This is my first image post here... I have had quite a few of these on my nettle patch in the garden. After taking this, I realised why nettles sting so much when you touch them. It didn't seem to bother this little chap though! I did cheat a bit though as I cut the leaf off and brought it indoors t...

Thanks Ian for your questions, and for the very informative replies. I'm new to this kind of photography but learning a lot from this forum. These were exactly the questions I was also seeking answers to, so I am pleased to have found it all in one place. It can all seem a bit confusing at first but...

Oh, I forgot to mention, I tried stopping it down by taping a small washer over the front of the lens. That improved the DOF, but it was still rubbish!!!

I recently bought a Cosmicar TV lens for £5 to have a play with. It's a 16mm f1.6, beautifully made lens by Pentax. I stripped it down to the bare essentials, removing the iris, filter and motor for operating the iris. I tried it forward and reversed and with the front elememt removed which didn't m...