CircleCount helps you better understand Google+

2013-05-17 14:41:03 (2 comments, 0 reshares, 1 +1s)

Uhm, am I blind? Didn't G+ use to show trending topics on the right?

2013-05-10 13:34:44 (15 comments, 0 reshares, 24 +1s)

I was experimenting with three flashes in this picture, but this beast wouldn't want to sit still. Pretty carapace, though.

For #BuggyFriday +Buggy Friday 
Curators: +Ray Bilcliff +Sherry McBriar +Dorothy Pugh +Victoria Etna
And for #BugsEveryday +BugsEveryday 
Curator: +Chris Mallory 
And for #Macro4All +Macro4All 
Curator: +Walter Soestbergen
#photomacrography  

2013-04-28 12:01:15 (2 comments, 0 reshares, 17 +1s)

Nevermind the last post about summer, it's cloudy, rainy and cold again.

This is from earlier this year (similar weather), shot through a window, high ISO, 1/125 (still handheld, take that, motion blur!) with quite a long lens.
The image quality is as bad as the weather ;).

For: #Birdpoker  +Bird Poker
Curator: +Phil Armishaw
For #Birds4All +Birds4All  curated by +Ricky L Jones +Walter Soestbergen

2013-04-26 18:06:40 (10 comments, 0 reshares, 4 +1s)

That feeling when you have a hard drive failure and...
nothing of value was lost because you do regular backups.

I have it.
So, there goes my oldest drive, 500GB WD, the second of its type to fail. New 2TB ready to replace it.

2013-04-24 11:32:55 (5 comments, 0 reshares, 19 +1s)

Suddenly, spring summer (finally!).

So, I hurried into the botanical garden 20 minutes before closing, not much time to get into photographing. Well, that's what I took home.
#PentaxK10D #DA35Limited  

2013-04-22 21:01:29 (7 comments, 0 reshares, 10 +1s)

So, apparently video is a thing.
I did an experiment with my Pentax Q, turned out... well -- "okay".
The technical circumstances need some improvement ;).

Schneider Componon-S 50/2.8 on extension.
For #MacroMonday   +Macro Monday
Curators: +Kerry Murphy +Kelli Seeger Kim +Jennifer Eden +Jake Easley

#PentaxQ  

2013-04-08 13:10:26 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 8 +1s)

イソバナの上のタテジマヘビギンポ
Helcogramma striata
また再投稿、以前のサイズ小さい写真は削除しています。コメントなどしてくれた方ごめんなさい。
ＰＩＣＡＳＡ開くとｇ+がでる？まぁいいけど、今一つＧ+の仕組みがわからん。投稿するときｐｃから選んだ写真は『投稿からの写真』に自動的に入るがこの写真たちは他のアルバムに移動したりはできないのだろうか？
アルバムから他のアルバムには移動できるみたいだけど・・・
これでは写真増やすと整理が出来ない(T_T)元からアルバムにアップロードしないといけなかったのか・・・今頃色々気付いた。ショック・・・。


#underwaterphoto   #scuba   #underwaterphotography   #diving　#Macro4All  by  +WalterSoestbergen (+Macro4All )... more »

2013-03-29 23:26:22 (6 comments, 0 reshares, 18 +1s)

Geislergruppe/Odles

When I looked for my lost raw files yesterday, I found an old directory with images from long ago. This is from 2004 when I was on vacation in South Tyrol, showing a part of the Dolomiti.
It's a handheld panorama made with an old Canon bridge camera (Powershot S1 or so) I now stitched together in Photoshop.
Location: 46.610329,11.769018
Taken from the "Glatsch Alm".

Click on the picture and press your spacebar to see it a bit larger ;).

For #AmazingLandscapes +Amazing Landscapes
Curator: +Rolf Hicker
And for #LandscapePhotography +Landscape Photography 
Curators: +Margaret Tompkins +Carra Riley +paul t beard +David Heath Williams +Bill Wood +Jim Warthman +Ben T

2013-05-10 13:29:09 (13 comments, 3 reshares, 31 +1s)

Lost Weevil

I knew I had this folder with plenty of undeveloped, non-categorised RAW-files somewhere.
With 8TB of hard drive space and tens of thousands of DNG-files that's the search for the needle in the needle-stack. Now I found it. On my SSD for programs. What was I thinking!?


