My first dabble with a macro lens

Again, I stand agasp at my ability to not post on my blog with proper regularity.
Or rather - I realise how much this year has ran away with my time!

Earlier in the year I was able to convince the kind folks at Nikon South Africa to loan me a macro lens to play with for a week or two. I was handed the Nikkor 105mm f2.8 Micro lens, and proceeded to (try to) put it through its paces.

I must confess, I have always enjoyed good macro photography (especially of the smaller organisms that inhabit our planet, more so than flowers and fine detail on porcelain teacups)...yet I have never felt an innate desire to partake in it, to try my hand at it as it were. I knew once I started playing with this great piece of glass that there's more to it than merely sticking your lens very close to a bug's face. The bug also would have to sit still, but that is a totally different issue.

Without relenting to too much text, here are a few sample images I was able to make during my time spent with this lens. I can definitely see myself investing in one of these "for the fun of it" in the future!

Nikon D800  |  Nikkor 105mm f2.8 Micro VR  |  f5.6  |  1/100 SS  |  ISO-100

Nikon D800  |  Nikkor 105mm f2.8 Micro VR  |  f20  |  1/320 SS  |  ISO-1000

Nikon D800  |  Nikkor 105mm f2.8 Micro VR  |  f11  |  1/160 SS  |  ISO-1000

What do you think? Should I dabble some more?

Morkel Erasmus

Forest Zebras

We usually associate Zebra (specifically, the species Plains/Burchell's Zebra) with the rolling plains of the savanna, and not with forests. However, there is one place where you can see them in a forest...and that's in Mana Pools National Park in Zimbabwe.

There are many things which could have been better in this photo. That darn middle zebra with its head down is my main bugbear, and the elements of the scene could have been better arranged. What I do love, is how this transports me to being out on the Mana floodplains at first light...and there's few things that beat that!! Can you spot the hippo in the background??

I captured this photo on foot. It was also my first time using the new and improved Nikkor 80-400mm VR-II lens (and I was duly impressed).

Techs:
Nikon D3s
Nikkor 80-400mm VR-II
f5.6  |  1/200 SS  |  ISO-900

click on the photo to display at proper resolution and sharpness

I will be heading to the Chobe river on Wednesday, leading my first Wild Eye photographic safari of the year. See you on the other side!