RagE's "Bugography" 2008

P

PS-RagE

Supreme [H]ardness
Joined
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Messages
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To see more photos from previous summers, check out my photography website at www.bugography.com

Getting an early start this year. Not too many subjects yet - and tons of mosquitos - but why wait?

Here is an interesting little guy. A velvet mite:
miteymite.jpg

Nikon D2X, Tamron 90mm f2.8 w/158mm extension (1.75:1), f20, 1/60, handheld with flash


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A slug on a dandilion:
dandyslug.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f20, 1/60, handheld with dual flash


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A Weevil:
weevil.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f20, 1/60, handheld with dual flash


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A Dragon:
dragon9.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f18, 1/60, handheld with flash


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I was looking at this little spider when one of the many mosquitos flew into its web. Free lunch for the spider and a pic for me!:
spider25.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f25, 1/60, handheld with flash


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Another Dragon. Kinda neat view of his fingers:
dragon10.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f18, 1/60, handheld with flash


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Fly on a dandilion:
fly8.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f18, 1/90, handheld with flash


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A skipper:
bfly12.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f22, 1/60, handheld with flash


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Although you can't really tell from the image, this dragon was tiny - this pic is 1:1. He had just snatched a mosquito out of the air in front of me and dropped to the sand to eat it. He must have been hungry 'cause by the time I got him in focus it was pretty much gone:
dragon11.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f22, 1/60, handheld with flash


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A bit of fluff:
fluff.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f18, 1/60, handheld with flash


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A cranefly on a rock:
cranefly2.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f18, 1/60, handheld with flash


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Speaking of cranefly, this guy is having one for lunch - or saving it for later, anyhow:
spider26.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f22, 1/60, handheld with dual flash


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A pineborer:
pineborer.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f18, 1/60, handheld flash


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I don't know what this skipper was eating but it sure stank!
bfly13.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f18, 1/60, handheld with flash


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.... and there is the start to this season. Going to be doing more travel than usual this summer so hopefully going to see plenty of new strange critters.

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love the fly in the last one, must've been pretty big or a very small fly.
 
Well, since I have nothing intelligible to say, I'll just say "Holy fuck dude those are awesome."
 
That last one reminds me of a saying my dad has "I could see a nit on a gnat's ass!"

Will you be doing a blurb book again this year Dale? I'd definitely be in to buy a copy to keep the collection complete. Blurb has made some really amazing improvements (over their already awesome capabilities!) including full print on hardcovers, no more dustjacket only images!

Sam
 
Thanks guys.

That fly must have been tiny - the butterfly was only about an inch long. I didn't notice him until I was processing the images
 
Kadath said:
That last one reminds me of a saying my dad has "I could see a nit on a gnat's ass!"

Will you be doing a blurb book again this year Dale? I'd definitely be in to buy a copy to keep the collection complete. Blurb has made some really amazing improvements (over their already awesome capabilities!) including full print on hardcovers, no more dustjacket only images!

Sam
Click to expand...

That's the plan. I didn't get enough pics last season for another volume so this year is it. I'll probably make two: Vol 2 and a fat Vol 1&2
 
These are pretty awesome images. It's amazing what the human eye is missing.

I thought the blurb books are ok. Did you try a bunch of other book makers out before?
 
very nice pictures, u are a pro!! :)

btw are u an entomologist ? :confused:
 
Well keep me posted, I'll definitely buy one.

As for Blurb versus the competition, no I have not personally done a head to head comparison. Checking around tho and while others may best Blurb for pure image/paper quality, nobody can touch them on bang for the buck and their software continues to get better with every release.
 
lan said:
These are pretty awesome images. It's amazing what the human eye is missing.
Click to expand...

Thanks! I also am always amazed at the details of these little creatures. Of course, I like to photograph scenery and wildlife too but the majority of my photography is macros of insects.

I thought the blurb books are ok. Did you try a bunch of other book makers out before?
Click to expand...

Nope, can't say I have. Someone recommended Blurb and I was pleased with the results
 
Its amazing how they're so defined and you can really see it beautifully.. If I saw those without a camera's lens.. I'd probaly go crazy and then squash em.. =(

I just saw your site... omg @ the huge lens... :cool:
 
Awesome shots. I shoot some sports but wouldn't mind trying to branch out a little bit. I've got a D80 and D2H (80-200 AFS 2.8) and would like to move up to a D300 at some point. I rented a rig for a weekend - D300 and 200-400 F4 and that was a hoot.
 
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Just got back from a four day trip. Got a few great pics considering it rained most of the time.