Handheld stack from two images. Live, moving animal. Slight crop.
Ratio at least 2.5:1. Pentax K10D, ISO 200, flash used. Schneider Kreuznach Componon-S 50/2.8 reversed on extension.

For #BuggyFriday +Buggy Friday
Curators: +Ray Bilcliff +Sherry McBriar +Dorothy Pugh +Victoria Etna
And for #BugsEveryday +BugsEveryday
Curator: +Chris Mallory
And for #Macro4All +Macro4All
Curator: +Walter Soestbergen 

#photomacrography   #macro #magnification #supermacro

2013-03-14 01:24:20 (5 comments, 0 reshares, 11 +1s)

That event today in Rome that used to be #1?
Poof!

#reader

2013-03-05 14:36:15 (2 comments, 0 reshares, 3 +1s)

So, that +Leap Motion thing some of you (I did) pre-ordered a felt eternity ago: soon.

On a sidenote: #!%&$% flu!!

2013-02-07 09:52:59 (5 comments, 0 reshares, 0 +1s)

Imagine you're sitting over a complex equation or similar problem in a pre-coffee morning-state (=coma) and only produce garbage, then decide to make coffee and while you're setting up your coffee machine suddenly figure out a promising (or even working) approach (εὕρηκα!). Do you:

A) continue making coffee and then return to work
OR
B) run back and try the solution candidate (risk of recursion)

2013-01-28 20:47:43 (7 comments, 1 reshares, 28 +1s)

Excuse the lazy posting frequency, the flu and other things still keep me pretty busy.

For #MacroMonday +Macro Monday
Curators: +Kelli Seeger Kim +Kerry Murphy +Jennifer Eden +Jake Easley
For #macro4all +Macro4All and #sexyflies  
Curators: +Shane Williams +Walter Soestbergen

Stack from 3, handheld, slight crop.
#photomacrography #magnification #macro #supermacro  

2013-04-01 06:31:17 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 16 +1s)

I wish everyone a happy new year!

Also, one should not be this close to fireworks. Even with a camera.

2013-01-02 20:13:40 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 17 +1s)

Sinus infections are awkward. My sensors seem miscalibrated, ugh.

Anyway, #wildlifewednesday
Curators: +Mike Spinak +Morkel Erasmus
#photomacrography #macro #magnification #supermacro

2012-12-18 14:19:31 (4 comments, 0 reshares, 1 +1s)

Current projects: High speed shutter and automatic aperture for camera stuff.
My current order list for Farnell is, again, way too long and I'm still not done with selecting all the parts. Hope to be soldering within ten days though :).

I'm sort of new to electronics, how do you guys cope with the stress of planning a project? Perfectionism vs. practicality is my thing right now.
One could do many things, but there's always a price tag, be it actual money, size, time or power consumption...
Either way, finding the right IC or sensor can be so frustrating.

Selecting the right µC, for example -- I could totally do it with a larger ATTiny. But having three dozen I/O-ports could be so handy later on, maybe. And then, why not get even more? The shutter will be released by a sensor, so maybe a faster µC would be even better, no? Ahhh!! ;)

2012-12-11 20:44:16 (4 comments, 3 reshares, 26 +1s)

Something different -- because sometimes when you take out your camera on a walk, you stumble right into a landscape that's actually worth photographing.
Of course, you didn't bring your tripod. And there's a hedge in the way.
But then you can always switch on live view and hold your camera overhead. Which I did. Except for the live view. So there's that. The next picture will be macro photography again, I promise ;-).

Also, this is as SOOC as it gets for me.
FA 77/1.8 Limited, F/5.6, 1/2500, ISO 100.

For: #landscapephotography +Landscape Photography 
Curators: +Margaret Tompkins +Carra Riley +paul t beard +Ke Zeng +David Heath Williams
#fa77ltd

2012-12-03 18:08:20 (7 comments, 1 reshares, 37 +1s)

Back from the Polyball in Zürich. Has anyone of you been there, too? ;)

Ratio: ~4:1, handheld, not cropped.
Schneider Componon-S 50/2.8 on extension.
For: #MacroMonday
Curators: +Kelli Seeger Kim +Kerry Murphy +Jennifer Eden 
And for #SexyFly
Curator: +Shane Williams 
And for: #Macro4All
Curators: +Walter Soestbergen 
And for: #bugseveryday
Curator: +Chris Mallory
#photomacrography #macro #supermacro #magnification  

2012-11-14 14:09:12 (4 comments, 1 reshares, 28 +1s)

I love the colours of that guy ^_^.

