Insect photos with the D3100

WeeHector

Senior Member
All those creepy-crawlies we learned to keep away from or killed when we were children. Suddenly, as adults, with a miraculous camera in our hands, they become like friends and we take shots of them from just a few inches away. Let's have your insect shots. The nastier, the better: bees, wasps, ants, and we won't leave out arachnids.

First up, some wasps.

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Bill16

Senior Member
Here is a creepy crawly I shot. My first. :D
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ladytonya

Senior Member
When I try to click on the attachments in the first post, I get this message:
[h=2]vBulletin Message[/h]
Invalid Attachment specified. If you followed a valid link, please notify the administrator



This isn't the first time I have gotten this error. Is this something with me or is there some other reason I sometimes get this error?
 

WeeHector

Senior Member
It appears my first photos didn't get through so I'll try again.

Wasp Head.jpg

40mm, f4, 1/640th sec, ISO 200, Ring Light

Wasp 5.jpg

40mm, f5.6, 1/1000th sec, ISO 200
 

Kodiak

Senior Member
re: #6, #7.

Salut, hello Hector,

You had some great chances with these… and a too wide opened lens!

Wasps are not so fast as flies, so ISO 200 • 1/1000s is not justified, ƒ11 • ISO 800+
would have been a better solution, though the pictures are good enough to see the
5 eyes of the wasp, a smaller aperture would have made them great takes!

The fly you took with a ring flash at ƒ4! … with all that power at your disposal!

I know very well, that at your next time around, you will knock me off my chair!

Have a good day!
 

WeeHector

Senior Member
re: #6, #7.

Salut, hello Hector,

You had some great chances with these… and a too wide opened lens!

Wasps are not so fast as flies, so ISO 200 • 1/1000s is not justified, ƒ11 • ISO 800+
would have been a better solution, though the pictures are good enough to see the
5 eyes of the wasp, a smaller aperture would have made them great takes!

The fly you took with a ring flash at ƒ4! … with all that power at your disposal!

I know very well, that at your next time around, you will knock me off my chair!

Have a good day!

Hi Kodiak! Unfortunately, I am a lazy sod, suffering from severe depression, and photography is just about the only thing preventing me from flipping over the edge. It would be much easier for me to put the camera on Auto and shoot away, but I'm still trying to learn and make many mistakes. I can't thank the insect population round here enough for putting up with my never-ending flashes. It has, nevertheless, taught me a great deal of respect for what we often consider inferior creatures.

One of these days I will come and "kick your ass" with the perfect photo. Don't, however, spend too much time crouching down. For the moment, I am just happy getting the shots I do. ;)

Thanks for all your help.

Hector.
 

WeeHector

Senior Member
Hi folks! Latest offering from this afternoon. Yes, I know I should have used a higher ISO but the camera was set to 200 and I snapped. By the time I changed it the lady Ariadne had dropped out of sight. I tried to get as much DoF as possible by putting it to f11 so the speed is slow. Not much ambient light so the ring light merely counteracts the back-light.

If, like me, this photo does your head in, just try turning it upside down. She will never win a beauty contest but just look at all those legs. :glee:

Spider 1.jpg

40mm, f11, 1/20 sec, ISO 200
 

WeeHector

Senior Member
Was on my way home after a long, hard day at work and this flashed by my head. It's a Hummingbird Hawk-moth and, because it hovers rather than landing on flowers, it moves incredibly fast. No time for fancy setups, this was shoot and hope for the best. I think this was not a bad shot in the circumstances.

PS; I'm discovering the details as I type this.

Hummingbird Hawk-moth.jpg

40mm, f/6.3, 1/2000th sec, ISO 800 (yes, I know, but I had to go with the settings I had)
 

Kodiak

Senior Member


Salut. hello Hector!

What does this means:

40mm, f/6.3, 1/2000th sec, ISO 800 (yes, I know, but I had to go with the settings I had)?

These options are OK! All that's missing is a clear focus acquisition…

Too bad, the light was in your favour on this one! Maybe next time…
 

Bill16

Senior Member
Here is one that I caught after getting some great advice! I don't know what her name is but she's pretty! Lol :D


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And here is her boyfriend who didn't want his photo taken! Lol :D

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ladytonya

Senior Member
Great shots, Bill! I can never get my focus right on an insect like this, always ends up focusing on the leaves in the photo.


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Bill16

Senior Member
Thank you very much! :D What worked for me thanks to the advice I got, was be sure to use a tripod,focus manually, get as close as possible without making it run off, and use the timer so I don't shake the camera. I used my 105mm micro prime lens, so I could get pretty close without losing the ability to focus. :D
I'm not sure what lenses you have so I'm unsure how close you can get. But the same method should work I would think. :)

Great shots, Bill! I can never get my focus right on an insect like this, always ends up focusing on the leaves in the photo.


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