Since we spent so much time looking at this, my daughter and I decided we may as well take its picture. A rain drop:
drop.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f16, 1/250, remote release, tripod mounted with flash


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This army caterpillar was kind enough to sit still while I set up my tripod and tubes:
catplr7.jpg

Nikon D2X, Tamron 90mm f2.8 w/158mm extension (1.75:1), f20, 1/60, tripod mounted with focus rail and dual flash


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Here is a common black ground beetle. I found this guy hanging onto a stump:
beetle2.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f22, 1/60, handheld with flash


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Once the beetle ran off, I noticed this wolf spider under the bark:
spider31.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f22, 1/60, handheld with flash

spider29.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f22, 1/60, handheld with flash


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This spruce bug was clinging to my daughter's mosquito tent. I attached my 90mm and the extension tubes and got a close up of its face:
woodbug4.jpg

Nikon D2X, Tamron 90mm f2.8 w/158mm extension (1.75:1), f22, 1/60, handheld with flash


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This fellow had a large web spun under a picnic table:
spider27.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f29, 1/60, handheld with flash


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As I was bending over to take a pic of this guy on a yarrow plant, one of the zillion mosquitoes flying around me landed beside him and he grabbed it in the blink of an eye:
spider32.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f22, 1/60, handheld with flash

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I believe this is a long-legged wolf spider:
spider30.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f22, 1/60, handheld with flash


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A tiger beetle:
tiger.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f22, 1/60, handheld with flash


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A couple of flies:
fly10.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f22, 1/60, handheld with flash


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fly9.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f22, 1/60, handheld with flash


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I watched this beetle larva attack an earthworm. I originally started with the 200mm but after a while the worm slowed its struggling so I switched to a high magnification:
larvatak.jpg

Nikon D2X, Tamron 90mm f2.8 w/158mm extension (1.75:1), f16, 1/60, handheld with flash


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Another wolf:
spider33.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f22, 1/60, handheld with flash


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This toad sat on a log and posed for me while I snapped off frame after frame:
posetoad.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f6.3, 1/60, handheld with flash


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This is a young mullein plant. When full grown these look like flowered corn stalks:
mullein.jpg

Nikon D2X, Tamron 90mm f2.8, f13, 1/30, tripod mounted with focus rail



A little beetle hiding in the leaves:
beetle.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f22, 1/60, handheld with flash


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A little caterpillar at 1,75x:
catplr8.jpg

Nikon D2X, Tamron 90mm f2.8 w/158mm extension (1.75:1), f32, 1/60, handheld with flash


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I found a colony of these pillbugs under the bark of a dead tree:
pillbug.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f22, 1/60, handheld with flash

pillbug2.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f22, 1/60, handheld with flash


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Pretty sure that "pile" beside this spider is her eggsac:
spider34.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f32, 1/60, handheld with flash


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nice! :)
have u tried using HDR for those photos?
 
It's dale's ability to get 'personality' out of these bugs (in addition to the quality of his shots of course) that really impresses me. So many macro shooters are so impressed with the details that they forget to involve emotion and story, and those are never missing in Dale's shots.
 
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A golden-haired flower longhorn beetle:
hangon.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f22, 1/60, handheld with dual flash


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These guys were dropping out of the trees all weekend. Turns out they are ladybug larva:
spiney2.jpg

Nikon D2X, Tamron 90mm f2.8 w/158mm extension (1.75:1), f25, 1/60, handheld with flash, diffuser


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Goldenrod spiders:
thatmuch3.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f22, 1/60, handheld with flash


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thatmuch2.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f22, 1/60, handheld with flash


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This wolf is carrying an eggsac:
spider35.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f22, 1/60, handheld with flash

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I was taking this spotted tiger moth's pic...:
moth.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f25, 1/60, handheld with flash


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.... when this caterpillar came along and scared it off:
moth2.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f18, 1/60, tripod mounted, focus rail, dual flash


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Hungry little fellow was eating the tree:
catchew3.jpg

Nikon D2X, Tamron 90mm f2.8 w/158mm extension (1.75:1), f25, 1/60, handheld with dual flash, reflector


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Another longhorn:
longhorndaisy.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f18, 1/60, handheld with dual flash


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The rest of the pics from this weekend.


A robberfly:
robber.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f22, 1/60, handheld with flash


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Another grass spider:
grassspider.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f22, 1/60, handheld with flash


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Hoverbug on an orange hawkweed:
hoverfly.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f22, 1/60, handheld with flash


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A camel cricket:
camelcricket2.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f22, 1/60, handheld with flash


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This robberfly has caught lunch:
robber+fly3.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f25, 1/60, handheld with flash


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those are nice takes.. is it possible to take picture like those with a 18-55 vr lens on d80 or do i need a different lens?
 
brysig228 said:
those are nice takes.. is it possible to take picture like those with a 18-55 vr lens on d80 or do i need a different lens?
Click to expand...

