Spiders and bees and moths, oh my!

[Steve Foss]

I was actually looking for butterflies today. The goldenrod are out and blooming in force, and that usually means fritillaries of several species, but I could not find a butterfly to save my life. And that included 100 miles of driving up and around the Echo Trail.

So I consoled myself with crab spiders, a moth and a bee (or it may actually be a hover fly, which looks like a bee but is not).

Anyway, enjoy. The first one, by the way, is my fave, followed closely by the moth on the yarrow blooms.

All with the Canon 30D, Canon 100 macro, handheld

Bee or hover fly on brown-eyed susan

iso200, 1/500 at f4

Bee or hover fly on brown-eyed susan 2

iso200, 1/500 at f4

Crab spider on brown-eyes susan

iso640, 1/320 at f7.1

Crab spider on brown-eyed susan 2

iso200, 1/100 at f6.3

Moth on yarrow

iso200, 1/2500 at f2.8

[jonny_redhorse]

Wonderful macros Steve!...that yellow spider is kinda special ....I did see a few monarchs this morning(got a few so-so pics) but today was cooler and not as many butterflies as yesterday(had dozens of fritillaries and aphrodites in my area I frequent at Carey Lake) I managed quite a few images of the fritillaries and crescents yesterday...here's a "so-so" image of my encounter with this mornings monarch..this was really a "big" one !...I can't say much for the composition as I had to get the shot that was available....landed in the grassy path in front of me...

[MARINERMAGNUM]

Steve,after I scrolled down and saw the beginning of the 1st image,I had to post this shot that I cropped yesterday. It was a common ditch flower around here,so I just cropped it to make it look different. No bugs on mine though I just liked the colors/bokeh. The similarities are what was neat.

[Dbl]

Really nice shots by all. Nice colors and contrasts, a few months from now and we will all be wishing for these types of shots!

[Steve Foss]

Thanks, guys, and nice shots Jonny and MM.

MM, I think you've got a wild sunflower there. They're much smaller than their domesticated cousins, and if the center of the flower is yellow, as it appears here, that's likely what you have. Nice composition, too. Great minds thinking alike and all that . . .

[mcary]

Awesome Steve!

Every time I view your macro shots I get a severe case of macro envy. I'm going to have to get one before the year is out. Beautiful images!!! On a side note, are you using flash routinely with your macro or are these are natural light? I just purchased the 430EX should be here tomorrow.

[Steve Foss]

Thanks Michael. No flash in these, and I don't use it often. Generally I don't shoot macro unless the light is just right or I can make it just right. If it's too sunny, I use a diffusion tent. I have pulled the flash out of the bag now and then. I also have the 430EX, and that on-flash exposure compensation is sweet. Yesterday the was that perfect diffuse light overcast we die for, so no prob there.

These days, the macro is on one body and the 100-400 on the other. The macro also doubles as an excellent lens for tight shots of people, and when I need an environmental shot of a critter that lens gets the nod.

[Steve Foss]

Oh, forgot to mention the 100 macro is one of Canon's very best deals economically. Wonderful IQ, sharp, great contrast and color saturation, focuses like lightning. All the quality of the L (minus the extra heavy build, though) at only about 450 smacks.

HOWEVER, neither the lens hood nor the tripod ring come with it, and if you want those, you're looking at another $200 total (I think the hood was about $40, the ring about $160). I did get both. The hood helps with contrast when shooting toward a light source, and the tripod ring improves the balance tremendously when on a tripod, which the macro usually is. Using the ring also takes pressure off the mount on the bottom of the battery grips on my cameras when on a tripod, and that makes me a lot more comfortable.

[harvey lee]

Fellows, you always amaze me with the photo work you do, very amazing to look at your work.

I always love to check your work.