Very cool, I love macro bug images. The second one is my favorite.
Beautiful images! Great work.
Eric said it!
Thank you.
I got some messages as to how I was able to achieve this, by reversing the lens. I posted the equipment on another thread, but (since it is impossible to follow every thread
) I am happy re-post here.
The tools are so simple and relatively cheap.
I use the old, standard
Nikon 28mm Ai-S, which is still all-manual.
I am able to reverse the lens with
a $35 ring to get 2.1x life-size.
I set the lens to infinity, which offers the greatest working distance, and I adjust the aperture to f/8 (I can adjust, if I need more light, but I find f/8 ideal.)
You
cannot focus a reverse-mounted lens, so I use
a macro rail on my tripod.
I also use
a remote switch.
That is pretty much it
Different lens lengths offer different magnification ratios.
The 20mm = 3.4x lifesize.
The 28mm = 2.1x lifesize.
The 50mm = 1.1x lifesize (standard macro).
I find the 28mm an ideal compromize. It gets me twice as close as a standard macro without being "too" close for a realistic solution in the field.
I took these 4 field shots with 1 lens (the 28mm).
I used the "infinity" end of the wide-angle lens (properly-oriented) to document the entire area, looking back, where I hiked:
I used the mid-range end of the lens and document the plant/flower upon which I found the spider:
The lens also has a very close min focusing distance (properly-mounted) to get a standard close-up of the flower type on which it was found (again, normal lens mounting):
And then, just slapping on a simple reverse-ring, and turning the lens around, I am able to get an ultra-close
2:1 macro shot of the spider on the end of a flower bud (again, stacked image, natural light, macro rail):
Again, all from 1 small, innocuous lens
I consider this lens to be
the most versatile, valuable lens in my bag. (And also the least expensive.)
Jack
PS: Attached is a copy of the package insert of the BR-2A Ring specs for the various magnifications possible by using a reverse-ring (manual-aperture lenses preferred).