Hoverflies do hover in one place for brief periods and when trying to photograph them it seems very brief indeed. When they move it is in sudden fast leaps to another position. So with lots of focus twiddling and not a little silent cursing I set about capturing this little beastie.
As, it seems, with all creatures there are many opportunites to photograph the back end......
.... but with a bit of patience and a lot of luck I did at least get one side on view. Just look at the size of that compound eye compared with the rest of the body:
Hoverfly - Dronefly
The depth of field on these was shallow but practice, hopefully, will make perfect ..... one day.
Great captures John! I love Hoverflies, such useful little creatures to have around the garden.
ReplyDeleteThat looks like a magnifying glass stuck to the side of its head!
Oh I have such trouble trying to focus on the right thing with auto focus but being quite new to photography all the manual stuff seems so complicated! I do try now and again but it seems so much easier to use auto focus, when I can get it to focus that is!
Hoverflies hanging in a beam of sunlight always seem to me to epitomise long, dowsy summer days. Great photos.
ReplyDeleteGreat photos! You have given me some new ideas for photos in my own garden - thanks!
ReplyDeleteOh well done John!! I really must follow your example and try more manual focussing. I just find that the weight of lens+camera and then trying to turn the focussing ring....etc. etc.
ReplyDeleteBut you've managed some great shots!
ShySongbird: I like to see the Hoverflies about. I'm always amused by the way they come really close as though giving me the once over before going about their business. As for manual focus - I started photography when that was the only way, for me anyway as auto equipment was way out of my reach.
ReplyDeleteGreenfingers: Thanks. I agree. They just seem to enjoy life flitting and hovering continuously round the garden.
Mick: There might be some copyright or royalties on the idea ;>) Sometimes it's difficult to find something different and I do like a challenge.
Tricia: Thanks. One thing I tried last year was to watch which areas insects or birds continually used and manually focus on that spot and wait for the subject to fly through. I tried it with Swallows last Summer as they were too fast to follow. Unfortunately they were too far away but the idea worked so I shall be trying again this year. I also tried the same thing with Dragonflies and managed a few good flight photos that way.
True - it is not a lightweight camera. I bought one of the add on side straps which has a nice wide soft leather pad which fits over the back of the right hand and makes it much more comfortable to hold for long periods.
Stunning shots! I tried this last year and failed miserably. Well done.
ReplyDeleteLBJ: Thanks. To be honest I nearly gave up but I had managed a similar thing with a dragonfly last Summer which made me determined. I wasn't sure of the results though until I loaded them on the computer.
ReplyDeleteCracking photos. Nice light on the wings in the first shot. Last year there were some biggish hoverflies about on the IoW, genus Volucella I think - very fond of buddleia.
ReplyDeleteGreat shots John! I have enough trouble getting birds in flight, and you've made these little chaps look so easy.
ReplyDeleteRR & HM Many thanks for your kind comments.
ReplyDeleteRR: It seems only in the last few years I've seen so many of this type of hoverfly and very few of our usual striped ones.
HM: At least a hoverfly does stay in one place every now and then which helps.
John, these are really good. From my pre blogging days. So little wonder I missed them.
ReplyDeleteThank you Adrian. Goodness it's hard to remember how sunny it was when these were taken.
ReplyDelete