The Great Explorer - a photo on Flickriver

The Great Explorer

            After 20 years, I wanted to return to macro photography. Over the past few days, I’ve conducted numerous tests to find the optimal depth of field and image quality. In the end, I decided to set everything manually—both in the camera and the flash, as automatic modes weren’t precise enough for my needs.

Today, it was time for my first serious macro shot. I spent 3 hours in the field—and the only available subjects were ants. Not exactly the smooth reintroduction I had hoped for after such a long time, but here I was.
The Black Garden Ant (Lasius niger) is just 3mm in size, constantly moving, and incredibly unpredictable—a real challenge.

I also wanted the composition to be intentional, not accidental. I took 230 shots before I finally got the perfect one. Two hours in an uncomfortable position, staying absolutely still while holding focus—it felt more like a workout than photography. At some point, I changed my approach and switched to burst mode to increase my success rate.

In the end, it worked, but I probably should have picked a simpler subject for my macro comeback. 😅 Now, I’m waiting for beetles to become active in the coming weeks—I've had enough of ants for now! 😆


📷 Technical Data:
📷 Camera: Sony Alpha 7R V
🔭 Lens: Sony FE 90mm F2.8 Macro G OSS
💡 Lighting: Godox V860III + AK Diffuser
🔍 Focal Length: 90mm
🌞 Aperture: f/11
🌙 ISO: 200
⏳ Shutter Speed: 1/250s
📷 Single Exposure
🎯 Focus Mode: Manual Focus + Focus Peaking
⚡ Flash: Manual, 1/16 Power
 Shooting Mode: Burst Mode (Continuous Shooting)
✋ Handheld
   

Taken in: Germany / Baden-Württemberg / Stadtkreis Karlsruhe (show map)

Taken on: March 20, 2025

Tags:

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Lasius

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V860III

best

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Sets appears in: • Macro Photography – Hidden Worlds

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