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"Texas Honeybee on Sedum, shot Old School Style"

For my fiftieth post, I wanted to try something different.

Spring is in bloom in Texas and I am lusting... for a macro lens! Years ago, I had used an extension bellows to experiment with 35mm macro photography. But that was a tedious process of trial and error, logging exposure data and knowing that every incorrect attempt cost about 25 cents, so the experience was short-lived.

Thirty years later and the "per shot" cost is virtually zero, but there is still the capital expense of a macro lens.

So I dug into the closet for the old extension bellows and a 105mm Soligor lens. They bolted right on to the modern Nikon, although (of course) the camera gets no data from the lens. Still, digital photography provides instant feedback, so I went into the yard, found some bees on some sedum, put the Nikon on manual, stopped the lens down to f/11, and started shooting, adjusting the shutter speed to get a proper exposure -- and, of course, focusing by moving back and forth from the subject until it was sharp!

This foto is not as sharp as I would like, but I post it because in my short time at TE, the near-daily posting and member feedback have sharpened my skills and encouraged me to try new techniques. So this is kind of a THANK YOU to TE and its members!

Besides, it seems that this little fellow is looking right at the camera!