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OK, so I have been hunting down more critters in the back yard to practice the macro shooting. I do beleive theses are an improvement on those in my last post as there is increased DOF. The subjects in the first two images being the same as those in a recent post from Rooz is purely coincidental.

Great series Geoff. Looks like you are using your macro flashes to the fullest.

#2 superb compo and angle on the bug here! The only distraction is the OOF leaf on the left which could be cloned. Not so sure about the OOF fuzz below the bug. This one is a winner though.
#3 Really nice colors and I think the bug looks very 3D almost floating. The OOF area on the left is a little distracting but you could either sharpen a little or crop a little...
#4 suggest turning 180 degrees.

I like the first (a male or a juvenile female St Andrew's Cross spider) and that was sort of what I was talking about with Chris' shot. I like the off centre but also appreciate the space around it. You might have got by with less DOF seeing as most of the subject is on the one plane and this would have put the distracting background more out of focus. With more static shots like this I try to get a few shots with different f/stops to see which gives me the best compromise between detail and blurred background.

I think I'd like to see the second shot a tad lighter.

The third is interesting, but the background is more interesting than the larva.

The lighting in the fourth is a bit harsh for my liking.

ATJ wrote:
The third is interesting, but the background is more interesting than the larva.

The lighting in the fourth is a bit harsh for my liking.

ditto these comments.

i think for #3 to be really pulled off you need to focus stack it and have everything pinpoint sharp. love that background.

for #4 you could have used iso 800 and it would have lit it much nicer cos the flash would have been around 3 stops less powerful.

Looks like you are using your macro flashes to the fullest

Absolutely.....no point in splashing out and leaving the things in the cupboard. Really enjoying the venture into macro, heaps to learn and actually quite difficult to master.

#4 suggest turning 180 degrees.

Tried that and it just ain't working even tried it rotated 90 degrees and no better, it was a bit of a 'grab' shot. The irridescent wings caught my eye in the sunlight, I crept up quitely, composed, focused and then the critter decided to turn about on the stem of grass and scurry down to earth

With more static shots like this I try to get a few shots with different f/stops to see which gives me the best compromise between detail and blurred background.

Another good point which has been noted.

but the background is more interesting

A cabbage leaf..... now past it's best.

for #4 you could have used iso 800 and it would have lit it much nicer cos the flash would have been around 3 stops less powerful.

I would never had thought of that, and yet so obvious. Thanks Chris.

Just one more from today, no bugs though this time.