Here's lookin at you Loupey...

[Greg McCary]

My Dad has been taking me to his garden and showing off his new pets. This is one of them. I thought of you Loupey when I saw them....

[poker]

On what planet was this picture taken?

The colors, the bug, and the other elements make this shot look unreal!

[Greg McCary]

I scanned this negative and it just came out this way. But I took the picture in my Dads back yard. The Mantis was also sideways on the plant. I turned it to make him stand strait up.
PS. I rescanned the negative again after this post and it came out more normal than this. But I think that I like this one better. My scanner has a mind of it's own sometimes.

[Loupey]

That is a surreal shot - neat!

What kind of flowering plant is that? Either that blossum is giant or the mantis is tiny?

[Greg McCary]

He is just small. I'm not sure of the plant. I have also been wanting to ask you about these tubes you use. Where do you get them and how do they fit on your camera. I shoot film by the way. And are those magnifying lens you buy that look like filters any count???? The color is accurate on this picture as well. I just got some pictures back from MPIX and I just off slightly...

[Loupey]

Greg, I don't know if you've had the opportunity to review the "extension tube" thread up at the top. In post #14 of that thread, you can see what they look like. These tubes fit between the body and your main lens. You can mix and match the different tubes to get the effect you need.

As for the close-up filters that screw on the end of lens, yeah I've used those too before. They are a quick fix but remember that any element that you add between the subject and the film will degrade the image (tubes are hollow). Also, you tend to get some distortion using these lenses.

You can buy tubes virtually anywhere that sells decent equipment. Best bet is to take your camera and your main lens and try a set of tubes out at the store before you buy it.

Yeah, I'm sold on extension tubes. For me, I don't need/want a dedicated macro lens.

Hope that helps.

[paulnj]

The odd color shift from scanning is cool.. don't listen to these people

[Greg McCary]

I love scanning my own negs. I want to get a nicer scanner before to long. I got this scanner off of e-bay for thirty bucks. I have had to patch and plug this one.