Macro early days

This is the start of my journey into Macro photography.

I have been taking macro photo since 1976, first with a Zenith B using extension tube and bellows- film days. Then with a Praktica SLR and a Pentax K1000 , using same equipment. When digital came out things got easier and I started to use a Nikon D60, D70, D90, D310, D610 before moving to full frame with a Nikon D750.

I then moved to Sony full frame, with a Sony A7iv and more recently the 4/3 Olympus OM-1. All different with the same challengers.

In the early days it was mostly inside, using bellows which requires a solid base and a focus rail. This could give a 2:1 to -4:1 magnification but lighting was very difficult as the lens virtually touched the subject and I never really found a good lighting method. Unfortunately all my film photos got lost in our move to Shetland.

                                                                      Hover Fly

Using extension tube gave a 1:1 but again lighting was a problem, although at least I could go out in the field to find subjects and I must have been doing something right as I won the macro section in a local Natural History Society photo competition.

Those days I could get down to ground level easier and I could often be seen laying on a plastic sheet with the Camera/ Extension tubes and bean bag (Tripod wouldn't go low in those days).

                                                                     Crane fly

I was happy just to use daylight, a low speed and F16 to provide a good depth of field, providing the insects didn't move so this would mean early morning field trips when it was cooler and the insects hadn't got warmed up enough to move about much.

                                                        Lilly 

 It was very challenging but not many people did macro so it was a good challenge. With plenty of woodland, ponds and stream nearby there was always plenty of subjects. I remember reading Stephen Daltons book on photographing insects in flight, something that required two high speed flash, way beyond what I could afford.

Anyway, I was happy to do my stuff and they seem to come out well. By that time I had moved onto slides using Kodak 400asa and you had to wait two weeks to get them back, so you never knew whether they had come out or not.

                                                                   Hoverfly

The crop frame Nikon cameras D60- D610 improved the quality which provided extra inspiration and by that time I had saved up to buy the Nikon SB- R1 C1 macro flash, this was two small flashes that came down each side of the camera and was triggered by a  wireless controller on the hot shoe. They could be angled in as well, these cost nearly £675 now.