An unexpected find. I've been trying to get good hoverfly shots for some time, and generally been disappointed. This one was rather small, and the whole-body shots were lamentably misfocussed.
SB25 camera left, 1/16th power through a tissue paper diffuser.
These two were foolishly having a moment at the edge of the path, and decided to try and sidle off surreptitiously as we walked past.
I'm quite attuned to small moving things now, and grabbed a few shots. They ran away as I broke out my lighting kit though, so the pic isn't anywhere near as awesome as it could have been.
From the beginnings of a short walk down the Auvezere, not far downstream from Savignac where we were a couple of years ago. I didn't take many photos this trip, as we only tended to go places around midday, and the sun was very high and bright.
Can't help feeling that I missed an opportunity to try some strobist tricks to control the nassively contrasty light.
An interesting surprise... a tiny wolf spider carrying an egg sac. She was in no mood to stand around and pose, and both me and Rosie took quite a few disappointingly blurred photos of this one.
This one was somewhat improved with the assistance of my trusty SB25 flash, camera left, probably 1/16th strength through a tissue paper diffuser and about 6" away from the subject.
I was trying to shoot nice flower photos, and failed miserably. This shot was more an attempt to play with my super wide angle lens and get some nice perspective effects, but that failed too. I liked the sky though, even if it is unpleasantly overexposed in the middle.
Whilst Rosie was taking pictures of purple orchids, she noticed a little tiny (less than 2" long) millipede in the grass. Turns out there were quite a few about. They're tricky to shoot, but a moment's work with a twig to pick him up and a flash to light him and I got this.
Rosie found this little guy hiding behind the shutters of the bedroom window, probably under the illusion he was in a safe place. Being handily next to my camera bag, I slapped on the macro lens, grabbed a flash and snuck up on him.
Just managed to focus the lens in the dark, and zapped him quick before he realised what was going on and made a break for freedom.
SB-25 at arms length, sixteenth power, to my left. Execution was poor, and arguably on-camera flash would have made things look a little cleaner... but I always like the texture off-camera flash brings out; especially on crinkly things like the neck scales here.
