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Post by ecooper on Jul 21, 2013 9:55:57 GMT -8
Every Friday I post photos of a different species of fly on my blog (I title them “Flydays”; corny, I know). This past week’s post was about Lucilia sericata, the common greenbottle (http://wp.me/p2wM8r-uT); which is easily my favourite fly. Greenbottles are blow flies—feeding and laying their eggs on dung and carrion. So I attracted this specimen (and a number of other species) by putting the remains of a sockeye salmon out on my deck. I’d filleted the fish for dinner and kept the skeleton specifically to attract some flies. Is it weird that I have a favourite fly? Cheers, EC Olympus OM-D E-M5, Zuiko 35mm macro, manual exposure (F11 @ 1/200 sec), Olympus RF-11 ring flash (1/2 power) (on TTL), ISO: 200 P8120179 Lucilia copyright ernie cooper 2013 by ernie.cooper, on Flickr
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Post by ecooper on Jul 18, 2013 9:35:11 GMT -8
Thai micro crab (pic) I recently bought a couple of Thai micro crabs (Limnopilos naiyanetri) to photograph and add to my aquarium. These critters were really tiny and my aquarium is chock full of wood and plants. I knew that once I added the crabs I would be lucky to ever see them again; so I took the time to take photos first. This is one of a series I posted on my blog (http://wp.me/p2wM8r-uB). Olympus OM-D E-M5, Zuiko 35mm macro, manual exposure (F11-22 @ 1/200 sec), Olympus RF-11 ring flash (1/4 power), ISO: 200 P8030207 thai micro crab copyright ernie cooper by ernie.cooper, on Flickr I also tried shooting a little video. I didn’t have very much light and had to shoot with the lens wide open, so the depth of field is really shallow. Only later did I realize that I should have increased the ISO so that I could have used a smaller aperture (and gained depth of field) (smacks head). Oh well, next time... Cheers, EC www.macrocritters.wordpress.com
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Post by ecooper on Jul 13, 2013 20:53:22 GMT -8
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Post by ecooper on Jul 10, 2013 19:47:32 GMT -8
Mea culpa There is a quote circulating on Facebook that basically says that you are doing science wrong if you don’t make mistakes; that you are doing science really wrong if you don’t correct those mistakes; and that you aren’t doing it at all if you don’t accept that you’re mistaken. Well, it turns out that the darker spider is actually a different species: Platycryptus (probably P. californicus). It also turns out that what I thought were mosquitoes were actually non-biting midges (chironomids). Sigh. I have re-edited my blog and corrected these mistakes. I must be doing GREAT science! It’s interesting that two very similar species, one introduced and one native, were feeding on the same prey within inches of one another. I wonder whether the two species avoid each other (given their great vision) or if one ever preys on the other? Cheers, EC www.macrocritters.wordpress.com
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Post by ecooper on Jul 10, 2013 14:12:52 GMT -8
I’ve been taking photos of zebra jumping spiders (Salticus scenicus) that have been hunting mosquitoes on the screen door to my kitchen. These spiders are really endearing in their movements and “attitude”...it’s too bad they are so tiny. Imagine how much fun they would be if they were the size of a tarantula! Males of the species are apparently darker in colour, so I believe that the first photo below is of a male, and the second is a female. If anyone can confirm that, please let me know. There are more photos of each specimen on my blog. Olympus OM-D E-M5 camera; Zuiko 35mm macro lens; manual exposure (F8-F11 @ 1/200 sec); Olympus RF-11 ring flash (1/8-1/4 power); ISO: 200 Cheers, EC www.macrocritters.wordpress.comP7040536 2 jumping spider on screen ernie cooper 2013 by ernie.cooper, on Flickr P7110479 jumping spider screen 2 ernie cooper 2013 by ernie.cooper, on Flickr
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Post by ecooper on Jul 10, 2013 14:11:47 GMT -8
Another outstanding photograph. Thank you!
