Could you tell?)
Pentax K20D ,Sigma 180mm f/3.5 EX APO Macro IF
1/800s f/9.0 at 180.0mm iso400

My First Official Wildflowers of 2008!!
Pentax K20D ,Sigma 180mm f/3.5 EX APO Macro IF
1/1000s f/9.0 at 180.0mm iso500

Star Magnolia Bloom... the whole tree will be in bloom by tomorrow afternoon.
Pentax K20D ,Sigma 180mm f/3.5 EX APO Macro IF
1/500s f/6.3 at 180.0mm iso100

The 180's not bad as a medium telephoto, either...
A Wood Duck that landed near us as we were walking through a local park this afternoon.

LaRee · 04-05-2008, 09:56 PM

Wow Bud, you don't mess around now do you? Looks like spring has inspired you. Excellent series my friend!

nycxaro · 04-05-2008, 11:03 PM

Hey Bud- it looks like you are really taking advantage of the warmer weather and your new camera gear. I have never been any good at shooting macros, but they always fascinate me when they are done well. The first shot with the fly is simply awesome.

Geyst · 04-05-2008, 11:30 PM

Love your Fly picture! Sharp on the eyes, lovely contrast with the red.
weldone!

Its fun to make macro's without a tripod but you would be amazed about the quality that you gain with a good tripod/balhead combination.

Guido

daacon · 04-06-2008, 05:49 AM

Well done Bud - all the shots are good but the fly is outstanding (capturing the drop ) Great series.

**Eaglerapids** · 04-06-2008, 08:27 AM

Oh my, the fly is incredible and what a great shot of the Wood duck! I LOVE Wood ducks, gorgeous creatures.

scott-devon · 04-06-2008, 08:33 AM

Beautiful shots Bud, love the fly shot and the wood duck.

roentarre · 04-06-2008, 08:02 PM

Wow, spring definitely brings energy to photographers. I can see another frenzy from you taking photos of insect macro and spring flowers.

The first shot is definitely something that I just could not produce for some time. That eyes are just so beautifully captured (no blown highlights at all!)

**Ash** · 04-06-2008, 08:20 PM

Well done, Bud the bug guy!
First two are stunners - colours and details abound!
Thanks for sharing!

axl · 04-07-2008, 02:27 AM

the fly is incerdible, absolutely georgeous photo

aspyrin · 04-07-2008, 03:02 AM

Hello Bud!

That fly is amazing, well done!

Peter Zack · 04-07-2008, 03:54 AM

As everyone has said great shots and you're putting the new gear to great use. The bug shot is amaging. We'll see "Bud's Bug calendars" by the end of the year I bet! The wood Duck is great as well. Excellent colur and sharpness in the other 3.

Bud · 04-07-2008, 05:42 AM

Originally posted by LaRee

Wow Bud, you don't mess around now do you? Looks like spring has inspired you. Excellent series my friend!

Laree - Thanks! I think we all get our own brand of spring fever when the blooms start popping and the bugs start crawling. I love this time of the year!

Thanks again,

Bud

Originally posted by nycxaro

Hey Bud- it looks like you are really taking advantage of the warmer weather and your new camera gear. I have never been any good at shooting macros, but they always fascinate me when they are done well. The first shot with the fly is simply awesome.

I've found macro photography to be a lot like golf... very frustrating at times, to the point you swear you're finished with it. And then... you get one really nice shot... and you're hooked all over again!

Thanks for your comments!

Bud

Originally posted by Geyst

Love your Fly picture! Sharp on the eyes, lovely contrast with the red.
weldone!

Its fun to make macro's without a tripod but you would be amazed about the quality that you gain with a good tripod/balhead combination.

Guido

Guido - I have actually invested in a tripod/ball head this year and will be putting it to good use this summer. Thanks for the comments!

Bud

Originally posted by daacon

Well done Bud - all the shots are good but the fly is outstanding (capturing the drop ) Great series.

daacon - Thanks! The fly was fascinating to watch as it seemed to "hoover" moisture drops (that I couldn't see) from the surface of the feeder and gradually the drop would form, getting bigger and bigger and then , apparently, it would ingest it. My favorite part of the whole macro process is observing up close all of the things that are happening around me that I'd never see otherwise.

Nature rocks!

Bud

KrisK10D · 04-07-2008, 05:44 AM

Macros of flies make me reach for the Mortein

Love the duck. Beautiful colours!

Buddha Jones · 04-07-2008, 05:47 AM

Great shots, that fly is amazing.

