Summary

Susie Kearley discusses her experiences and challenges with macro photography, focusing on capturing detailed images of insects and other small creatures using a new Sigma 105mm Macro lens for Nikon.

Abstract

Susie Kearley, a photographer, shares her journey into macro photography since acquiring a Sigma 105mm Macro lens for her Nikon camera. She aims to photograph spiders and ants but faces the challenge of keeping them still without harming them. While considering methods to photograph more active subjects, Kearley has been practicing with more stationary insects like bees and documenting the life cycle of creatures in her pond, such as tadpoles and dragonflies. Despite her images having too much noise for stock photography standards, she is pleased with the results. Kearley plans to experiment with lens extensions for even closer shots but is cautious due to potential damage. She invites readers to share their macro photography tips and promotes her other photography-related stories.

Opinions

Kearley values the lives of her subjects, rejecting methods like superglue to immobilize them.
She is satisfied with her macro photography results, despite the noise levels not meeting stock photo requirements.
Kearley is hesitant to use lens extensions due to concerns about damaging her new lens.
She expresses a desire to learn from the community by asking for hot tips on macro photography.
Kearley is proud of her work, as indicated by her assertion of copyright over her images and her invitation to read more of her articles.

Getting Down With the Insects: Macro Photography

Experimenting with a new lens

I got a true macro lens last year — a Sigma 105mm Macro for Nikon. I was intending to do close ups of spiders and ants, and ever since, I’ve been wondering how to make them stay still. Don’t even mention superglue. I respect their right to life after my photoshoot.

So while I ponder how to tackle trickier subjects, I’ve been shooting images of more predictable insects, especially bees.

My photos have too much noise for the stock photography sites, but I like the result anyway.

It’s pretty incredible to see the amazing detail in the fins of these little tadpoles that try to survive life in our pond every year. They often get eaten by ducks, before the frogspawn even hatches. Those that survive have a precarious life, and if given the chance, the heron will take adult frogs.

Here we have a close up of a bee’s face. Nice. I think he’s on wood, but I’m not sure.

And a pond skater. We have plenty of those.

Dragonflies breed on our pond every year. This is a female laying her eggs in the spring.

And finally, we have a ladybird, who seems to like the privet. I do plan to get closer with a lens extension, but having seen people have trouble with the extensions sticking to the lens, I chickened out of putting it on my new lens, for fear of breaking it. Maybe I’ll do it this summer.

What are your hot tips for macro photography?