348: Hedge Pylon

Settings: f/8, 1/250, ISO 200, DA 16-45 (29mm.) Tone curves adjustment, crop to 4:3.

339: Ring Spine

Settings: f/10 (approx,) 1/180, ISO 100, 58mm Helios-44-2 M42, 9mm extension, 1/4 flash (bounced,) black velvet, cable release, tripod. Slight curves and colour adjustment, crop to 16:9.

334: Sugar Cavities

Not the dental sort, but featuring here on something liable to induce such problems if abused.
As expected, I couldn't resist seeing what the bubbles in this orange lollipop looked like close up. I stuck all the extension tubes I had (minus the loose one,) on a 50mm lens and propped the sticky lolly in front of a desk lamp.
The first couple of attempts were plagued by flare, so I cut a small hole in a piece of cardboard and stuck it behind the lolly to cut down on peripheral illumination. This way the only light I really needed was shining through the lolly.
The image looked a great deal more orange out of the camera; while I still liked this, I found that pulling the white balance nearly all the way down made for more varied, acid yellow-greenish tones. While unrealistic, I just find them more pleasing.

Settings: f/9.5, 1/1.7, ISO 100, 50mm Pentacon M42, 81mm extension, fluorescent lamp, card, tripod. Colour and levels adjustments.

329: Juice, Pith & Skin

Settings: f/8, 1/180, ISO 100, 50mm Pentacon M42, 68mm extension, 1/4 flash (bounced,) tripod.

322: Oak Leaf Channels

From a bunch of half-dried oak leaves, I chose this one because of its varied blotchy patterns. It was then taped to a lamp and copied slide-style.
It was focused to be sharp in the centre, but its general unevenness caused a great deal of softness in areas that fell outside the [thin] field of focus. Note the top corners in particular. I don't mind this, I was expecting it anyway.
It's rather topological, almost like a false-colour aerial view of a stream or a network of highways - and in a way, it is directly analogous, the veins once being transporters of water and nutrients within the organism.

Settings: f/8, 1/13, ISO 100, 50mm Pentacon M42, 19mm extension, fluorescent lamp, tripod. 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.

306: Cornystyrene

Settings: f/8, 1/6, ISO 100, 35mm Photax-Paragon M42, 30mm extension, fluorescent lamp, tripod.

294: Grapes on Vine

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

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.)

270: Patterns On Glass

Settings: f/4, 1.3s, ISO 100, 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.

267: Yellow Lines

I'm used to a fixed focal length lens, but a fixed focus lens is something I'm just not used to using with an SLR. It takes me back to the days of little plastic 110 and 135 compacts, except with a better viewfinder for starters.

Like the last time, I used electrical tape to fix a lens to the camera... Bad practice! Don't do this at home unless you expect things to fall out now and again.
I really need one of those double threaded M42-M39 step-down rings. Much better than tape.

Settings: f/4.5, 1/320, ISO 100, 50mm Paterson 1:4.5 M39, M42-PK adapter.

264: Golden Sequins

Settings: f/2, 1/160, ISO 200, 58mm Helios-44-M M42, 17mm extension, fluorescent lamp & LED light, tripod. Slight colour adjustment.

246: Hanging Out

Settings: f/1.4, 1/15, ISO 400, P-FA 50mm.

235: Edge of the Goo

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

231: Split Sphere

Settings: f/8, 1/180, ISO 100, 50mm Cosinon M42, 48mm extension, 1/4 flash, foil reflector, black velvet, tripod.

229: Poker Top

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

204: Chamomile and Calendula

The mixed offerings of home-made tea. The calendula petals add some extra colour to the mix, but I don't think too many should be added, as they are slightly bitter.

Settings: f/5.6, 1/4, ISO 100, 50mm Cosinon M42, 77mm extension, 1/4 flash, white cards, copy stand.

198: Bread and Cheese

What's in a namesake?
No cheese. No bread either, for that matter. Just leaves from a hawthorn.

Settings: f/11, 1/4, ISO 200, 50mm Cosinon M42, 10mm extension, 1/4 flash, white cards, copy stand.