Slop Bog

Was going to go to Alners Gorse to check out what butterflies were about on Saturday.  However this trip was aborted due to a traffic jam and the weather becoming more overcast, as the threatened showers moved in.  So I diverted off the queuing A31 to Slop Bog nature reserve at Ferndown instead.

The previous weeks bright and hot weather had taken a turn for the worse, and with the showers approaching it was hard to find many insects about, and when I did the reducing light, called for a higher than normal ISO on occasions for me or a slow shutter speed.  The bee shots below being the higher than normal (ISO 800).  However I am quite impressed with the noise performance of my relatively new Canon 650D at this ISO.

Onto the photos – the first ones are of a bumblebee I found resting on some heather.  These are ISO 800 shots and have much less noise than I saw at this ISO with the 50D – I felt 400 was the most that one could be shot at in practice for an acceptable image – the 650 looks like 800 may be usable in circumstances that need the shutter speed increasing.

Bumble Bee on Heather
Canon EOS 650D (100mm, f/7.1, 1/125 sec, ISO800)
Bumble Bee on Heather

Bumble Bee on Heather.  Takeon on Canon 650D with Canon 100mm USM Macro Lens.  ISO 800 1/125 F7.1.  Natural Light.

Bumble Bee on Heather(2).
Canon EOS 650D (100mm, f/7.1, 1/125 sec, ISO800)
Bumble Bee on Heather(2).

Bumble Bee on Heather(2).  Taken on Canon 650D with Canon 100mm USM Macro Lens.  ISO 800 1/125 F7.1.  Natural Light.

I found this interesting seed pair in some rough ground.  These taken at 400 ISO and the noise is slightly better.

Seeds
Canon EOS 650D (100mm, f/4, 1/100 sec, ISO400)
Seeds

Seeds. Taken on Canon 650D with Canon 100mm USM Macro Lens.  ISO 400 1/100 F4.  Natural Light.

And finally in the rain as I headed back to the car – this Large Skipper, which I suprised myself by shooting it reasonably sharp at 1/50 second handheld.

Large Skipper.
Canon EOS 650D (100mm, f/5.6, 1/50 sec, ISO400)
Large Skipper.

Large Skipper. Taken on Canon 650D with Canon 100mm USM Macro Lens.  ISO 400 1/50 F5.6.  Natural Light.

Map of Location

Chris

I've been taking macro photography from 2004. I use both Canon film and digital cameras.

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