Search found 78 matches

by AlxndrBrg
Tue Feb 04, 2020 9:39 am
Forum: Nature Photography -- Macro and Close-up
Topic: Bee identification, please, anyone?
Replies: 5
Views: 2241

it's a bumble bee, Bombus sp., I would say Bombus hypnorum, was the abdomen tipped with white hairs?
by AlxndrBrg
Sun Dec 01, 2019 9:52 am
Forum: Nature Photography -- Macro and Close-up
Topic: Chrysididae from Armenia 2019
Replies: 10
Views: 2927

Rich color and detail! Loved #2 Thanks! These are beautiful. If I could make some constructive criticism, though, the eyes are out of focus in nearly every one. It looks like you just barely missed getting them in focus. The eye shaprness is psychologically important; the unsharp eye gives an impre...
by AlxndrBrg
Sat Nov 30, 2019 3:40 pm
Forum: Nature Photography -- Macro and Close-up
Topic: Chrysididae from Armenia 2019
Replies: 10
Views: 2927

Thank you both!
dolmadis wrote: What kit settings etc., did you use?
Canon 6D with a MP-E 65 at around f:10, and a Meike Mk300 flash with a "John Hallmén"-pattern ice cream box diffuser
Edit: actually, I mostly used this kind of diffuser: http://makrofokus.se/blogg/2015/1/24/lampdiffusorn.html
by AlxndrBrg
Fri Nov 29, 2019 3:11 pm
Forum: Nature Photography -- Macro and Close-up
Topic: Chrysididae from Armenia 2019
Replies: 10
Views: 2927

Chrysididae from Armenia 2019

Had a great trip to Armenia this summer, lots of chrysidid wasps and other insects. Gave me the opportunity to photograph live specimens of some species (and species groups/genera) which I dont think has ever been imaged live before. Haven't been shooting live specimens for a long time, so the unusa...
by AlxndrBrg
Mon Nov 18, 2019 4:24 pm
Forum: Equipment Discussions
Topic: Ergonomics of photomacrography
Replies: 5
Views: 1707

Re: Ergonomics of photomacrography

I can't speak for your specific case, but until recently I spent quite some time behind a dissection microscope myself. In this time I mostly used one of these saddle stools and found this preferable to a normal chair (which I was forced to use at times). Can highly recommend trying this change! Th...
by AlxndrBrg
Sun Nov 17, 2019 1:44 pm
Forum: Equipment Discussions
Topic: Ergonomics of photomacrography
Replies: 5
Views: 1707

Ergonomics of photomacrography

I have recently started have problems with my back, neck and shoulders from spending too much time at my work station, so much that a change is clearly needed. Was thinking that the forum users here must have accrued a lot of wisdom over the years when it comes to the ergonomics of photomacrography....
by AlxndrBrg
Thu Nov 14, 2019 4:31 am
Forum: Technical and Studio Photography -- Macro and Close-up
Topic: Solitary Bee
Replies: 2
Views: 1349

Gorgeous, it's a male Andrena sp. - where was the images taken, this is indeed a late date for a solitary bee
by AlxndrBrg
Tue Oct 29, 2019 7:40 am
Forum: Technical and Studio Photography -- Macro and Close-up
Topic: Balloons in pits, brown marmorated stink bug
Replies: 22
Views: 9112

As a bona fide entomologist maybe I should weigh in here, although I'm more of a taxonomist than sensory biologist. Would say they are mechano-receptors, as a balloon shape does not make much sense for a chemo-receptor. A chemo-receptor wants a lot of surface area to volume ratio, so a long thin rod...
by AlxndrBrg
Mon May 27, 2019 6:05 am
Forum: Macro and Close-up Archives
Topic: Moving black spots on the eyes of a mantis
Replies: 13
Views: 53821

I've read that there infact should be I think six secondary spots around the main spot. They are probably hard to see though. ... I must say that when I've held a dragonfly in my hands with very big eyes, and moved it very close to my own eyes, the surface seems to float too. Maybe the same effect....
by AlxndrBrg
Tue Apr 23, 2019 8:47 am
Forum: Nature Photography -- Macro and Close-up
Topic: Colorful orchard spider probably Leucauge venusta
Replies: 18
Views: 7415

With those thin palps it's a female for sure. The silvery facets are actually inside the animal, underneath it's transparent skin. I dont think the individual silvery "divets" are cells, they are far too big, they are probably guanin mirrors which is used as a silvery back light (much like in octopi...
by AlxndrBrg
Thu Apr 04, 2019 3:59 am
Forum: Technical and Studio Photography -- Macro and Close-up
Topic: Black insect
Replies: 11
Views: 3883

Pretty, it is an ensign wasp, family Evaniidae, they are parasitoids of cockroach oothechas. Probably it is the species Evania appendigaster, a common worldwide species, but it could of course be something similar
by AlxndrBrg
Mon Apr 01, 2019 5:35 am
Forum: Macro and Micro Technique and Technical Discussions
Topic: Brightness compensation in ZereneStacker
Replies: 3
Views: 2765

Brightness compensation in ZereneStacker

Maybe this is a known behavior in ZS, but I thought I'd post it here anyway since the difference was so drastic. My setup uses constant lighting, so there is no real reason why I should use the brightness compensation, just kept it on since figured it it could help some if one of my Jansjö's got bum...
by AlxndrBrg
Thu Feb 14, 2019 10:12 am
Forum: Equipment Discussions
Topic: Warning: Don't use Laserpointers on your camera!
Replies: 7
Views: 3684

Re: Warning: Don't use Laserpointers on your camera!

Antal wrote: BUT:
I got dead pixel since!
Altough I did laser only when mirror were down.
How would the laser create a dead pixel on the sensor if you only ever used it when the mirror was down?
by AlxndrBrg
Fri Feb 01, 2019 11:28 am
Forum: Macro and Micro Technique and Technical Discussions
Topic: Question Abought UV light.
Replies: 8
Views: 4072

Dont think you need to worry, unless you have special (quartz glass?) lenses made for UV photography you wont ever get any UV light reaching the sensor, unless you shine the light directly on it
by AlxndrBrg
Wed Nov 28, 2018 10:05 am
Forum: Nature Photography -- Macro and Close-up
Topic: A cuckoo wasp
Replies: 2
Views: 3030

Nice shot! It is a Chrysis sp., but not C. angolensis , that is a much bigger and stockier animal, with shiny integument and a dark blue last tergite. This is some other species, perhaps a C. pattoni male, but ID'ing these wasps from pictures are next to impossible, there's too many similar species....