An afternoon stroll with the maestro

Another outing to play with my new macro, and who better to take as my shooting companion than the proprietor of Pattaya Daze?

Not only is he good company and an enthusiastic photographer; he has also developed an almost uncanny ability to spot macro subjects in the undergrowth, honed through many years of daily walks hunting small beasties.

We stopped on a quiet country road and started to look for targets. I saw a sea of green. He saw spiders, lizards, snails, butterflies, moths. He would then point them out to me and I would see a sea of green. With some further pointing I finally spotted the prey. Had I been on my own, I would have come home with a photos of a leaf and a snail; and not a very good snail at that. Instead I came home home with these:

Notice how the front claws are in the same plane of focus as the eye. This is the result of pure luck brilliant composition by the photographer:

Let’s get a little closer to the dragonfly:

And finally, a black and white treatment, for that nightmare look:

Most of these were taken using a tripod. I find that hand-held shots taken in low light with resulting low shutter speeds, crouched in awkward positions trying to snap something with a tiny depth of field, is very hit and miss, and a lot more miss than hit. I am resolved that my next camera body will be an Olympus with stabilisation.

All photos: Panasonic GX1 with Olympus 60mm macro.

Comments 🔗

2012-12-12 | Robin Parmar says

Wow, nice work. And yes, Olympus OMD.

2012-12-13 | Wally says

That’s one helluva lens you’ve got there. Excellent pin sharp shots. By the way - if you accompany Ian on your small game safaris the subjects should be called wee beasties.

2012-12-13 | Spike says

Yes, the inevitability of an OMD is gradually creeping up on me. Poor wallet.

2012-12-13 | Spike says

Wee beasties is indeed the correct term.

2012-12-13 | Grant says

Ah, but think of the overwhelming feelings of satisfaction and fulfilment that will follow, this is not just a mere purchase but in truth your achievement of a higher calling… PS: Don’t get caught by senior management!

2012-12-13 | Grant says

…an adjectively enhanced version of which I believe you shouted out in great passion during your recent dance marathon with the red ants…

2012-12-13 | Spike says

Management has already approved the investment. “If you want it, why don’t you get it?”

2012-12-13 | Spike says

Is there no honour amongst gentlemen?

2012-12-13 | Grant says

Absolutely yes old chap, and I’m still looking for one…

2012-12-13 | genuinej says

Perhaps Santa could bring one?

2012-12-14 | Clive says

[ Obviously I should beg forgiveness before starting, for asking some practical questions. Notwithstanding that practicality has nothing to do with this, then…] No doubt the OMD is a fine piece of kit… but in my ignorance of such things, I have to wonder… Is the specification and performance of the OMD that much better than Spike’s GX1 that we’d notice the difference?

The OMD has the edge on frame rate, and the 5-axis stabilization, and perhaps at a pinch you could argue low ISO. But it’s bulkier, heavier, and has pretty much the same sensor resolution as the GX1… Now factor in the user - someone of Spike’s impressive calibre - and I have to wonder if, tough as it might be, a good idea might be to wait for the next generation to come along… and fill the void with shiny lenses?

Genuinely interested in thoughts on this one as I’ve been contemplating a second body to go with my GX1 with the idea that I could take both on a shoot with a pair of primes fitted, so I don’t have to swap lenses in potentially dusty environments… [ Caveat - in my case the limiting factor on IQ is the numpty pressing the shutter release, so unlike Spike I may not see improvements in output just from upgrading!]…

2012-12-14 | Spike says

The OMD is reckoned to have better IQ than the GX1; though I doubt anyone would notice in real world use, I certainly wouldn’t. And from my brief handling of the OMD, I do prefer the interface in the GX1. But I do pine for that stabilisation. At my age, and the fact I am frequently shooting in low light with low shutter speeds, I do think it would give me many more keepers. Going to see what, if anything, Olympus announce in January; after which I may indulge. Will keep the GX1 though. If you are after a second body, and you are not a shaky-handed old fart like me, may I suggest looking at the Panasonic G5 or the Olympus EPL-5, both cheaper than the OMD and very capable.

2012-12-15 | Spacefruit says

Still can’t do a watch …..