361: The Luminous Tree

Settings: f/1.4, 1/1.7, ISO 100, P-FA 50mm.

345: Apparitional Gauze

Settings: f/4, 1/15, ISO 800, DA 16-45 (16mm)

337: Future Compost

Settings: f/8, 1s, ISO 100, 50mm Cosinon M42, 17mm extension, tungsten light, cable release, tripod.

331: Winter Street Lights

A quick snap taken from the middle of King Richards Road. Snowy and very cold.
The only significant hint of snowfall shown here is the lower right patch. The snow cover generally cast a lot of ambient reflections around the street, and the scene would have had much less shadow detail without it.

Settings: f/1.4, 1/50, ISO 400, P-FA 50mm. Colour and levels adjustments, crop to 16:9.

328: Pepper Juice Purses

Not seaweed, but capsicum. The firm pockets of juice on the inner walls of this yellow pepper are very shiny, and are highlighted very effectively by lighting sideways on.

Settings: f/8, 1/4, ISO 100, 50mm Pentacon M42, 68mm extension, 1/4 flash, tripod. Colour and levels adjustment, slight sharpen and crop.

320: Confection Racket

I drop the M&Ms and try to trigger the camera at the right: Not easy to do, especially when you consider that all digital cameras have a slight delay between pressing the button and the shutter opening. Okay, DSLRs are pretty damn quick, but the delay is nonetheless there. Out of about fifteen tries, I got two-thirds fairly well timed, but I really could have done with more M&Ms to fill the frame. Like a whole bowl next time!

Set up with a large mirror on a table, black velvet cloth hung over from behind at a slight angle, and a barrier of upended VHS cassettes around the perimeter.

Settings: f/7.1, 1/180, ISO 400, P-FA 50mm, 1/4 flash, mirror, black velvet, tripod. Levels adjustment and crop to vertical 16:9.

318: Bridge-Train-Tree

A spur of the moment shot, as a train and I both approached a bridge.
Interesting how the tree on the left is visible through a gaping hole in the engine vehicle.

Settings: f/5.6, 1/640, ISO 400, P-FA 50mm. Levels adjustment and crop.

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.)

288: Turban Squash Top

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

270: Patterns On Glass

Settings: f/4, 1.3s, ISO 100, P-FA 50mm.

269: Roundabout

Another blob shot. Previously a 58mm f/2, this time it's the turn of 50mm f/1.4. Very big discs, almost too large; would probably look better on a full-frame 135 sensor, although there would be more peripheral distortions.
Noticing the small hair-like dust mark on the right of centre makes me wonder how there is a slight double image - I had no filter attached to the lens. Strangely, the marks shift in different images, so I presume it's something on the front lens element.

Settings: f/1.4, 1/10, ISO 200, P-FA 50mm.

268: Skin, Scored

Settings: f/16, 1/4, ISO 100, 58mm Helios-44-2 M42, 19mm extension, 1/4 flash, black velvet, tripod. Cropped square.

261: Ripening Tomatoes

The traffic lights are all on at once here, but they're very slow to change. And they get eaten; those two red examples were picked later in the day.

Settings: f/3 (approx,) 1/200, ISO 100, 58mm Helios-44-2 M42. Some curves and colour adjustment, slight sharpen and crop.

240: Coral of the Woods

I can't tell whether this is Yellow Antler fungus or Ramaria aurea, but I'm glad I came across it today.
I also used a fill-in flash to help with this shot; previous outings to capture close-ups of fungi would sometimes yield disappointing pictures when long exposures were needed, due partly to shake, while noise and disappointing colour could also be problems.
Using a flash cuts down the exposure time, gives crisper images and is also useful for giving extra illumination do shaded areas of the image - common in situations like these.

Settings: f/8, 1/4, ISO 100, 50mm Pentacon M42, 9mm extension, 1/4 flash, white card, beanbag.

235: Edge of the Goo

Settings: f/5.6, 1/180, ISO 100, 50mm Cosinon M42, 26mm extension, 1/4 flash, white cards, tripod.

233: Knees-Down

Settings: f/2, 1/160, ISO 400, P-FA 50mm.

230: Half and Half

Settings: f/4, 1/5, ISO 100, 50mm Cosinon M42, 26mm extension, halogen light, tripod.

229: Poker Top

Settings: f/5.6, 1/160, ISO 100, 50mm Cosinon M42, 26mm extension.

212: Orange Beetroot

Settings: f/8, 1/60, ISO 200, DA 18-55.

190: Flower Tongue

Settings: f/2.8, 1/250, ISO 100, 50mm Pentacon M42, 17mm extension.