55mm is really too short for this sort of work. The majority of my macro shots are taken with a 200mm. A telephoto helps isolate the subject from the background and also allows you to keep far enough away that you don't spook the critters.

The flash is also really important. The on-camera flash of a D80 is useless for macro. You need to get the flash right out over the lens like this:

180macro.jpg


The lens I'm using there was a Sigma 180mm f3.5 macro, the flash is an SB-800, it is supported by an RRS B87B flash bracket and connected to the camera with an SC-29 cable. Although not exactly cheap, the Sigma is almost half the price of the Nikkor and a fine lens.

.
 
PS-RagE said:
55mm is really too short for this sort of work. The majority of my macro shots are taken with a 200mm. A telephoto helps isolate the subject from the background and also allows you to keep far enough away that you don't spook the critters.

The flash is also really important. The on-camera flash of a D80 is useless for macro. You need to get the flash right out over the lens like this:

The lens I'm using there was a Sigma 180mm f3.5 macro, the flash is an SB-800, it is supported by an RRS B87B flash bracket and connected to the camera with an SC-29 cable. Although not exactly cheap, the Sigma is almost half the price of the Nikkor and a fine lens.
.
Click to expand...

I figure that 18-55 is too short for that job and i also haveanother lens i can use 55-200 vr. i might try that also and see how it works and also have sb-600 flash. then if those wont work for that kind of pictures i'll just stick with landscapes.. :D

nice setup though, your lens is more expensive than my d80 :D


thanks for your advice.
 
PS-RagE,

Incredible shots dude! I wish I had the lens and some of the equipment to shoot that type of macro's with. For now, a D40 and the studio is where I've been playing. Trying to get outside more and take better "scene" shots...

Last time I remember you were a crazy case modder.. :D
 
Very sweet rig there, Rage! I'm hoping to have a similar setup by the end of the summer as well!

To top it off, awesome photo's! Gotta love macro photography :)
 
Just got back from my annual photo trip. This year I took two weeks instead of one and toured Central and Southern Ontario.

The first stop was at Samuel De Champlain Provincial Park outside of Mattawa, Ontario.

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A male garden orb weaver on a golden aster:
spider36.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f22, 1/60, handheld with flash


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Found this post in the middle of nowhere:
post.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 12-24 f4 at 24mm, f11, 0.77', tripod mounted


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A striped fishing spider. Not sure what she's eating - almost looks like another spider:
spider37.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f18, 1/60, handheld with dual flash


spider38.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f22, 1/60, handheld with dual flash


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This dark fishing spider was inside a rotted stump. She was huge! The size of my thumb:
spider39.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f20, 1/60, handheld with flash


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This one is my favorite of this batch - a bullfrog in the marsh:
frog3.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200-400 f4 at 400mm, f5, 1/160, tripod mounted


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I've got over 2000 images to sort through and process so this is going to take awhile.
 
The next stop and longest stay was at Wheatley Provincial Park outside of Leamington, Ontario. Leamington is the southernmost city in Canada. Lots of birds in this park so unfortunately the bug population was not as high as I had hoped.

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I think this fellow might be a katydid :
coolhopper.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f25, 1/60, handheld with flash


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An unusual flowering bush - hafta look this one up later:
flowerball.jpg

Nikon D2X, Tamron 90mm f2.8, f7.1, 1/15, tripod mounted, focus rail, reflector


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This little snake poked his nose out of the leaves only long enough for me to get a single shot. Luckily it was a good one!
snake2.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f9, 1/60, handheld with flash


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A great egret:
egret.jpg

Nikon D2X, Sigma 300-800 f5.6 @ 800mm, f7.1, 1/640, tripod mounted


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A great blue heron picking at a dead catfish:
greatheron.jpg

Nikon D2X, Sigma 300-800 f5.6 @ 800mm, f7.1, 1/350, tripod mounted


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This heron couldn't have been more than 20' from me:
greatheron2.jpg

Nikon D2X, Sigma 300-800 f5.6 @ 800mm, f5.6, 1/250, tripod mounted


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Still tons of pics to process - more tomorrow

.
 
More from Wheatley.

