well some of the specifics are different, F-stop varied a bit
and I might have had a 20mm extension tube.

Yea I know I can't count. This should have been part 2 but I messed up lol.

Hope you all enjoy or find it interesting.

The full size of the raindrops on the yellow pollen is included here, it is what I cropped from to get the other shot.
But I think this is better because of the space and the nice red colours

5 banded wasps with upper and lower bunks
A ladybug eating a mite
an ant looking for a snack, and aphid would do nicely
the full version of a crop previously posted. ( your opinions on the 2 which do you think is the better ? I am interested to know which and why ). see https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/attachments/12-post-your-photos/543870d1...1-imgp3779.jpg

and an orchard spider, but with yellow spots on the backside, which I do not usually find.

[SelrahCharleS]

Nice shots! I really like the second and fourth ones.

[Philoslothical]

That water droplet shot is intense! I love the colours and the composition. You've got some very nice soft gradient backgrounds in your shots. On this scale it's about composition as much as depth of field; selecting the best distance of your background from the macro subject to get the effect. Well done.

Edit, and while I like both, I like the wider version above better than the tighter crop. Just personal preference. That blaze of bright red is very appealing.

[Mr. Ed]

Terrific series. I really like number 2 & 3 best of all. Thanks for sharing.

That water droplet shot is intense! I love the colours and the composition. You've got some very nice soft gradient backgrounds in your shots. On this scale it's about composition as much as depth of field; selecting the best distance of your background from the macro subject to get the effect. Well done.

Edit, and while I like both, I like the wider version above better than the tighter crop. Just personal preference. That blaze of bright red is very appealing.

I have very little time to compose a shot, I just try to make it feel nice, if it's that kind of a subject, flowers especially.
Things eating other things happen to fast to compose, and frankly, it's not like a creamy background will distract you from something being devoured lol

On the flower I was thinking the same, I really liked the red. It's intense without being overwhelming.
The creamy gradients are so much easier in macro than they are with my 300mm and birds. The lowest I can go is F4.5 and at 75 ft there just is not enough distance to separate, so I have the make the subject count lol. But come winter I will be shooting the birds at the Rookery

Thanks for the comment

---------- Post added 07-27-21 at 01:06 AM ----------

Terrific series. I really like number 2 & 3 best of all. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks Ed.
I really enjoy giving folks the chance to see things they would likely never see on their own, and perhaps inspire them

---------- Post added 07-27-21 at 01:09 AM ----------

Nice shots! I really like the second and fourth ones.

Thanks mate,
Those lady bugs do us a huge favour. Thos mites are prolific and are everywhere. The aphids as well, and ladybugs love them both

[reynb]

Great series! I like 3&4.

[PJ1]

All good again. I particularly like the way the last one is framed.

[JimS_256]

Wow, great series of macros. Thanks for posting!

And thanks to all for your comments.
Will have a Lynx spider and a tropical orb weaver Thursday.
I only see them once a year

[angkymac]

You teach me some things about the use of the 100mm f:2.8 macro.
Impressive.
Angky.

well angkymac this lens teaches me lol.
It is a nice lens, like so many other 100 and 105 mm macros.
But discovering the DOF being so shallow that virtually every shot has a nice soft background helps to isolate your subjects.
I have recently been using a 20 mm and 36 mm extension tubes as well to allow me to get closer.
And because of the shallow DOF I have had to become better at stacking lol.
I don't stack often, as most times I want that fade off to give a sense of depth.
But when I do need it, stacking is a blessing.

With and without the tubes I usually shoot at F9 - F11. ISO 250 with X sync flash at 1/180 sec.
Most times I shoot is before sunlight is bright enough and speed would be to slow, so flash for me is a must

[angkymac]

well angkymac this lens teaches me lol.
It is a nice lens, like so many other 100 and 105 mm macros.
But discovering the DOF being so shallow that virtually every shot has a nice soft background helps to isolate your subjects.
I have recently been using a 20 mm and 36 mm extension tubes as well to allow me to get closer.
And because of the shallow DOF I have had to become better at stacking lol.
I don't stack often, as most times I want that fade off to give a sense of depth.
But when I do need it, stacking is a blessing.

With and without the tubes I usually shoot at F9 - F11. ISO 250 with X sync flash at 1/180 sec.
Most times I shoot is before sunlight is bright enough and speed would be to slow, so flash for me is a must

Thank you much for your input.
Extension tubes I now have, but have not yet used them. I'll have to try that.
Also, the lighting--I've always used only ambient lighting for macros. The sharpness of your images must have something to do with the flash.
Again, thanks for the observations.
Angky.

[archaeodude]

Nice shots! I really like the second and fourth ones.

#2 and #4 are my favourites as well!

Thanks for sharing!

Thank you much for your input.
Extension tubes I now have, but have not yet used them. I'll have to try that.
Also, the lighting--I've always used only ambient lighting for macros. The sharpness of your images must have something to do with the flash.
Again, thanks for the observations.
Angky.

Your welcom Angky

If any word is useful that's a good thing.
With the tubes holding still will be much harder lol, for me anyway.
Before or at dawn for me is dark in a shaded/wooded area, With ambient light my shutter speed would be close to 1/10 sec and without
a tripod the resulting image would be useless.
The sharpness is in great part due to the lens, which is known to be quite sharp, and learning to hold bloody still which is not easy for me lol.
The rest is due to using a flash unit, preferably not the built in flash, although it can be used in a pinch.
Flash can be useful as it can stop much of the action, but not all.
The lower the flash setting the faster the light comes and goes and thus the more it stops action.
So being each flash unit has its own qualities this ends up being experimental at first.
I try to avoid high flash settings so to avoid creating a shadow. Many of my insect images have some shadow, which is ok, but to dark a shadow distracts and muddy s the scene in my opinion, and as of yet I do not know the best way to control that so I will ask folks in the Macro section of the forum. Lower flash settings will allow for some ambient light to shine through if there is enough.
Then when developing I reduce shadows in post as needed.
I have had no professional experience in photography, no lessons other than what I read online.
But it all combines to make one better equipped.

[hoffm141]

Thank you for sharing the water droplet picture. The droplets are a great focal point. Do you have enough spare resolution to crop in and isolate the fleur de lis shape?