Paul

Thanks Polly - it did seem to get an extra red glow inside the space he was loitering... Caused by the flash, but it helped the image work a little more. Paul.

Our apple try bore almost no fruit this year. What has fruited wasn't picked and most has fallen to the floor where they will soon become food for lots of creatures... Paul.

It was a bit tiddly I think after a few minutes digging inside this little hole... Paul.

So your camera the what Fuji? Model? I'll ask my contact if you can use a mount on your body when I speak to him next week. Paul.

Good captures John - not sure what fly it is, one of the tachnids maybe. Paul.

https://www.venuslens.net/product/laowa-15mm-f/ref/6/ They do some mount adaptors (see above) if any of those would work... Paul

Thanks gentlemen. I've no idea of any timescales if and when they send things, could be weeks or months apart, but either way, it's nice to maybe have a chance of something. Paul.

There's a greater challenge to be found I think, if you need to add flash - it just wouldn't be practical, so natural light is probably the only way to use it. I may try to see if I can use the ringflash sometime, but for now, it's day time jaunts if I have the time (and inclination - cos I prefer the 2:1 but this lens just begs to get an outing). Paul.

I've been shooting macro with a LAOWA lens for since November 2015. It would seem that this has been taken into consideration, when a member of a LAOWA group that works at the lens manufacturing company kindly offered to let me be an ambassador for the brand. Basically, share my images around and help generate awareness and hopefully some sales for them by suitably impressed web page visitors, be it in forums or via social media, just by adding some links here and there, which are recorded by an Affiliate Account I have now set up with them. It's quite a coup for me to be accepted - I am by far nowhere near as accomplished as some, though hopefully accomplished enough to have people take some notice. The really nice thing for me is that as an ambassador, I could occasionally be sent lenses to play with and help promote by said images and links. I am really lucky, that since 2015, since having the Venus 60mm, and then after a break from photography for many months, being fortunate to be the recipient of a generous no strings attached loan of a second Venus 60mm lens courtesy of Geoff, which I am still using as my daily go to lens, that I have been given an opportunity to use other lenses if I am selected by LAOWA which they might choose to send me, be it for "Have a go with this" reasons, or be it "Will you trial this?" reasons. Amazingly, to start of this association with them, I have been sent their LAOWA 15mm f/4 wide angle macro lens to have a play with! Isn't that wonderful? How fortunate am I to have a chance to shoot with something other than my stock equipment? (Well, Geoff's equipment as well...) This lens is so different from anything I have seen, let alone used! The close focussing distance lets the subject almost touch the glass, it goes that close to get 1:1 and it's hard to get that near to a subject (I've discovered!) but because it is a WA lens that gives close-ups it's very niche - very hard to use, but the potential for fun is always there... Anyway, I have got 4 photo's showing this lens off which I took on Sunday. So thanks again to LAOWA, and to Geoff. Paul.

Well done Denis, I figured one from your set would be in the running for top shot! Paul.

You gotta chase a millipede - because they don't half shift!!! Paul.

Amaurobious sp. is the spider, probably A.ferox - often seen under stones, in hedgerows and logs. Nice Paul.

Thanks Geoff - all sorted now Paul.

So on a night-time excursion, I found another subject, but in an awkward place, so I went for the tripod, and thought I'd show you what I do just to get a photograph! The usual suspects were here, a larva or grub, of some beetle maybe, the harvest men were around, a fly on a flowerhead, and the main reason.... The tripod was to enable me to move slowly closer as carefully as I could so as not to disturb my goal... And here you see it... Paul.

Lovely storyline Polly - they are mega cute Paul.

He's thinking "the third from the right hasn't got my eyes...." Paul.

Ladybirds are loved and loathed in equal measure by macro photographers! They give such vibrance and glow, yet cause so many lighting issues. It's a tough subject, but sometimes, they became perfectly illuminated, or as near as we can get to it! Paul.

It's amazing up there. I have a photo of it on one of my Flickr pages along with a few others of my visit with friends many years ago to Malham. Paul.

Just before going for a walk with Gillian and Rachel I got these ladybird photos, then we went down along the canal path, where en route I took these mushroom photos (Agaricomycetes, gilded mushrooms). All hand held or resting on the ground using the Venus 60mm lens. Paul.

Thanks Polly - yes the last works well in my eyes - and I was fortunate enough to hit the focal point bang on the eye. Paul.

I wouldn't go as far as overdone - they seem to have what I would call an "Orton Effect" - except the yellows are a bit "gold" - but it doesn't make them bad, just "loud" (does that sound like the right critique?) Paul.

Gotta love the sounds of the engines... Paul.

I like the first one with the (driver? coalman?) in the distance. Paul.

Some of the colours are electric - but the poppy is my fave. Paul.

The limestone pavements lend themselves well to mono. Paul.