Is it a bird, definitely not a plane, its...

[Loupey]

...a Snowberry Clearwing Hummingbird Moth.

Ever since seeing one earlier this spring, I've been trying to capture a good image of one feeding. This one from yesterday. They are appropriately named as they move just like a hummingbird and seem just as fast.

I've now had 3 encounters and my problem is that they are too big to get completely within the DOF and too fast to use a smaller aperture.

Any thoughts?

[SpeedingSphere]

use a longer lens and stand farther back, the longer the lens, the deeper the DOF. Also use your tubes. You're probably going to have to crop the photo to get the part that you want.. or you could borrow c.j.'s 180mm macro lens.

[McMadCow]

Sphere, unless there's something different when it comes to a macro lens, you've got your advice mixed up. A wider lens will have a deeper DOF, not the other way around. Something like a 180mm will have a much more shallow DOF at the same distance than a 50 or a 60 will.

[Loupey]

You're both right as long as the subject-to-camera distance is not the same.

Shooting this scene with a 50mm macro at, say, f/8 at 2' might give me a DOF of only 1/2" or so. The same scene shot from a distance of 20' with a 400mm at f/8 might give me a DOF of 2". Both the focal length and subject distance are factors in the resulting DOF.

For the curious, the specifics on this shot:

Canon 10D
300mm f/4L IS
36mm extension tube
ISO 400
f/8
1/350s

[Coastal Flyer]

Technical talk aside, this is a real nice shot. Perfect of course would have the wings stopped but having the tongue is pretty incredible. Colors are terrific. I would crop off the righthand half completely but still...

CF

[SmartWombat]

I would crop off the righthand half completely but still...

You'd lose the diagonal compsition that way, the background stem goes right to the corner of the frame and I dont' think that is an accident.
It's good as it is.

Perhaps macro flash is an answer to freezing the motion?
Then you can use F16 or so for DoF.

[Kevin2]

I'm a much better gardener than photographer, so I really like this shot. Super cool...

Kevin

[deckcadet]

Superman eat your heart out! This is a neat shot!

[Loupey]

Thanks for the interest, guys! I've really enjoyed seeing these fellas since I became more aware of them this year. The big ones look just like flying yellow and black shrimp

SmartWombat, yeah that comp was no accident. Since I usually cannot get really close to my buggy subjects, composition is even more vital for me as a tool to overcome the lack of subject size. As for the flash, I never use one but it would give the deeper DOF. Thanks for commenting!

[GB1]

Loupey - Nice capture, but somehow the flowers' edges against the green don't look quite right. Did you sharpen it? Maybe it was oversharpened a bit. I think the DOF of the shot is OK but it could also probably take a little more. The green background... hmm.... not sure that shade of green suits me. It seems artifical somehow - perhaps cause it's so uniform.

This photo's composition is unusual. I think it's OK, but not sure.. just a little different than what I usually see. Jury's out.

GB

[CLKunst]

It's a WHAT now? That is the feakiest looking bug I have ever seen. I guess they get freakier though, but I've never seen the like before. I think this is just a brilliant capture. I find the DOF to appear suitable but I don't do macro type shots very often so no help here, I guess. I think you've compromised appropriately here to deliver what you really wanted: nose out. And it's in sharp focus so IMO mission accomplished!

[MooshuBeef]

I'd have to agree with GB1 about the sharpness of the flower-- but could that be a result of a larger picture shrunken down, in combination of a lower quality over the net?

I always confuse those bugs with hummingbirds--and hummingbirds with those bugs. A vicious cycle i'd say...

[Loupey]

Loupey - Nice capture, but somehow the flowers' edges against the green don't look quite right. Did you sharpen it? Maybe it was oversharpened a bit. I think the DOF of the shot is OK but it could also probably take a little more. The green background... hmm.... not sure that shade of green suits me. It seems artifical somehow - perhaps cause it's so uniform.

This photo's composition is unusual. I think it's OK, but not sure.. just a little different than what I usually see. Jury's out.

GB

I was wondering when someone was going to say something about that When I first opened the RAW image, I thought "hey that looks like its been cut and pasted!"

It's actually the coloration of the small purple flowers. The section below illustrates this point.

CL - thanks for looking. I'm always grateful to hear the comments from those who don't usually shoot macros.

Mooshu- thanks for looking and commenting!

[MooshuBeef]

So how exactly do you capture those shots? Do you camp out in camouflage and wait for the bug to show up? haha

I actually was lucky to capture some shots of a Viceroy Butterfly (I think) with the meh macro settings on my camera, but was so excited I didn't experiment with manual settings, not that the manual settings on my Olympus SP320 have that much of a range or make a difference. Not to mention I still haven't mastered them to get what i want.

Hopefully I can get my dad's Canon EOS 20D and the macro lens so I can try to get a really nice shot.

Does a tripod help at all, besides taking the camera weight off your hands and make for a more precise picture?

BTW, that butterfly--I got maybe as close to a foot and a half to it, and it wasn't afraid of me. I would have gone up closer if it wasn't for those yellow jackets and wasps flying around it...

[Loupey]

Mooshu, I actually run (not camp out) as these guys never stay in one place for long. Now that I know what to look for, as soon as I see one from afar, I book towards it (usually while changing tubes at the same time) and get within 6' or so. From there, it is just about getting in the right position to get the right angle, try to get the DOF in the right place, and hope that the little guy will fly in the right direction.

As for the tripod question, there is NO WAY (OK, practically no way) that anyone could track, cinch down, and shoot moving guys like this to any degree of success. I shoot most of my stuff hand-held or monopod at most. This one was hand-held using an extension tube to get close enough with a standard telephoto lens.

Manual exposure is really, really easy. As soon as you step out in the field, adjust and set your exposure (take a test shot) and leave it there. That's it.

Visit us in the Nature/Wildlife forum for discussions and examples on stuff like this.