Got my birthday present early :)

[voodoocat]

A Sigma 70-300 APO Super Macro II. All in all I like the lens. I was spoiled by the ultra quiet AF motor on the kit lens but it's not too bad. Definately worth the price tag.

A blooming Saguaro

flower in the sunset light

and a Burrow Owl

and as an added bonus I present some sort of cactus that looks like lettuce. Shot it with the kit lens...

 

[craig]

Whoa!!! Amazing shots. The cactus is something I have never seen before. The pods have a great shape. The sunflower is perfectly graphic. Classic lettuce shot.

 

[Lungfarmer]

Wonderful shots! What a great present I LOVE your owl shot, one of my favorite animals. Nice job!

 

[ZacKrohn]

I love the cactus...it reminds me of a huge artachoke (sp?). Macros are so much fun!

 

[vonnagy]

lurvely area you live in voods. i really dig that sunflower shot! the lettucey shot ain't bad either! happy bday young man

 

[LaFoto]

Wow, wow, wow!
I use the Sigma DL Macro Super 70-300mm lense but it feels like NONE of my macro shots has ever become this nice - sniff-sniff.

I find it particularly difficult to handhold the camera in the macro position (between 200 - 300 mm), many of my attempts at macro photography get camera-shake. Sniff-sniff again.

When will we have a board party, Vood?

 

[voodoocat]

Well you definately need the shutterspeed especially when stuff is moving in the breeze. Like this.

1/50 f5.6

 

[cowbert098]

Amazing photos, nice owl.

 

[LaFoto]

At f5.6, which is my camera's automatic setting, I get a very shallow dof in the macro position, so shallow that MrSid had to comment on it here. So I've turned to adjust the f-stop as far down as f22 - but with that you need sooo much light...! So camera-shake is among my biggest reason for bloopers.
That would not happen to you, would it??? Vood?

 

[Jeff Canes]

Nice shoots, love the owl, enjoy the lens