13 macros from recent encounters

A few weeks ago I started using my fave macro lens (Sigma 150mm) for doing macros again (other time I use it for #streetphoto, and pretty happy with the results, thats a great lens). The nature has awakened, the lawns and trees turned green and blooming. My family visited our summer shed outside the city, to prepare it for the season, which gave me a lot of stuff to shoot.

The green shield bug (Lat. Palomena prasina, Rus. Щитник зелёный древесный) -- is a common specie in my area, I see these bugs pretty often. But I must admit, I have never seen a larva (nymph), and for the first time I came across a bug laying eggs. And by the way, this happened purely by accident: the bug was hiding on the underside of a mountain ash leaf, which I accidentally turned over. Exploring the terrain "on your knees" is rewarding!

Unidentified bug I found basking in the sun at the top of fresh pine branches. It was completely numb and motionless that even looked dead. Not a happy spot to take macro photos: long vertical branches swayed a little even with a slight breeze, due to that I couldn't get a single clear photo...

While I was photographing the blossom of an apple tree, a fly appeared in my field of vision. She also wanted to inspect something with her proboscis. Take a closer look! An impressive tool, isn't it? Below is uncropped version.

The dragonfly hid from me behind a clover leaf. It did not allow me to get even one step closer, immediately flew away -- so I was left with only one frame, no extra takes.

In a small overgrown pond, among green duckweed... I frightened off two masters of ambush and disguise - ordinary green frogs. Both did not mind posing for a portrait. And while I was photographing one of them...

...a small beetle dived and landed right on the frog's forehead! Or rather, at her eye. And know what? the frog didn't even blink! did not give herself away with a single movement. I eagerly waited for further drama progression, looking at it not from a distance, but right through the viewfinder, noticing every detail. I was looking forward to - if not interesting shots (after all, the frog is famous for its lightning attack, I had no chance to capture its long tongue grabbing prey) - but some kind of action, in any case.

Nothing happened! the bug crawled from one eye to another, the frog continued to lurk. Probably, this beetle turned out to be an unsuitable specimen for hunting, not like what is included in her usual menu (mosquitoes and soft midges). But of course, I enjoyed all the scene anyway.

A snail on the horsetail's sprout.

Water spider. In fact, initially I focused on the horsetail stalk, and noticed the spider only in the process.

I spent more than an hour lying on my belly near the pond, and noticed a lot of interesting stuff, except said frogs.

For example, I saw a flock of caddisflies (photo above) - and was especially impressed by their house. Who can guess what material they were made of? Perhaps I will address this story to a separate blog.

Horsetails and ferns are very unusual and attractive plants, but I always encounter them already in a developed or mature state (cause I do not happen at nature environment in the spring, in May or April). Can’t say that I am satisfied with the resulting photos of horsetails - in real life they look much more tempting and beautiful than in my captures ... but in any case, out of a few dozen frames I surely can select something suitable for a post :)

Sort of a water fly, dressed all in anthracite black and shiny. Looks gothic!

A water strider... can you spot anything special in this photo? Yeah: actually, there are not one but two water striders here... ouch, ouch, what are they doing to each other? fighting? no! quite on the contrary: it seems they make love :)

All images taken by me, copyright (c) @qwerrie

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