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I was taking a picture of this blue chicory flower when this cuckoo wasp flew into it:
blooflower.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f13, 1/20, tripod mounted, focus rail


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A great egret:
egret2.jpg

Nikon D2X, Sigma 300-800 f5.6 @ 550mm, f5.6, 1/160, tripod mounted


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Another egret:
egret3.jpg

Nikon D2X, Sigma 300-800 f5.6 @ 410mm, f5.6, 1/250, tripod mounted


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A green heron:
greenheron.jpg

Nikon D2X, Sigma 300-800 f5.6 @ 800mm, f5.6, 1/320, tripod mounted


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This fat toad was hiding in a dead tree:
toadface.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f11, 1/60, handheld with flash
- should have stopped down just a bit more for this one

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A unique perspective of a harvestman:
daddy5.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f29, 1/60, handheld with flash


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A long-jawed orb weaver:
spider41.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f22, 1/60, handheld with dual flash


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A strange fungus on a dead tree:
logrot3.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f18, 1/60, handheld with dual flash

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Another interesting view of a harvestman:
daddy4.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f18, 1/60, handheld with flash


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A grass spider:
spider40.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f22, 1/60, handheld with flash


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A big hopper:
hopper2.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f22, 1/60, handheld with dual flash


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One fat ugly grub:
grub.jpg

Nikon D2X, Tamron 90mm f/2.8 with 158mm extension (1.75x), f22, 1/60, handheld with dual flash
- a polarizer would have been nice for this shot

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This was taken from the tip of Point Pelee - the most southern point of Canada - looking back at the mainland:
pointpelee.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 17-35 f/2.8@17mm, f16, 1/60, handheld with flash


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A stand of ghostpipe:
ghostpipe.jpg

Nikon D2X, Tamron 90mm f/2.8, f13, 1/6, tripod mounted, focus rail, reflector


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Another great blue heron:
greatheron3.jpg

Nikon D2X, Sigma 300-800 f5.6 @ 550mm, f5.6, 1/160, tripod mounted


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Next wave of processed images from Wheatley:

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"Scarface" the snake:
snake3.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f14, 1/60, handheld with flash


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I think you make a motivational poster of this one: "Some Days You're The Ant And Some Days You're The Spider"
antwork3.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f25, 1/60, handheld with flash


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A male arabesque orbweaver. I lay on the ground shooting up at the spider with my backpack as a pillow to get this pic:
spider42.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f22, 1/60, handheld with dual flash


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Birth of a hopper:
newhopper.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f18, 1/60, handheld with dual flash


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I think this is a fritillary butterfly:
bfly14.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f18, 1/60, handheld with flash


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Here's a rather macabre photo - I found a tree full of dead, dried out caterpillars:
deadcatplr.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f20, 1/60, handheld with flash


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A garden snail:
snail.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f18, 1/60, handheld with dual flash


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These guys are so serious looking:
blackbird.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200-400 f4 at 340mm, f4, 1/125, tripod mounted with extended flash


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Thanks.

The shot of Point Pelee is actually two exposures. One for the sky and another for the water and sand.

Since I shoot in RAW format they all have to be processed. First I sort them out with Nikon View then adjust levels and make colour corrections in Nikon Capture. Finally, I export to CS3 to resize and sharpen. I will also clone out dust bunnies and crop if necessary
 
More still from Wheatley:

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missingpic.jpg
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A milkweed bug:
redpbug.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f22, 1/20, tripod mounted with dual flash


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A turtle:
turtle2.jpg

Nikon D2X, Sigma 300-800 f5.6 @ 800mm, f5.6, 1/800, tripod mounted


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This snail doesn't know which way to go:
goofysnail.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f18, 1/60, handheld with flash


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A carolinia chickadee:
lbb9.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200-400 f4 @ 310mm, f5.6, 1/80, tripod mounted with extended flash


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Another view of the ant dragging the spider:
antwork4.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f22, 1/60, handheld with flash


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Another turtle:
turtle.jpg

Nikon D2X, Sigma 300-800 f5.6 @ 800mm, f5.6, 1/500, tripod mounted


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I think that is it for this set.

.
 
WOW! I'm really impressed by all of your hard work and awesome shots!

Subscribed! ;)
 
Next stop was at Point Farms Provincial Park on the shore of Lake Huron.

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The corn and wind fields outside the park:
pfmail.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 17-35 f2.8 at 25mm, f20, 1/20, tripod mounted


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This old barn was built in 1873:
pfbarn.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 28-70 f2.8 at 32mm, f18, 1/3, tripod mounted

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A goldenrod crab spider inside a cup of little flowers. The water is dew:
spider43.jpg

Nikon D2X, Nikkor 200mm f4, f22, 1/60, handheld with dual flash


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