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I Am A Belgian Natural Photographer And Here Are 23 Of My Best Shots I Made With My Macro Lens
Hi, my name is Niki Colemont and I am a nature photographer living in Belgium.
I started with macro 5 years ago. I was inspired because it is a very underrated subject in photography and incredibly difficult to do. I have sold my macro equipment because I can’t combine it anymore with my wildlife photography. Never have I taken a course—making mistakes and trying again over and over is the best way to learn things. I'm happy to say now that I won a prize with one of these pictures. I hope you have fun looking at these pictures as I had fun making them. Peace.
More info: nikicolemont.be | Instagram | Facebook
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Dragonfly Wings
Macro photography is harder than 'normal' nature photography because you have to look closely at your subject. It requires the use of specialized equipment such as close-up filters or extension tubes to achieve the desired level of magnification.
I started photographing animals with a macro lens because I wanted to have more variation in my nature shots and wanted to try something totally different. I enjoyed a lot of macro shots taken by other photographers, so their images got me excited to start with this type of photography!
Jumping Spider
Damselflies
I sold my macro lens because I was not persistent enough to continue with macro photography. It is very difficult and sometimes I caught myself standing in some strange position just to take perfect pictures of my subjects. In addition, you have to pay attention to the lighting (more than in normal nature shots), as the small details of the subject are highlighted and any shadows or glare can be very distracting. You need more light to get closer and have a faster shutter speed.
The Turbo Snail
Added a little motion blur in photoshop to give it a funny look.
Hover Fly
I'm happy to announce that this picture got a lot of social media attention:
Finalist National Geographic photography contest, 2019
Winner Dutch photo challenge contest, 2019
Honorable Mention Annual Photography Awards, 2020
The image with a robber fly caught in a web has won a couple of contests and earned some honorable mentions. So I'm proud of what I have achieved with macro photography. I'm satisfied with the result and not planning on coming back to it.
You can always follow my work on Facebook or Instagram. I am posting something daily.
Lady Bug
Asian Ladybeetle Larve
Intertidal Spider
This spider scared the hell out of me.
Damselflies
Ant
Found this dead ant in a water droplet on a leaf.
Paper Wasp
House Fly
me thinking how to dive bomb the large pink anger hit thing before it gets the orange doom waffle and the terror sushi of tree flesh
Ant
Jumping Spider With Meal
The Musk Beetle
Grasshopper
This grasshopper was covered in sand and little stones. It is very rare, so I don't have a clue what kind of grasshopper this is.
I know what kind of grasshopper this is! This is of course the rare "coveredinsandandlittlestones" species. You are welcome, i like to share my endless knowledge.
Lady Bug
Bush Cricket
The Box Tree Moth
The species overwinters as a juvenile cocooned larva (about 5–10 mm long), protected in a hibernarium made of two leaving Buxus leaves solidly joined by silk.
House Fly
Common Stretch Spider
Mottled Shieldbug
Fabulous photos. I always love macro photos of animals and insects.
These are really great. Life through a macro lens is quite fascinating.
Why is it important to know that the photographer sold his macro lens? I don't get it.
Actually that’s the more interesting part to me. Why does he say he can no longer incorporate it into his wildlife photography?
Load More Replies...Why can’t you incorporate the lens anymore into your wildlife photography?
On a guess it's because macro requires your subject to keep really still and you have to get pretty close. The "insect on a flower" type shot are technically close up. But to pull off a macro or something like a birds eye would require you getting within a foot or closer and have it not move while you wait for the shutter to cycle. Even something relatively fast (for macro) like 1 second would be difficult. Nature is a bit jittery when it comes to humans being close. If you want to try the close up/ macro in nature, try to go out in the spring or autumn months, early in the morning when it's cold and the critters aren't moving much. Or look for dead bugs which don't seem to care so much about whose around them :-)
Load More Replies...Fabulous photos. I always love macro photos of animals and insects.
These are really great. Life through a macro lens is quite fascinating.
Why is it important to know that the photographer sold his macro lens? I don't get it.
Actually that’s the more interesting part to me. Why does he say he can no longer incorporate it into his wildlife photography?
Load More Replies...Why can’t you incorporate the lens anymore into your wildlife photography?
On a guess it's because macro requires your subject to keep really still and you have to get pretty close. The "insect on a flower" type shot are technically close up. But to pull off a macro or something like a birds eye would require you getting within a foot or closer and have it not move while you wait for the shutter to cycle. Even something relatively fast (for macro) like 1 second would be difficult. Nature is a bit jittery when it comes to humans being close. If you want to try the close up/ macro in nature, try to go out in the spring or autumn months, early in the morning when it's cold and the critters aren't moving much. Or look for dead bugs which don't seem to care so much about whose around them :-)
Load More Replies...