For: #Wildlifewednesday
Curators: +Mike Spinak +Morkel Erasmus

And for #bugseveryday
Curator: +Chris Mallory 

Pentax FA 77mm/1.8 limited@F/2.8 on bellows, handheld.
#FA77ltd #photomacrography #macro  

2012-11-07 08:50:27 (10 comments, 3 reshares, 36 +1s)

I like these a lot. Reminds me of certain aircrafts :).
There's an annoying stacking error in its eyes which I can't fix because I have to go shopping now. In the rain. Awesome.

Handheld, stack from 2, not really cropped. Ratio: ~3.7:1.
For: #MacroMonday
Curators: +Kelli Seeger Kim +Kerry Murphy +Jennifer Eden
#macro #photomacrography #supermacro #magnification  

2012-10-29 18:47:24 (7 comments, 0 reshares, 31 +1s)

An experiment with flash and a true 150mm lens (on extension).

For: #MacroMonday
Curators: +Kelli Seeger Kim +Kerry Murphy +Jennifer Eden
#macro #insectsinflight #photomacrography  

2012-10-19 13:02:57 (14 comments, 1 reshares, 39 +1s)

The colours look weird in this, but this mayfly decided to walk right in front of a white reflector. Not that it helped with the lighting (reflectors are not supposed to be behind a subject right?).

I'm finally back shooting after my thumb healed up. I sort of mutilated it with a kitchen knife (trying to peel a pomelo), so it had to be stiched up. At the same place I had mutilated it 20 years ago (not trying to peel a pomelo).
The scars cross and it'll look awesome.

For #bugportraitweek  
Curator: +David Elefante 
For #bugsEveryday
Curator: +Chris Mallory 
For: #buggyFriday
Curators: +Ray Bilcliff +Margaret Tompkins +Dorothy Pugh
#photomacrography #macro #supermacro #magnification

2012-09-24 14:36:55 (3 comments, 1 reshares, 29 +1s)

Weevil on tour.

For #macromonday
Curators: +Kelli Seeger Kim +Kerry Murphy +Jennifer Eden
Ratio: 3.5:1, handheld.
#photomacrography #macro #magnification #supermacro  

2012-09-14 12:18:51 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 11 +1s)

Testing out my new Pentax Q while trying #StreetPhotography .

I found it easy to take pictures of people using this tiny camera, it's barely noticeable, and if people notice it, they still see my face and respond accordingly.
This was done with a preset, a hard B/W conversion that does not save RAW files (I usually always shoot raw). It's #sooc , as I've done all editing (except downsampling) within the Q.

Pentax Q, 8mm/1.9@1.9(~47mm on full frame), ISO 1600, 1/50.
#portraitpoker #street #PentaxQ  

2012-09-12 12:30:45 (5 comments, 1 reshares, 33 +1s)

A field wasp for
#WildlifeWednesday
Curators: +Mike Spinak +Morkel Erasmus
Ratio: at least 2.3:1, handheld, some cropping.

#photomacrography #macro #supermacro #magnification  

2012-09-10 13:20:27 (5 comments, 0 reshares, 21 +1s)

I've had such bad luck with macro lately, everytime I pack my camera the insects seem to be hiding. But then when I go out without a camera I'm surrounded by jumping spiders, wasps and weird ants. To solve this, I've aquired myself a Pentax Q, a camera I can always have with me.

This is still done with a DSLR, though. I'll go out shooting now, maybe something more interesting shows up ;).

For #MacroMonday
Curators: +Kelli Seeger Kim +Kerry Murphy +Jennifer Eden

Ratio 2.3:1, handheld, not cropped.
#photomacrography #macro #supermacro #magnification  

2012-08-29 14:13:38 (10 comments, 0 reshares, 30 +1s)

My first attempt at birding.

Playing around with a fully manual 1970 500mm/8 I shot on eBay for 30$.

I think I'll stick to macro ;).

