We have been experimenting with our macro setup when time permits. Most of our shots have been on inanimate or very slow moving objects. Because of the cooling Fall temperatures, an opportunitiy presented itself the other day which enabled us to try our hand at an insect.

We noticed a common yellow-jacket wasp on our upstairs window. The cool temperature had slowed down its movements to a crawl. Once things warmed up the insect would likely be on its way. We had to work quickly if we wanted to get some shots. The bellows setup works best when there is plenty of light.

The placement was perfect for our macro efforts (except for having to shoot through a pane of glass) because the wasp was back-lit and its exoskeleton nicely illuminated. However, even with such great lighting, it was still difficult to see exactly what was in focus.

In the end, we did manage to get some interesting shots of the wasp. Due to the shallow depth of field, only a part of the insect was in focus in any given shot. We picked out a few representative samples to show the different parts at full resolution. Click on any of the images for a closer look.

We now have a better appreciation of just how difficult it is to take good macro shots. There must be a more precise way of achieving critical focus. This will be our next topic of research. We will share more as we delve further into this interesting branch of photography. [Permalink] - Macro Opportunity