302: Optical Occlusion

Settings: f/5.6, 1/2, ISO 100, 50mm Cosinon M42, 51mm extension, fluorescent lamp on white card (behind subject,) tripod, varimagni finder.

301: Bling Extra Galaxies

Settings: f/16, 1/4, ISO 100, EOS D30, 50mm Pentacon M42, 8mm extension, 4x starburst filter, turntable, black velvet, halogen lamp.

300: Tomato-Twig Arrangement

The 300th image so far; Only 65 more until the year is up...

Settings: f/5.6, 1/180, ISO 100, 58mm Helios-44M M42, 9mm extension, 1/4 flash, white card, black velvet, tripod.

299: Blueberry Leaves

Settings: f/5.6, 1/80, ISO 200, DA 16-45 (34mm.)

298: Radial Plastics

A detail of a cheap plastic fan. Weirdly, the only reason I took this photo was that I brought this fan out of storage to discharge some NiMH batteries for better recharging. (my flash only seems to use half their power before it refuses to work any more.)

Settings: f/8, 1/6, ISO 100, 58mm Helios-44M M42, 36mm extension, fluorescent desk lamp, black cloth.

297: Stairs & Steps

Settings: f/8, 10s, ISO 100, DA 16-45 (16mm.)

296: Food is Fast

And comes back even faster for some.
Not a slow night by any means - these places on Braunstone Gate were doing plenty of business, with all the people coming to see the last acts of Oxjam Leicester Takeover 2010, get drunk and have a kebab (presumably.)

Settings: f/1.4, 1/250, ISO 400, P-FA 50mm.

295: Echinacea

Settings: f/4, 1/125, ISO 200, DA 16-45 (38mm.)

294: Grapes on Vine

Settings: f/5.6, 1/500, ISO 200, DA 16-45 (38mm.)

293: Pepper Seeds

Settings: f/8, 1/180, ISO 100, 50mm Cosinon M42, 51mm extension, 1/4 flash, silver & white reflectors, tripod. Slight crop.

292: Scorpionion

Settings: f/5.6, 1/180, ISO 100, 58mm Helios-44M M42, 1/4 flash, white card, black velvet, tripod.

291: Lamp Glow

OK, this is one I shot before the last two, but I was intending to put it up and forgot.

Settings: f/4, 1/10, ISO 400, DA 16-45 (45mm.)

290: On the Rear Wheel

Settings: f/8, 1/180, ISO 100, 58mm Helios-44M M42, 1/4 flash, 9mm extension, tripod/

289: Frosted Chard

The frost is here again.
While I don't really like the cold, I appreciate how it creates pretty crystals of ice on things in the morning.

Settings: f/3.2, 1/100, ISO 200, P-FA 50mm. Monochrome conversion, curves adjustment and slight cropping.

288: Turban Squash Top

Settings: f/9, 1/1.3, ISO 100, DA 16-45 (45mm.)

287: Diagonal Chrome

Settings: f/4, 1/25, ISO 800, DA 16-45 (16mm.)

286: Rutland-Halford Fork

A test shot taken outside the Curve Theatre with my newly acquired DA 16-45, which I am liking quite a lot over the 18-55.
Judging by the exposure, it would seem that the daylight was exactly two stops lower than a "Sunny 16" day. However, I had to push the exposure in PP a fair bit to achieve this result, so I would say more like 3 stops.

Settings: f/8, 1/200, ISO 200, DA 16-45 (16mm,) exposure adjustment and minimal cropping.

285: Gallowtree Gate Greens

Settings: f/1.4, 1/80, ISO 400, P-FA 50mm.

284: Highcross Defocused

Settings: f/1.4, 1/100, ISO 400, P-FA 50mm.

283: Stilts & Streamers

Settings: f/6.3, 1/200, ISO 200, DA 18-55.

282: Business Unusual

Settings: f/4, 1/250, ISO 400, EOS D30, 24mm Tamron Adaptall.

281: Autumn Leaves

Sycamore, I think.

Settings: f/2.8, 1/80, ISO 200, 50mm Cosinon M42, 19mm extension, fluorescent desk lamp.

280: Tail Light Clusters

Settings: f/2.5, 1/30, ISO 400, Tamron 24mm Adaptall.

279: Acrylic Diamonds

Settings: f/4, 1/250, ISO 100, EOS D30, 50mm Pentacon M42, 8mm extension, 4x starburst filter, black velvet.

278: One Dozen Ladybirds

Settings: f/5.6, 1/10, ISO 100, 50mm Cosinon M42, 19mm extension, tripod.

277: Apples on the Tree

Settings: f/5.6, 1/200, ISO 800, 50mm Cosinon M42.

276: Gloopy Apple Web

At first I thought this was some kind of cocoon, but I think it's just a wet spider nest. The dip in the top of this apple seems like as good a place as any to establish a tiny nest / hiding place / gloopy weird mass / etc.

I tried a reversed FA 50mm with this, and it works surprisingly well - with a magnification ratio of about 1:1.5. It's very smooth and sharp, but the focus can't be adjusted, and flare could be a significant problem if turned toward the light. (No hood other than something improvised can be fitted.) The only easy option is to shift the lens body forward by twisting the focus ring so it protrudes past the front element a bit.

f/5.6, 1/2.5, ISO 100, reversed P-FA 50mm with 49-52mm step-up & 52mm-PK adapter, tripod.

275: Saxophony

Settings: f/1.4, 1/30, ISO 800, P-FA 50mm.

274: Glitter Wall

Settings: f.4, 1/125, ISO 100, 50mm Cosinon M42, 9mm extension, tripod. Colour boost, levels adjustment & crop.