For: #BirdPoker
Curator: +Phil Armishaw
For: #WildlifeWedsneday
Curators: +Mike Spinak +Morkel Erasmus

2012-08-24 16:22:48 (4 comments, 0 reshares, 30 +1s)

Mandibles of a live ant

I captured this, handheld, with a JML microscope objective mounted on extension tubes on my camera. The ant was moving (although very slowly).

This is my highest magnification yet, 15:1 on an APS-C sensor.
The width of this image correspondends to roughly 1.6mm in real life.

Stacked from two shots, not cropped.

And no, normally you would not use microscope objectives in the field like that ;).

For: #BuggyFriday +Buggy Friday
Curators: +Ray Bilcliff +Sherry McBriar +Margaret Tompkins 

#macro #photomacrography #supermacro #magnification #photomicrography  

2012-08-08 11:54:54 (3 comments, 0 reshares, 18 +1s)

A third close-up on film.
Handheld, Pentax DA 35mm/2.8 macro limited, Fuji Superia 200.

For: #WildlifeWednesday
Curators: +Mike Spinak +Morkel Erasmus

2012-08-05 22:14:34 (5 comments, 0 reshares, 26 +1s)

Another handheld film shot.

Pentax FA 77/1.8 Limited on bellows @f/4
Fuji Superia 200

For #Macromonday
Curators: +Kelli Seeger Kim +Kerry Murphy +Jennifer Eden 

#macro #photomacrography #fujifilm #filmphotography #sooc

2012-08-02 13:33:56 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 16 +1s)

I've always wanted to try my Pentax DA 35/2.8 Macro limited on full frame.
Some vignetting, but it's barely noticeable when stopped down.
Pretty good for a "short" lens designed for APS-C.

Also, handheld macro (well, close-up) with film. I doubt I'll do this again, digital is much more effective for macro.

Fuji Superia ISO 200, F/6.3, 1/125.

#macro #photomacrography #fujifilm #filmphotography #sooc  

2012-07-18 06:41:44 (7 comments, 4 reshares, 35 +1s)

Squirrel!

Early non-macro post for #Wildlifewednesday :).
Curator: +Mike Spinak

2012-07-02 13:18:23 (6 comments, 2 reshares, 36 +1s)

Male Anthidium manicatum, or European wool carder bee in flight.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthidium_manicatum

In the background you can see parts of the habitat, Stachys byzantina or Lambs Ear.

I'm still working on my automated system to photograph insects in flight, this one was done manually with a Schneider Componon-S 100/5.6 on a bellows (F/8, 1/750s). Handheld, no flash.

For #MacroMonday
Curators: +Kelli Seeger Kim +Kerry Murphy +Jennifer Eden
#photomacrography #macro #insectsinflight  

2012-06-26 16:38:39 (5 comments, 1 reshares, 26 +1s)

I've stalked this one for at least half an hour. It just wouldn't sit still.
Well, almost. :)

For #Odonatapoker
Curator: +viviane godenne +#OdonataPoker
Schneider Kreuznach Componon-S 100mm/5.6@F/8 on bellows.

2012-07-02 13:18:45 (2 comments, 3 reshares, 31 +1s)

I've tried my luck at catching some bees in flight. It's very hard ;).

These are Macropis fulvipes. They're collecting very fatty oil from Lysimachia Punctata (the yellow flowers) which they use to harden their earth shelters against humidity and to mix it with pollen to feed their larvae.

35mm/2.8@6.7, 1/1000s, handheld, everything manual, no flash.

For #BuggyFriday
Curators: +Ray Bilcliff +Sherry McBriar +Margaret Tompkins
#insectsinflight

2012-06-21 17:58:07 (12 comments, 2 reshares, 48 +1s)

My new Schneider Componon-S 100/5.6 seems to work just fine for these ;).

For #OdonataPoker
Curator: +viviane godenne

2012-06-20 12:47:51 (6 comments, 1 reshares, 20 +1s)

Luck > Skill

The sharpness and composition isn't really there, but it was hard to get as it is ;). Handheld, 35mm/2.8, no flash.

