My rare macro attempts

[Dbl]

Here are a couple of macro attempts with my only macro lens, the 70-300 Quantaray tele-macro 1:2 which is about as bad a lens as one could own.

First, I have no idea what either of these are. Jonny, Steve, someone will be able to identify. The wind was blowing about 35 mph so getting anything to stand still was darn near impossible. Some CA is visible, did these on my laptop so I didn't have Photoshop to remove it.

Not much definition in the highlights, trait of this lens.

[jonny_redhorse]

Dbl....they both look fine to me.........I'm just rather new at this macro thing myself so I'm not splitting hairs here ........I'm no botanist but I think your first image is a "daisy fleabane".....second appears to be a "common yarrow"(maybe)....jonny

[Steve Foss]

Nice work, Dbl. Eliminating noisy backgrounds is a key to compelling macro photography, and you've done that very well here.

No. 1 is for sure a member of the vast and varied composite family, which includes daisies, fleabanes, and a dizzying array of other species. It does look like a daisy fleabane. I'm always wary of putting a solid ID on a composite family flower, just because there are so many species so close together.

No. 2 is not a yarrow. Flower head is similar, but the foliage is wrong. That being said, I don't know what it is, either. Is No. 2 a tree, shrub or a small plant, and was it in a wild setting or a garden?

[Dbl]

#2 is a bush about 10' to 12' tall, grows in the wild. They are everywhere up here (Ottertail county).

One more view.

[DTro]

I believe that would be the dogwood bush.

[Steve Foss]

Yes, either dogwood or amelanchier.

[jonny_redhorse]

I saw all kinds of these growing along the roads on this mornings walk....seem to be more of a shrub type thing.........I don't have any field guides for trees -bush's......think i'll pick one up though jonny

[Dbl]

A few more from this morning.

Camouflaged bee.

Another bee.

And the dragonfly's where out in force.

[Swimmer]

Very nice Dbl. How low can you go? (that should be the title of a thread!). In other words, is it possible with typical macro lenses to get, lets say, a full crop of the bees head?

[Dbl]

Yes it is possible, and most macro guys would indeed give you the head, the eye, you get the point. I'm no macro expert, but there are a few ways to increase beyond 1:1. A macro prime, macro zoom, extension tubes, screw-on magnifiers, extension bellows, and reversing ring, am I missing some? Pick your ease of use and cost and you're good to go.