Up Close with Nature

As mentioned in my previous post on using a single 270EX for macro, there were two issues that needed to be addressed. The two issues were: 1. shadow on the lower part of the subject 2. very dim catch light in subject's eyes. In my opinion, these two issues were caused by the fact that the 270EX was too far out and as a result, the light would come down from a higher angle. In this post, I

By now, I am sure you are aware that many of my macro friends use single 270EX as their light source for macro. Just check out this post in case you missed that. It's been proven without any doubt that a single 270EX is just as good as twin flash. Two of the easiest and most light weight ways of holding the 270EX in place are: 1. an FMMB (front mounted macro bracket).  More info about the FMMB

Another type of giraffe weevils / leaf rolling weevils spotted. Very similar to the Cycnotrachelus sp. that I have often seen and photographed, but instead of on the Bridelia sp host plant, these were found of a different type of host plant, with relatively smaller leaves. No ID on the plant yet. Giraffe weevil, male, body length approximately 9mm including the neck, and 5.6mm excluding the neck

Ant Mimicry: (from Wikipedia): Ant mimicry is mimicry of ants by other organisms. Ants are abundant all over the world, and insect predators that rely on vision to identify their prey such as birds and wasps normally avoid them, either because they are unpalatable, or aggressive. Thus some other arthropods mimic ants to escape predation (protective mimicry). Conversely, some species (e.g.

Happy Mother's Day! Better early than late! You can check out individual images by clicking the corresponding links below: 1. www.flickr.com/photos/orionmystery/4937868312/, 2. www.flickr.com/photos/orionmystery/4937867158/, 3. www.flickr.com/photos/orionmystery/4937871790/, 4. www.flickr.com/photos/orionmystery/4937874020/, 5. www.flickr.com/photos/orionmystery/4857442780/, 6. Me, My Eggs, My

Lantern bug / lantern fly is among my most favorite macro subjects. Whenever I find one, I  spend hours and hours photographing it, or just admire its spectacular beauty! New catches from Maliau Basin. Managed to find only 2 new species to add to my collection. Pyrops sultanus (ID credit: Jerome Constant). Maliau Basin, Sabah. . Pyrops sultanus. Maliau Basin, Sabah. Pyrops cultellatus (

What is a plamp? Well, a plamp is a flexible wire with clamps attached to both ends. Like this. This one was given to me by Sunny from the Butterfly Circle forum :). If you want to check out great butterfly images or to know more about these beautiful insects, click here. It is an extremely useful contraption that will come in handy in close-up and macro photography. Clip or tie one end to