[Please Pentax, DA*200 Macro]

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04-05-2008, 09:56 PM	#2
LaRee Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: San Diego Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,225	Wow Bud, you don't mess around now do you? Looks like spring has inspired you. Excellent series my friend!

04-05-2008, 11:03 PM	#3
nycxaro Forum Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: NYC Posts: 95	Hey Bud- it looks like you are really taking advantage of the warmer weather and your new camera gear. I have never been any good at shooting macros, but they always fascinate me when they are done well. The first shot with the fly is simply awesome.

04-05-2008, 11:30 PM	#4
Geyst Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Maaseik, Belgium Photos: Gallery Posts: 158	Love your Fly picture! Sharp on the eyes, lovely contrast with the red. weldone! Its fun to make macro's without a tripod but you would be amazed about the quality that you gain with a good tripod/balhead combination. Guido

04-06-2008, 05:49 AM	#5
daacon Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Alberta,Canada Photos: Gallery Posts: 20,914	Well done Bud - all the shots are good but the fly is outstanding (capturing the drop ) Great series.

04-06-2008, 08:27 AM	#6
Eaglerapids Site Supporter Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Idaho,USA Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,619	Oh my, the fly is incredible and what a great shot of the Wood duck! I LOVE Wood ducks, gorgeous creatures.

04-06-2008, 08:33 AM	#7
scott-devon Inactive Account Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Alberta Posts: 2,140	Beautiful shots Bud, love the fly shot and the wood duck.

04-06-2008, 08:02 PM	#8
roentarre Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 11,783	Wow, spring definitely brings energy to photographers. I can see another frenzy from you taking photos of insect macro and spring flowers. The first shot is definitely something that I just could not produce for some time. That eyes are just so beautifully captured (no blown highlights at all!)

04-06-2008, 08:20 PM	#9
Ash Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Toowoomba, Queensland Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 23,920	Well done, Bud the bug guy! First two are stunners - colours and details abound! Thanks for sharing!

04-07-2008, 02:27 AM	#10
axl Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Nove Zamky, Slovakia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 7,183	the fly is incerdible, absolutely georgeous photo

04-07-2008, 03:02 AM	#11
aspyrin New Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Hungary Photos: Gallery Posts: 6	Hello Bud! That fly is amazing, well done!

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04-07-2008, 03:54 AM	#12
Peter Zack Pentaxian Moderator Emeritus Join Date: May 2007 Location: Edmonton Alberta, Canada Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 10,643	As everyone has said great shots and you're putting the new gear to great use. The bug shot is amaging. We'll see "Bud's Bug calendars" by the end of the year I bet! The wood Duck is great as well. Excellent colur and sharpness in the other 3.

04-07-2008, 05:42 AM	#13
Bud Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Ohio, USA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,699 Original Poster	Originally posted by LaRee Wow Bud, you don't mess around now do you? Looks like spring has inspired you. Excellent series my friend! Laree - Thanks! I think we all get our own brand of spring fever when the blooms start popping and the bugs start crawling. I love this time of the year! Thanks again, Bud Originally posted by nycxaro Hey Bud- it looks like you are really taking advantage of the warmer weather and your new camera gear. I have never been any good at shooting macros, but they always fascinate me when they are done well. The first shot with the fly is simply awesome. I've found macro photography to be a lot like golf... very frustrating at times, to the point you swear you're finished with it. And then... you get one really nice shot... and you're hooked all over again! Thanks for your comments! Bud Originally posted by Geyst Love your Fly picture! Sharp on the eyes, lovely contrast with the red. weldone! Its fun to make macro's without a tripod but you would be amazed about the quality that you gain with a good tripod/balhead combination. Guido Guido - I have actually invested in a tripod/ball head this year and will be putting it to good use this summer. Thanks for the comments! Bud Originally posted by daacon Well done Bud - all the shots are good but the fly is outstanding (capturing the drop ) Great series. daacon - Thanks! The fly was fascinating to watch as it seemed to "hoover" moisture drops (that I couldn't see) from the surface of the feeder and gradually the drop would form, getting bigger and bigger and then , apparently, it would ingest it. My favorite part of the whole macro process is observing up close all of the things that are happening around me that I'd never see otherwise. Nature rocks! Bud

04-07-2008, 05:44 AM	#14
KrisK10D Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Sydney, Australia Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,274	Macros of flies make me reach for the Mortein Love the duck. Beautiful colours!

04-07-2008, 05:47 AM	#15
Buddha Jones Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Charlotte, NC Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,587	Great shots, that fly is amazing. [Please Pentax, DA*200 Macro]