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Post by ecooper on Jun 27, 2013 14:28:49 GMT -8
Last weekend I was out collecting green aphids to feed to some baby mantids. I discovered that every time I walked through a patch of Scotch broom I ended-up with numerous of the little bugs aphids scattered around on my shirt. So I would just crash through the plants, pick off the aphids, and repeat. It was really rather fun... Anyhow, in addition to feeding my mantids, I kept a few aphids to photograph. I placed the aphids on a nasturtium leaf both as a suitable background, but also because I know from experience how (unfortunately) popular nasturtiums are with aphids. Sure enough, a couple of the insects settled down to feed by piercing the leaf with their proboscises. I posted a few photos on my blog, but this one was easily my favourite. Cheers, EC www.macrocritters.wordpress.comOlympus OM-D E-M5; Nikkor 50mm F2.8 enlarger lens; manual exposure (F8 @ 1/200 sec); Olympus FL-36 flash (TTL); ISO: 200 P7200112 b green aphid copyright ernie cooper 2013 by ernie.cooper, on Flickr
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Post by ecooper on Jun 18, 2013 20:46:26 GMT -8
Not too much of a story here...I put a drop of maple syrup out in the garden to try and coax ants to stop for a taste and pose for some photos for my blog. These were my favourites. Unfortunately I have no idea what species they are...If anyone can help with identification I would appreciate it. I am located on the west coast in Vancouver, Canada. Both species of ants have their nests in my garden, in wooden planters. The larger species was 4-5mm long. The smaller was about 3mm long. Olympus OM-D E-M5, Zuiko 35mm macro, Olympus FL-36 flash, F11 @ 1/200 sec, ISO: 200 Cheers, EC www.macrocritters.wordpress.comP6170318 ant and drop 2 by ernie.cooper, on Flickr P6170308 ant and drop by ernie.cooper, on Flickr
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Post by ecooper on Jun 12, 2013 15:39:31 GMT -8
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Post by ecooper on Jun 8, 2013 9:07:40 GMT -8
Dear EC, Thank you for all the great picts. Amazing what a bit of scale change can do to our vision of the world. Very much enjoying your work. Please keep posting. Thierry Thank you very much! I really appreciate the feedback. EC
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Post by ecooper on Jun 7, 2013 13:40:57 GMT -8
This past winter I bought a Nikkor 50mm F2.8 enlarger lens off eBay for a whole $20.00. This lens has a reputation as a good sharp macro lens when reversed on a bellows. So using a couple of $2.00 adaptors (also off eBay) I tried mounting the lens (reversed) on a vintage OM telescopic auto extension tube 65-116 on my OM-D EM-5 body. The result was magnification of almost 2:1 with the auto extension tube collapsed, and almost 3:1 with it fully extended. Surprisingly, the working distance is very respectable at 6.5cm (collapsed) and 5.5cm (extended). The photo below is the best result of my first test of the lens. All-in-all I’m reasonably satisfied. I expected some loss of resolution due to the extension, but it didn’t turn out too bad. The image has higher contrast and more muted colours than what I get when I shoot with my Zuiko 35mm macro. So this set-up definitively doesn’t produce images as nice as the Zuiko, but the price was certainly right; and I was able to photograph a tiny insect taking a drink from a drop of syrup...and that’s pretty cool! Cheers, EC www.macrocritters.wordpress.comP6170326 edit 2 weevil drop copyright ernie cooper 2013 b_filtered by ernie.cooper, on Flickr nikkor on collapsable labelled copy by ernie.cooper, on Flickr
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Post by ecooper on Jun 1, 2013 10:49:32 GMT -8
I really enjoy your photos and comments. Very nice web site as well. Keep up the good work and follow what interests you. Thank you very much! I really appreciate that... EC
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Post by ecooper on May 30, 2013 9:39:09 GMT -8
Last weekend I sat down and built a flash diffuser using foamcore, white paper and white duct tape. I wanted something that would be super quick to set-up with the flash mounted directly onto the camera hotshoe (I am a big believer in the KISS principle). The working distance for my 35mm macro lens is only 3.5 cm when is focussed to maximum (1:1) magnification, so I needed a diffuser that would effectively light a subject at that distance. The new diffuser is strong but extremely light, and fits snugly on the flash (and cost pennies to make). The photo below of a weevil taking a drink of water was the first picture I took using it. I’m very pleased with the result. Of course it helps that I was photographing such a pretty insect! I don’t know if anyone would be interested, but I posted diagrams and instructions for making a similar diffuser on my blog. Cheers, EC www.macrocritters.wordpress.comP6170307 weevil re edit2 copyright ernie cooper 2013_filtered by ernie.cooper, on Flickr
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Post by ecooper on May 30, 2013 9:38:29 GMT -8
As usual another fantastic effort, thank you. Thanks!
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Post by ecooper on May 23, 2013 10:25:17 GMT -8
I was testing a new flash set-up in my garden the other day and found a few of these tiny flies (Meiosimyza sp.) wandering around on a bracken fern. They were tiny (4-5mm long; about 1/10 inch), colourful and mobile: the perfect test subjects for the flash! I shot the fly at F16, so the resolution isn’t as sharp as it could be. I would have preferred to use F11, but I needed as much depth of field as I find hand-holding the camera for subjects this small is difficult at the best of times, but I found the new flash set-up a little too heavy and clumsy. It didn’t help of course that the flies were sitting on a fern only about 30cm (1 foot) above the ground, and it would have been easier if I’d attached the camera to a monopod. So I got a lot of nicely exposed but out of focus pictures; a few nicely exposed pictures where the fly had turned away from the camera; and this one nicely exposed, composed and properly focused photo. Clearly I am on the right track as far as lighting, but I think I need something lighter and simpler that gives the same results. I really need something that sets-up in seconds, preferably with the flash attached directly to the camera hot shoe. I have some ideas for how to put that together... Cheers, EC www.macrocritters.wordpress.comsm fly may 18_filtered by ernie.cooper, on Flickr
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