I'm not exactly a macro newbie, but I'm just getting into beyond 1:1 and want to start shooting macro more often. This board is a great resource (and one if the most cordial on FM) with a lot of great photographers. I've got my setup pretty well set thanks to the "post your setup thread" but I have a couple other general questions that I'm hoping to pick your brains about.
1. How do you routinely get so close to bugs? Do you move slowly and hope for the best or pick a spot and wait?
2. It seems most people shoot hand held. Is this the case? I have a cheap macro rail but I can see how it would be cumbersome to move around in tight spaces.
3. When focus stacking, do you just lean in and fire off a burst?
4. What's your most commonly used aperture at 1:1 and higher magnification? I'll be using a 1.5 crop.
5. Is this the same when stacking?
6. Any particular types of plants that attract a lot if bugs? I just bought my first house and would like a nice "bug garden". Any tips?
1) Depends on the bug. Dragons, damsels, butterflies, flies are normally a bit more skittish and i approach them slowly. Beetles are a bit more indifferent and are easily approachable. Some species of dragons (the darters) do tend to come back to the same spot when disturbed.
2) I only shoot freehand. I find carring a tripod around to cumbersome
4) I usually shoot at f/11, 1/160s 400 iso and flash.
6) Just look for flowers with loads of pollen/nectar. The campanulla on my balcony attracks alot of bees/hoverflies. So does the coreopsis. Linaria vulgaris seems populair with bees aswell.
