[lesmore49]

This morning the light was just right as the bees came foraging in our garden. I time-merged two pictures taken within seconds, each showing two bees with the final result showing four bees approaching the setting of hibiscus.

645z + FA* 300mm + #2 extension ring.


#1 - I like the simplicity of this composition. f/11 @ ISO 4500

#2 - The time-merged image mentioned above. f/11 @ ISO 6400

#3 - 100% crop of the top of #2 picture. The bees are loaded with pollen and are struggling to fly with their load of pollen and nectar. The center part of the flower is blown out and unfortunately I did not dial down the exposure bias to -1 or -0.5, which resulted in clipping the super white area of the flower in direct sunlight.

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That last photo...of the honeybee's , lined up in a row...coming into the flower, to collect more pollen....top notch...what an excellent catch.

[mattb123]

I've been shooting with my new(ish) GFX-50r lately. Pretty enjoyable experience. The EVF takes some adjustment.
I'm loving the output. Nice colors and low noise. I've used the adapted Pentax lenses a little as a test but this shot is with the native 32-64.

[Ed Hurst]

I've been shooting with my new(ish) GFX-50r lately. Pretty enjoyable experience. The EVF takes some adjustment.
I'm loving the output. Nice colors and low noise. I've used the adapted Pentax lenses a little as a test but this shot is with the native 32-64.

Lovely stuff, Matt.

How are you finding the 32-64?

[mattb123]

Lovely stuff, Matt.

How are you finding the 32-64?

Thanks Ed! So far so good with that lens. Seems to be a good performer and AF is plenty quick. Mine didn't come with a hood so I have one coming. No stress tests yet but no evident flaws that I have noticed either. It's lighter than I was expecting but not in a flimsy way. The range is very useful for me too.

Edit to add: got the hood and it's got a nice pushbutton locking system. Cool!

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Last edited by mattb123; 08-08-2022 at 01:33 PM.

[TDvN57]

The Hibiscus delivered as promised, give it water, it will give flowers. The bees are AWOL this morning.

645z + FA* 300mm plus #3 extension ring. You can faintly see some bugs crawling around, although on the RAW file they are quite clear and crisp, yet too small to id.

#1 - ISO 2200 - Not stacked image

#2 - +/- 100% crop of #1 showing one of the bugs. I still seem to have a problem with the whites in sunlight clipping :-)

#3 - ISO 18000 - Not stacked image

#4 - +/- 100% crop of #3 showing detail and lack of noise at ISO 18000. Based on this I think I should increase the DoF a bit more. At ISO 18000 it is a tad softer than at 2200, but I am still impressed and the picture is definitely printable at 22x30 inches.

EDIT:
Added B&W versions of #1 & #2

Any preferences? Comments and critique always welcome.

[mattb123]

Another quick outing with the GFX 50r tonight.
32-64 (3 images focus stacked)




One with the A* 300/4

[sculptor666]

75 on tubes

[RICHARD L.]

I HATE SPIDERS !!! Please refrain from posting these horrible pictures. I jump from my chair every time I fall on them and my heart almost stops. PLEASE ...

[SFTphotography]

I HATE SPIDERS !!! Please refrain from posting these horrible pictures. I jump from my chair every time I fall on them and my heart almost stops. PLEASE ...

Have a Spanish mountain Autumn view

645z and trusty dust sucking 45-85

[RICHARD L.]

Have a Spanish mountain Autumn view

Thanks for having "compassion". Really appreciated !

Regards

[RICHARD L.]

Last July, I went to the middle of Laurentian Park and I tried my new 645 FA 35 mm f/3.5 wide-angle lens. The weather was cloudy and a shower was coming our way from the North. I took this picture with a tripod-mounted 645Z, 1/500 sec @ f/10. I was able to take about 10 pictures and I had to take shelter from a sudden shower on the bank of the lake.

[cdd29]

local barn that's kinda hidden. Fuji 100s w/ Tamron 45/1.8 & Fringer EF-GFX adapter

[TDvN57]

The joy of walking in the woodland areas... Enjoy the serenity that is unique to a forest and don't forget to unintendedly pick up a local resident, or two, and give it/them a free meal and a ride to your home. Once the biting starts and you discover the free loader(s) you can turn it into a macro photo session. A truly two (no three) for one experience.

@Richard_L! this is not a spider!!! Only a friendly tick, smaller than a sesame seed (about half the size). It means no harm, just looking for a meal and a free ride to a community with more hosts, plenty food and new mating opportunities.

645z + FA 120mm and extension rings. Inside the tick are spots which I think are eggs, ready for deployment. The tick is shown pre-termination here propped up on what I think could be two rear appendages on a kitchen paper towel. The ruffled skin on its back are scars from where it lost the battle with me and some tweezers which resulted in body parts lying around. I know it is the wrong way to remove a tick, but if it is so small you don't know what it is and reading glasses are not helping, then you use the tools at hand. Luckily no body parts stayed behind at the bite site and nothing bad was injected either. The teal colored spots are ink from a pen, can't remember why a pen came into the arsenal of lethal weapons, but OK, in the midst of a battle everything is thrown in.

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[TDvN57]

As the season for Hibiscus flowers are coming to an end, I am also winding up my photo range of these flowers for this season. I am slowly finding my way to get shots of the flowers in what I would regard as a "pleasing" image. My goal was to get flowers that are tack sharp, yet portray its soft and gentle curves. Up to now I think I have achieved the sharpness but totally missed the pleasing look. The bees were incidental and welcome extras to the show.

With the pictures below I maintained the sharpness and then dialed in a pleasing look effect. The result is much better in my opinion. I have found flowers in a non-studio setting, to be one of group of difficult pictures to take. Perhaps it is the wide dynamic range needed and the need for caution not to over expose the small ultra bright white areas and reflections.

In summary I would say the difficulty for me with flowers were (a) the DoF required, because for me flower stacking is rarely successful in a non-studio environment; (b) the dynamic range goes full spectrum and I needed to turn down exposure depending on the available light; (c) using a longer lens with rings gave better results. Composition became easier and bugs and bees were less shy the further I stood from the flowers; (d) using a tripod had very little advantage because slow shutter speeds fail with moving and flying bugs, and a slight breeze will move the flowers as well. (e) The combo of fast shutter speeds, small apertures and soft early light resulted in higher ISO's. Thus noise can easily become an issue; (f) finding a balance between sharpness and a pleasing look, for me it is as difficult as editing shades of colors.

Hopefully this adds to the stuff I want to still discover. Next may be birds, where I see similar challenges plus the trap of "bird on a stick" pictures.

645z + FA*300mm + #2 extension ring


Comments and critique always invited and welcomed.

[RICHARD L.]

@Richard_L! this is not a spider!!!

Thanks for telling me in advance !!! You are really some extraordinary character. LOL !

Receive my very Best Regards