New Found - Robberfly ?

Robberfly definite not a new to me, but this one look different where the tail is curve .. and found 2 of them look a like ... it is always good model for macro photographer (it easy to shoot, compound of eye, details of the body .., always get prey ......)


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nsects in the Diptera family Asilidae are commonly called robber flies. The family Asilidae contains about 7,100 described species worldwide.
All robber flies have stout, spiny legs, a dense moustache of bristles on the face (mystax), and 3 simple eyes (ocelli) in a characteristic depression between their two large compound eyes. The mystax helps protect the head and face when the fly encounters prey bent on defense. The antennae are short, 3-segmented, sometimes with a bristle-like structure called an arista.
 ######################### from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asilidae

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robber fly - 食虫虻

亦作assassin fly。

双翅目(Diptera)食虫虻科(Asilidae)食肉昆虫的统称，约6,750种，分布全球。长度不等，大者几乎有8公分(3吋)，是所有的蝇中最大的。体多褐色而粗壮，通常多毛，形似大黄蜂。眼面大，两眼之间有一刚毛。足长，能在飞行中捕食，在进食时用足握住食物。

######################### from http://baike.baidu.com/view/266932.htm


 sample while it get something we don't like as prey

How I shoot Macro - not so easy MACRO model - Robberfly !!!

normally robberfly always good model for macro shooter as

1. they stay still
2. can easily get closer
3. even they fly off, will come back to same spot or nearer
4. a lot of details

below are few e.g.









but last week, I met a robberfly shy, sensitive, and it's dark body make it be a tough model for me ... luckily it still like common robberfly ... it will even fly off but then it will be flying back to nearby .... so I can have few chances to test what is the best way to shoot this "giant robberfly" (it is ~30-35mm in size, so far it is bigger I met)

i. for 1st shot it .. I don;t to missed the chance to get a record shot where I handheld set the SS to max and using full flash ... and a harsh result is out ... expect



ii. then it flew off after my strong flash, then I know it allow me get closer so decide to use tripod .. and give a try of Natural Light (without flash) but result out is like terrible shadow on it's body (no details at all ... )
- the file was corrupted and not able to share this


iii. but then I give another try on very low fill flash (which I normally apply to reduce shadow of the object as discuss before http://liewwk-macro.blogspot.com/2009/12/macro-natural-light-or-flash.html

- flash setting "Manual" 1/64-1/32
and the result just like the Natural light, it give bad shadow on it's body


iv. I am confuse and not sure how to overcome this so decide to use stronger fill flash (1/2-1/4) but the result still

- flash setting "Manual" 1/2-1/4



I would say, these are bad ... harsh, bad shadow (even I can recover it by using PP) but not really sure how .. and what is the best way to shoot this "best" MACRO model .....

so after rest for a while a Nescafe, roti Bakar... and spend few more minutes with the Wasp lay egg



v. so I want to try another new "fill flash" method
- I use TTL FEC -1
- then instead of faster shutter speed I use the slower shutter speed where it should give correct exposure (just like shooting with Natural Light)
- the output some how is best among all methods I tried ....




not sure is this a better method of fill flash or not using TTL instead Manual but it WORK on this monster ... and it proven (I have many shots after I know this method is working) .....

MACRO PP - Do I crop ? and why I crop ?

I seldom crop my macro picture for magnification (make it big purpose) but I do crop for few reasons

1. make it little out from center ... not sure why but most of the people don;t like too center ... make be this is call rule/art ...

e.g. of crop one


and original uncrop version


2. make it center, for some situation e.g. some symmetry shot need to be center so minor cropping will help to do this

eg. this had been crop ~10% from left so to make it over center to make some attraction



3. this is the one keep border me where I am using FF. to get same DOF of same magnification with APS-C body ... I just need to crop (FF 1.6:1 ~= APS-C 1:1 and bigger magnification will have less DOF this had discuss @http://liewwk-macro.blogspot.com/2008/10/what-depth-of-field-dof-you-have-while.html

not only the magnification but as the diffraction concern, I normally use bigger aperture (smaller F number) to shoot bigger magnification to maintain the sharpness so I do lost more DOF while shooting bigger magnification as compare to APS-C (but actually I got the similar frame picture)
e.g.
shot ~3 :1 without crop


shot with 1:1 and crop close to ~3:1


so should I corp ? or should you ?

it is depend personal preference ... I do not prefer to crop but stack so I shoot multiple focus and stack it together as discuss @ http://liewwk-macro.blogspot.com/2009/12/macro-pp-why-i-need-to-increase-macro.html

and you ? just shoot and enjoy whatever way you enjoy the shooting and the output instead other concern ...

... it's always good to look close 2 - Robberfly ...

another get close of the lovely model for MACRO shooter ... Robberfly ....

Order Diptera / Suborder Brachycera / Infraorder Muscomorpha / Family Asilidae -- robber flies

this fly well known to as a good model for MACRO shooter as it is easy to get close and keep flying back to same location even get disturb ... (90%)



- 5dm2 + canon MPE-65@~3:1, mt24, handheld
- non crop ...

and look at this very standard record shot (side view) for a robberfly



and it also help me get a first prize for a competition
http://liewwk-macro.blogspot.com/2009/03/i-won-1st-prize-from-forest-research.html

or the winning picture


more flies can view from http://www.flickr.com/photos/liewwk/sets/72157605352673898/