294: Grapes on Vine

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

288: Turban Squash Top

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

263: Blackberry Muddle

Settings: f/5.6, 1/25, ISO 200, 135mm Soligor M42 1:2.8.

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.

239: The Teasel

Settings: f/4.5, 1/180,ISO 100, 58mm Helios-44-2 M42, 45mm extension, 1/4 flash, black velvet, white cards, tripod.
(f-number is approximate.)

234: Silvan Umbellifers

Settings: f/2.8, 1/40, ISO 100, P-FA 50mm.

232: Nettle Caterpillars

Settings: f/8, 1/4, ISO 100, 50mm Pentacon M42, 33mm extension, 1/4 flash, white card, black velvet, tripod.

213: A Green Tomato

Settings: f/5.6, 1/50, ISO 200, 50mm Pentacon M42, 9mm extension.

151: Onion Tube

Settings: f/5.6, 1/180, ISO 100, 50mm Cosinon M42, 32mm extension, 1/4 flash, white cards, tripod.

150: Elder Buds

Settings: f/5.6, 1/180, ISO 100, Photax-Paragon 35mm M42, 10mm extension, 1/4 flash, white card and reflector, tripod.

146: Green Sapsuckers

Mid-May onwards has seen the emergence of the dreaded aphids. They're always congregating on young apple and blackcurrant leaves, but also the buds on this Scarlet Trumpet Honeysuckle. They can encrust stinging nettles in near totality later on.
I dislike these tiny vampires, but at least they provide an abundant and interesting subject. What's more, they pack themselves densely and hardly move, which certainly helps with composing a very close macro shot like this one.

Settings: f/11, 1/180, ISO 100, P-FA 50mm 1:1.4, 70mm bellows, 1/4 flash, white card & foil reflector, tripod.

121: A Sun Follower's Arrival

Settings: f/10, 1/100, ISO 100, P-FA 50mm.

116: Cells and Veins

I'm not going to try and estimate the level of magnification in this shot; it's almost microscopic. A reversed wideangle coupled with a set of bellows makes it possible, is not very easy, to capture some really tiny detail. The individual cells of this clematis leaf are clearly visible, though still very small and rather indistinct.

What's not so good is the significant softness of the image, even when stopped down to a supposedly near-optimum aperture. But that goes with the unconventional use of the lens - not how it was designed for.

Settings: f/6.7, 1/2, ISO 100, reversed Tamron 24mm with 55-52 and 52-PK adapters, macro bellows, 1/4 flash fired behind leaf, tripod.

113: Fungus Anonymous

Settings: f/6.7, 1/180, ISO 100, 50mm Cosinon M42, 27mm extension, 1/4 flash, foil reflector, white card, tripod.

111: Mushroom Double

Upon my egg box of corn salad seedlings sprouts a stand of tiny mushrooms. Too curious not to record in an image today, they await an identification which may never happen.
They're certainly pretty close up, resembling a group of very flat jellyfish-like creatures.

Settings: f/8, 1/180, ISO 100, 50mm Cosinon M42, 17mm extension, 1/4 flash, foil reflector, tripod.

Is 111 a lucky number? Today I recieved a new (old, second hand) DSLR, a Canon EOS D30. I had no illusions about its image quality compared to the K10D, but it's ideal for shooting animation with. Why?
1. They're very cheap!
2. I don't have to wear out my K10D on animation now.
3. It has a DC adapter with its battery charger, an otherwise expensive extra, but essential. Plus, it works with the 10D, 20D etc.
4. The 2168x1440 resolution (small, but still plenty of room for cropping to full 1080p HD.) Also, the small option (1440x960) can be used for 720p.

I shot the same scene on the D30 with the same lens and flash setup, but the framing is different, due to a slight move to get it into minimum focus (because of the lack of 1mm extension by PK adapter) and the different crop factor (1.6x as opposed to 1.52x)
However, it took a while to get the manual flash working, as I didn't realise I needed to tape over the four extra hotshoe contacts - as with the K10D. Consequently, the mushrooms, having grown in a plastic bag and around 100% humidity, had already started to shrivel in the dry air. But no matter, it's also interesting for that reason.

Settings: as before, except 1/200 and 16mm extension.

108: Tulip Tip

There were other, red, tulip flowerheads that had already emerged in the pot - but I considered this smaller, immature specimen to be more photogenic at the time.
In particular I like tapered shape and the pinkish tip, which makes it resemble a hand with three fingers pinched at the end.

Settings: f/4, 1/250, ISO 200, 50mm Cosinon M42, 57mm extension, tripod.

106: Grape Hyacinth

Muscari botryoides, or the common Grape Hyacinth - in very close-up detail. The camera was pointed right downwards on the flowerhead, almost touching it due to the extreme close focus. I found it difficult to get the flash to illuminate adequately the areas I wanted, but I got an okay result - "different," you could call it.
Another reason to find myself one of those offboard flash hotshoe boxes that have a PC socket; I have the other bits I need.

Settings: f/11, 1/180, ISO 200, 50mm Cosinon M42, 88mm extension, full flash, foil reflector, tripod.

104: Nasturtiums & Halos

I glanced at these well-grown nasturtium seedlings on the kitchen windowsill and noticed the fascinating pattern of shapes they cast.
I've chosen to use my mirror lens again today because I'm getting to love the weird out-of-focus highlight rings. To accentuate the effect here, I sprayed a fine mist of water onto the window behind the plants, as the background looked decidedly lacklustre without it.

Plus, yet again another one-take wonder! Maybe I'm economising on the shutter actuations because of my ~500 frame animation blowout from a few weeks ago. I should hopefully be getting another [old & cheap] DSLR to animate with. I'm quite excited about the prospect of it...

Settings: f/8, 1/30, ISO 200, 500mm Tamron SP mirror lens, tripod.

100: Purple Tomato Seedling

Okay, photo number 100 isn't very good, but this tomato plant is significant - in that it was the only grower of 12 planted. Admittedly it's mostly my fault about that, as I planted them all in compost that got waterlogged. At least I have learned well from my mistakes, and now I'm considerably more confident about growing seedlings indoors. It's all about technique. Keep it loose and light!
I potted this into another container with a better mix, and it's doing lovely so far. This variety reportedly produces goose-egg sized purple fruits, so I can't wait to try one of them later in the year. There are even purple patches under the leaves.

Also of significance is how this heirloom variety of plant represents my increasing desire to grow nothing but unusual food plants - that which cannot be found in shops (at least not where I live.)
Of course this year will be full of plenty of normal-type carrots and onions, etc. And I will probably never be rid of the common, standard varieties; barring a massive clear-out and giveaway from my seed box.
It's not elitism, though. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with Boltardy beetroot or Nantes carrots, it's simply that if I want a common vegetable, I can go and buy one at the local greengrocer. The satisfaction of growing one's own is one thing that I understand and respect, but there's a whole world of wonderful sights, smells and tastes that I'd much rather fill the garden and the kitchen with. (Not to mention my belly.)
I'm quite sure I'll never see Oca sold anywhere near me, so that's one crop to try. Maybe next year.

Settings: f/3.5, 1/100, ISO 100, P-FA 50mm.

081: Baby Nasturtium

This tiny nasturtium was the first seed-sown plant to appear this year. It's the current leader of its class in the springtime growth race.
It's so neat and fragile, therefore rather like a baby, I thought. But at least it doesn't scream and mess itself, it doesn't require a great deal of care, and I only have to keep it for about ten months before it withers away.
Plus I can pull bits off and eat them. Yum!

Settings: f/5.6, 1/180, ISO 100, 50mm M42, 17mm extension, 1/4 flash, white reflector.