Sunday 4 November 2012

Sunday Stills

This week's challenge for Sunday Stills was "Let's Take a Closer Look."  Macro time!  My initial reaction was to borrow one of the LSH's big fancy cameras, but then I decided to see just what I could do with my Nikon Coolpix P300.

I had a very tolerant subject.
He was a little shy at first, but then the eyes came out for a look around
 he decided it was safe, and off he went
like a greyhound from a trap.
Sort of.
I think this leaf was a map, he seemed to be reading it for a while.
I tried one with the camera's built-in flash.  I probably blinded the poor chap, but apart from the blown out highlights on the shell, it seemed to sharpen things up a bit.  I think if I could have angled the flash differently it would have worked better, but, even so, it really did pick up the colours.
I tried a few "face-on" shots, but was caught with depth of field on the antennae.
I'm pretty sure that this is the variety of snail that gets eaten as Escargot, but hopefully that fate will not befall my model.
He was released back into our garden, after one final shot beside the iPhone for scale.

31 comments:

  1. Great series, and it's always wise to choose a patient and slow model. Loved seeing the eye stalks, I haven't really seen those before. And your camera did a great job too.

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  2. Thanks, Eva, I was pleased with these. The last macro shots I tried weren't anywhere near as good.

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  3. Those are awesome! I love the detail in the snail. Very cool!!

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    1. he's a beauty alright. I was wondering what I would do for the Macro challenge when I spotted him running (!) across the road beside our house. He kinda volunteered himself.

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  4. WOW!!! These shots are fabulous. I think you took the prize for today. :)

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    1. Thanks dibear, I'm very pleased with the little camera :D, I just wish I could have got his antennae in focus in one of the head on shots.

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  5. Love your close-ups of such a slimy character ;)

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  6. Wonderful series! That is up close and personal.. :) Your 8th shot is awesome. They are all awesome!! I hope it doesn't get eaten too!

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    1. The Face-on one is my favourite too! Although I like the way the colours came up in the one where I used the flash :)

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  7. I thought you meant "macro challenge" as in eating snails!

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    1. Haha, I tried that years ago Imogen, they're just a vehicle for garlic butter and I find bread works just as well!

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  8. Very cool photos! I enjoyed the closer look! :)

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  9. Those are very cool!! That is about as close as I have inspected a snail in a lot of years.

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  10. FANTASTIC MACROS!!! And Welcome to Sunday Stills. A little hint on the washed out pic, cut up a piece of hose and stretch it over the flash and secure with a rubber band if possible, it diffuses the flash..:-))

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    1. Thanks Ed, I will try that! Now to find another snail...

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  11. Terrific sequence of photos! The last photo sure shows the size comparison.

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  12. That was a fun story. I've never seen a "wild" snail up close so I found each shot intriguing. Thanks for educating me.

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    1. I really enjoyed getting close to him, too. There was more texture on his body than I expected.

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  13. Really well done, perfect macros. My little Nikon is an S2600, I'm still figuring out how to use it.

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    1. The P300 gives a little more flexibility than most compacts. I had it in fully manual mode for these shots, with the highest aperture setting I could use and a slow shutter speed. I don't have a tripod, but I sat it on the stone table that the snail was modelling on and that seemed to keep it steady enough.

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  14. What a wonderful series. I've never looked at a snail that close before, he's really quite beautiful. Thanks for sharing.

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    1. Thank you! Maybe not beautiful.... interesting, perhaps?

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  15. These are fantastic shots! What a great subject & series of macros!!

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    1. thanks Aurora, it was funny the way he volunteered himself as a subject!

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  16. Beautiful photos. You're very talented. I've never seen a snail this close up before. Their shells are really gorgeous. Originally, being from an island with lots of beaches, I guess you can tell I like shells. There's no way I could ever eat one though. My sister-in-law made me sick one time at a restaurant by having them. Prying them out of the shell and all I thought it was nasty.

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    1. Not sure about "talented"... he was a very good model and his shell is really amazing when you get close.
      They were ok to eat when I ate them in the past, but they are really just a vehicle for garlic butter. Better than oysters, IMO, but then I am not a seafood person at all.

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  17. Its awesome macro shots and we all enjoyed the series on the challenge

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