It's a bit of an afterthought, but perhaps people interested in stacking may want to see this comparison of a single frame versus the extended-depth-of-field composite. This is a fairly deep stack at wide aperture (66 frames, NA 0.4), so the effect is striking. http://www.janrik.net/MiscSubj/ClickBe...

A beautiful image of an interesting fly -- who could ask for more?

Mike, I see a couple of stacking errors in this image -- mostly bristles appearing to overlap in ways that would make M.C.Escher proud.

Are you talking about those kinds of artifacts, or something else?

--Rik

Edwin Bont has used a similar diffuser with superb results.

See his topic at http://www.photomacrography1.net/forum/ ... php?t=5044. The tenth post references the "softbox" and points to an illustration at http://members.lycos.nl/eddysign/softbox1.jpg showing it on a 420EZ flash.

--Rik

Charles Krebs wrote:...CO2 "duster"...anesthesize Tabanus

Clever! I'll give that a shot on some other critters. Thanks!

--Rik

Rik... I checked and the number of frames used were 28, 15, and 8 respectively. I used that focus rail/focus rack set up I showed you a while back, with a flat platform out front (at C) and a "doped up" horsefly. Charlie, Thanks -- this all sounds about like what I figured, except for that part abo...

Good point. Though you did refer to it, I didn't note your reference to other, more cuddly species. You triggered one of my hot-button lectures, and I didn't fully ponder what you'd said fully. Mike, No problem -- actually I figured I'd just kind of float that thought as a trial balloon and see wha...

Charlie,

Wow! To say the least...

Are you willing to divulge technique? How many frames per stack?

--Rik

Darren,

These are very nice. If you are not already familiar with Helicon Focus (stacking for extended depth of field), you should take a look at it. http://www.heliconfocus.com

If budget is a problem, look at the freeware CombineZ5.

--Rik

while those roles are really important, they're also very well filled by other more palatable species. So the rattlers and I get along just fine, as long as it doesn't have to be in the same place. With lone predators like rattlesnakes, there's usually a surplus of predators over available territor...

someone said it just came out that away. That was me. Sorry you had to run into that sad case, Ken. Sue, on the other hand, has imaged a very nice Eastern Tiger Swallowtail ( Papilio glaucus according to most sources, Pterourus glaucus by the most recent revisions :( ). A male, judging from the col...

Must be lichen week! http://www.janrik.net/PanoPostings/SouthForkTieton2006July15-16/CRW_9472.jpg Nothing special here -- I just liked the colors and textures. Field is about 1-1/2 inches across. This is another from my Conrad Basin series, shot a couple of weeks ago (July 15) at ~6200 ft elevation....

Hit'm with the lawn mower! :lol: Ah, Ken, haven't you been listening to the hardcore environmentalists? That snake had an important role to play! 'Course I have to confess, living up here in the northwest, that I've carefully considered all the roles of rattlesnakes, and concluded that while those ...

Darren, Thanks for joining the forums here. Your images are very nice. The second and third seem particularly well done -- classic strobe lighting with black background, very crisp. The colors on that second one are outrageous! :D The first one might have turned out better with focus a hair farther ...

Steve,

Are these formations common where you live?

They are not, here in northwestern U.S.

I was surprised to see some similar things last winter, see these posts:
Frost Spikes 4
Frost Spikes 3
Frost Spikes 2
Frost Spikes

--Rik

About the jumping spider eyes. I read it focusses by a movable retina. And they can also follow a prey by shifting the retina. So the spider can sit motionless and still follow the prey. Aren't they amazing! They are indeed! Here is a snippet from the best reference I ever found. http://www.tolweb....