I didnt have to wait long first good spring macro!

[Hooker771]

Im pretty proud of these shots for my first adventure out for insects and macro. I lifted up a log and found what I believe to be a mole salamander, I took some photos in the light box for verification and the a couple upon release. The next log I pick up there was some type of wasp eating and cleaning. I fired off several shots. I was using very cheap extension tube without contacts so I tricked the lens to f13 on the canon xs and addded the tube. All were shot with the tokina 2.8 macro

I have to say I dont think the "bee" is a wasp though. THe back had huge segmented yellow sections. Help?

Here is one more of the inside of a blooming tulip tree.

 

[ajkramer87]

Nice. Im still amazed everytime time I see pictures like these. What focal length is you lens?

 

[Hooker771]

I used the 100mm with the two smaller extension tubes. The tubes dont have the contacts (got some on order) so I had to "trick" the lens to f13 using the ap preview button and unscrewing the lens while holding it in.

 

[carlos91]

i like the last shot alot

 

[sojourn]

Beautiful shots! Your wasp looks like a queen yellow-jacket (meat-bee in some parts) while I usually don't advocate killing wasps--they're a personal favorite--if you got rid of her you would be getting rid of about 2 or 3 thousand offspring over the summer!

They build underground nests, or in a log, as you see. Sometimes they do make above ground nests, but underground is typical.

 

[Hooker771]

Wow, thanks for the tip on the bee. Next time I see her maybe ill get rid of it. I hate the thought of a couple thousand of those so close to my yard with my 2 kids running around. Fun to photo though.

Heres a couple more shots from yesterday.

Here are a couple crops I just did.