For #wildlifewednesday
Curator: +Mike Spinak
#photomacrography #macro  

2012-06-18 12:55:25 (3 comments, 0 reshares, 28 +1s)

A busy bee :)

For #MacroMonday
Curators: +Kelli Seeger Kim +Kerry Murphy +Jennifer Eden

2012-06-07 16:28:40 (10 comments, 4 reshares, 46 +1s)

Do you know where your honey comes from? ;-)

For: #WildlifeWednesday
Curator: +Mike Spinak
Ratio: 2:1, cropped to square, handheld.
#Photomacrography #macro
#supermacro #magnification  

2012-05-28 20:18:31 (4 comments, 1 reshares, 27 +1s)

An Adonis Dragonfly with some prey, I think.

1:1, handheld, flashed, cropped.
For #MacroMonday
Curators: +Kelli Seeger Kim +Kerry Murphy +Jennifer Eden
For #OdonataPoker
Curator: +viviane godenne

2012-05-27 20:42:52 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 15 +1s)

Early post for #MacroMonday
Well, at a ratio of 1:1.72 this is actually a close-up.

Taken with a Meopta Anaret-S 80/4.5, no flash, handheld, not cropped.
Curators: +Kelli Seeger Kim +Kerry Murphy +Jennifer Eden

2012-05-25 22:19:16 (2 comments, 0 reshares, 22 +1s)

The Anaret-S 80/4.5 continues to shine, I'm quite happy with it.
Natural light, handheld, not cropped.

#BuggyFriday
Curators: +Ray Bilcliff +Sherry McBriar +Margaret Tompkins

2012-05-25 13:44:03 (6 comments, 0 reshares, 27 +1s)

Testing a new Meopta Anaret-S 80mm/4.5 I got really cheap on eBay.
Liking it so far, incredible contrast. It's a simple four lens design, no focus ring, manual aperture.

Also, my first Odonata.
Close up, 1:2 to 1:3 or so. ISO is way up, the background could be better, too.

#BuggyFriday
Curators: +Ray Bilcliff +Sherry McBriar +Margaret Tompkins
#OdonataPoker
Curators: +viviane godenne

2012-05-10 20:25:49 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 24 +1s)

Shuttle service (that's a live ant on the right).

#BusyAntThursday
Curator: Yours truly.

3:1 or so, handheld, not cropped.
#photomacrography #macro
#magnification #supermacro

2012-05-10 19:48:35 (3 comments, 1 reshares, 26 +1s)

No theme for today?
Oh, whatever.
#BusyAntThursday
Curator: Yours truly.

3.5:1 or so, handheld, not cropped (but stitched).
#photomacrography #macro
#magnification #supermacro

2012-05-09 13:05:31 (8 comments, 1 reshares, 27 +1s)

A leafhopper nymph, I guess.

4.5:1, cropped to 60%, handheld.
#WildlifeWednesday
Curator: +Mike Spinak
#photomacrography #macro
#supermacro #magnification

2012-04-30 18:05:37 (6 comments, 1 reshares, 26 +1s)

Look Ma, no hands!


For #macromonday
Curators: +Kelli Seeger Kim +Kerry Murphy +Jennifer Eden
2.75:1, Handheld, not cropped.
#macro #photomacrography #magnification #supermacro

2012-04-30 12:38:44 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 13 +1s)

It's already #Macromonday in Europe :-]

A lasius niger queen being dragged by a worker.
A jumping spider was so nice to decorate the scene with some silk.

Curators: +Kelli Seeger Kim +Kerry Murphy +Jennifer Eden
Handheld, not cropped, no idea about the ratio (>2:1).
#macro #photomacrography #magnification #supermacro

2012-04-30 00:50:09 (2 comments, 1 reshares, 20 +1s)

It's already #Macromonday in Europe :-]

A lasius niger queen being dragged by a worker.
A jumping spider was so nice to decorate the scene with some silk.

Curators: +Kelli Seeger Kim +Kerry Murphy +Jennifer Eden
Handheld, not cropped, no idea about the ratio (>2:1).
#macro #photomacrography #magnification #supermacro

2012-04-28 01:26:29 (6 comments, 2 reshares, 26 +1s)

I was actually done for the day but you can't just stop listening to Les Troyens by Berlioz once you've started (That's what Picard listens to when Riker tells him about the Borg attack on the fleet in First Contact, go figure).
So, I decided to edit these photographs I took today.

Handheld stack from three pictures. Cropped to nearly 100%.
Yepp, it's walking.

#buggyfriday
Curators: +Ray Bilcliff +Sherry McBriar +Margaret Tompkins
#magnification #supermacro
#photomacrography #macro