Eeey a real camera!

[TheBeesKnees]

A friend of mine lent me their old Olympus E-P2, and so I'm kinda excited to see how a real camera works. It only came with a pretty standard lens, but up until now, I've only had my little samsung galaxy note 2 phone to take photos with. So needless to say, I'm pretty thankful for the upgrade!

I took some shots just to test things out, and I think it's a good idea to start with a simple, easy lens, anyways. I've never used a proper camera before!

It doesn't seem like there's a manual focus option on this camera, which is a bit of a shame, but it's still much better than having to fight with my phone's extremely low res shenanigans @____@
I'll get the hang of this, I'm sure.

 

[dmina]

I think you did good.. You got some good shots... I think... anyways...

 

[Darkrai283]

These pics are lovely TBK. They are sharp and the colours come out nicely.

I would love to be able to use natural light in my photos.

 

[TheBeesKnees]

thanks, guys!! <33 I certainly appreciate the encouragement ; u; <3

Also, I found the manual focus feature (just in time for the battery to die), yaaayyy!

 

[dmina]

Isn't that one of Murphy's laws... LOL then when you get a battery... no film.. hehe

I love the pics... Keep sharing!

 

[Digger]

Superb start ! Great artists, like you, have the eye for light and composition, and that's most of the battle.

 

[TheBeesKnees]

hehe thanks, guys!
I finally sat down and read about ISO and aperture and shutterspeed, etc. I never knew about any of this stuff before--and it kinda helps to know how one affect the other, and how to manipulate these things effectively! I tested some more on one of my tinier nymphs:

I'm addicted 8|

 

[Morpheus uk]

Nice pics, you're already awesome at art

I try to take all my pics in sunlight for the best lighting if that helps.

 

[dmina]

Good job... nice sharp, clear pics.. so the trick is reading the manual.. I will have to try that...

 

[LAME]

Lol me too... :|

VERY! nice job, those last photos are really sharp.

 

[Digger]

Thank you SO much for taking care to focus focus focus ! In macro, it certainly requires patience and skill, but a razor sharp result is bliss for us viewers. Remember to tell us the name (given and species) when possible.

The mantis in the last two shots is clearly loves being in the spotlight.

 

[TheBeesKnees]

Thanks again, guys!!

@digger: ooh, right!
All of these, except the last photo in the OP, are wild-caught Heirodula sp. The odd one out is a tenodera sinensis boy.

And here's more Cheuun (the same Heirodula girl featured in the OP):

I think this illustrates the limits of the lens and camera I have--but I must say, it's much, much nicer than anything my camera phone could shoot, hahaha!
I am having a looot of fun with it :]

 

[LAME]

Oh geez, those two are incredible!!!

You're doing an amazing job for being a newcomer on macro shooting, I must take a lesson for you sometime!

 

[sschind]

A real camera you say? Some of us geezers remember when real cameras had this stuff called film.

Just kidding, the pictures look great. About 1 in a hundred of mine ever turn out so I am glad I don't have to use a real camera. that would get expensive.

 

[dmina]

Yeah.. that film and processing get very expensive.. LOL especially when just 1 is good.. I have really appreciated the digital part of picture taking.. and being able to choose what i want to develop...

 

[pannaking22]

Great photos and beautiful mantids!

 

[TheBeesKnees]

awwh thanks, guys!

Haha I would never have the patience for the old-fashioned film development (nor the money!!) Even the home made pin-hole camera stuff I had to do back in grade school was too tedious for my tastes...

Here's anotherrr of my oooldest girl (we've started calling her 'grandma'). A Tenodera sinensis named Kwan. She's laid five ooths and still looks smokin'! A diet of honey, grasshoppers, and loooots of water does a body good!

There's a lot of adjustments on these two, though--the lighting was exceptionally poor, and I still need to learn how to work with a flash <___>

Here's another shot of her I took yesterday that didn't require much adjusting; just a bit of sharpening up (because she refused to sit still >8| )

 

[sschind]

Yeah.. that film and processing get very expensive.. LOL especially when just 1 is good.. I have really appreciated the digital part of picture taking.. and being able to choose what i want to develop...

I talked with a professional photographer at my niece's wedding once and he said that while he believed he could take better pictures on film the added expense and limitations didn't make up for the ability to shoot thousands of shots on digital. We were crossing the street at the time and my 5 year old nephew, all dressed up in his suit and tie was walking beside us, head down, holding my hand. The photographer just kind of bent down while keeping pace, held the camera up towards my nephews face without him knowing and said "With film I would never be able to do this" and he proceeded to snap off about half a dozen pictures. "If they don't turn out, no big deal, I just delete them." They turned out great and I had my niece order me one and its one of the most treasured pictures I have of my nephew who will be turning 12 in about 2 months.

So yeah, although I'm an old curmudgeon at heart, I do realize there is a place in this world for technology. Besides where would we be without all these amazing mantis photos. Heck with a digital even a crappy photographer like me can take pictures that don't look like they were taken through a plastic milk carton.

 

[dmina]

True... true...I do try things with the digital that I wouldn't even think of with film camera..