My Little Friends............

Nikon D-3, 105 f/2.8 VR lens, R1C1 light System Both lights +.7 EV, Kenko 36mm extension tube, -2.67 EV, ISO-2000, f/29

For several years now I have owned an R1C1 Wireless-Close-up-Speedlight-System. Here and there I have played with it. I have never taken the time to really get down and dirty. You know - Read the Manual! And put this Nikon cool system to work. This weekend was Bear Lake weekend. I think I have slept in my own bed 5 days in the last 25, maybe 30. Who's counting? Attached to my Nikon 105 f/2.8, VR lens the R1C1 creates great opportunities for close up (macro) photography. So why not test the system even further? I invested in Kenko Extension Tubes. Yikes talk about getting close! In some respects I wish I had a 200 macro lens. The 105 with extension tube(s) puts you inches from the subject. Never tried drugging a bug before. Most insects don't like a huge piece of glass with two or four white flashes attached. I found a couple of suiters! Did a little bribing. Like the grass hopper above. It's amazing if they let you get that close how much character you get to see. He was turning his head. Moving antennas around. Those thousands of little eyes checking me out. I wonder who they see when near or far sightedness (sorry that's the best I can spell it sounding it out) affects their vision?

Bright sunlight and two flash heads. The mix was to turn down ambient light about two stops and push up the flashes by almost 1 stop. This way I got the deep shadows and greater contrast with the "hopper" to the plant. To even get any light in the background and front shadow areas I had to push the ISO to 2000. At f/29 it was getting pretty hard to fill. Overall it turned out good.

Now the Black Beauty! Not hard to find. She greets me every-time I arrive and leave Bear Lake. This little (or in spider "BIG") beauty calls my meter box home. Arriving I open and turn on the water. When leaving the water goes off. She is always there. A wonderful greater if I may say so. Though a little spooked when I first take the lid off she eventually calms and wants to get close. A little camera shy though. I chased her all over the lid until she finally realized she was to be famous. A blog superstar. At least that is what I told her. Really like I have mentioned before I ALWAYS talk to my subjects even if their heads are down and coming at a high rate of speed directly at me.

On her belly is a bright red hour glass. I thought a little personal photographing her belly so I did not pursue that. Click on the picture and look close. She must be european. Hairy I must say. What was really interesting was the rings on her two front legs. Why do they need 8 legs? If you look at her back you can see the reflection of the two strobes. Kinda like a catch light isn't it? Almost all the metadata was the same as the grasshopper. Except the EV was -1.67. And the flashes EV was set at zero. I did however lower the ISO to 400. You can see it in the detail. It was a really fun afternoon. I found what I think was a 4' blue racer snake. She did not want anything to do with me or my camera. I gave her a word or two!