I secretly satisfied my desire for doing macro when a really cheap deal on a used Nikon 105mm AF-D lens came about online. It came before the weekend and I've been out taking close ups of whatever I find.



I've been scouring the rose garden and the center for regenerative studies on campus for anything interesting. My macro skills still need alot of polishing. At the highest magnification and the widest aperture, the depth of field is so thin that the focal plane is only about 1mm thick. Its impossible to do without a tripod because camera shake is magnified too. The only exception is if flash is used.



This bee was taken with off camera flash held by my left hand to the left of the camera. The camera was handheld in my right hand. Its not perfect, the glare spot on the wing on top means that I have to find a way to diffuse the flash even more. So I'm currently planning a DIY softbox that attaches to the flash.



I don't want my picture taken!