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These macro photos make bees look like aliens from another world

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With seven species of bees having been added to the US endangered species list only a month ago, photographs may soon be all we have left. Thanks to the USGS Native Bee Inventory and Monitoring Lab (BIML), at least we’ll have those. For the past several years BIML have been creating stunningly beautiful macro photographs of all types of bee species. With over 3,100 images hosted on Flickr, they offer a special glimpes into these vital creatures.

Photographed by researchers at BIML, the images were created through focus stacking. Macro lenses have an extremely shallow depth of field when used with close subjects, and this process allows the photographer to have the entire subject in focus. Essentially, the photographer creates a number of photographs of the subject at various focus distances. These are then blended together in post to construct an image that is completely sharp from front to back.

Everyday objects are barely recognisable shot through a macro lens

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Macro lenses can be a fascinating thing. They can show us a side of our world that we didn’t even know existed. Letting us get up close and personal to things we’d never really paid much attention to before. Suddenly, everyday objects we take for granted offer an alien beauty.

This video from the Macro Room illustrates that wonderfully. In it, they take a look at series of items many of us interact with, or at least see, on a daily basis. Through the eye of a macro lens, though, they can become barely recognisable. A couple are immediately obvious, but some don’t make themselves easily known  until you see the camera pull back.

BLIPS turns your smartphone into a microscope and fits in your wallet

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BLIPS is an ultra portable super slim pair of lenses for your smartphone.  One offers macro, letting you focus much closer than your phone’s standard lens will allow.  The other is a micro lens, allowing you to get even closer, for some big magnification.

Mobile macro lenses are certainly nothing new, but this is the first we’ve seen with such a small and unobtrusive form factor, making it ideal to slip in your wallet and keep with you when you’re out and about.

Canon announces a new top of the line speedlight and confirms macro lens rumours

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Canon have officially announced both the EF-M 28mm f/3.5 Macro IS STM lens confirming earlier rumours, as well as a new Canon Speedlite 600EX II-RT flash.

The Canon 600EX II-RT replaces Canon’s former flagship Speedlite 600EX-RT offering a huge boost in recycle times up to 2x faster than its predecessor.  The 28mm Macro flash is pretty much as the rumours predicted, although offers a 1:1 magnification, along with a 1.2x “Super Macro” mode.

Canon’s new 28mm macro lens for mirrorless features a built in ringlight

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Macro ring flashes can be expensive, but trying to shoot macro without external lighting of some kind can be extremely difficult.  Canon are hoping to do something about this with a new EF-M f/3.5 28mm STM macro lens for Canon Mirrorless cameras, if these leaked photos are true.

Bearing a plastic mount, it seems that this lens is aimed at the entry level, those hoping to make a start on their macro journey, and is expected to have a lower price as a result when it is officially announced.

This photographer uses photo stacking techniques and a microscope to show the iridescent beauty of peacock feathers

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Iridescence is defined as the phenomenon of certain surfaces that appear to change colour as the angle of view or the angle of illumination changes, and that is highlighted especially well in these extreme close up images of these peacock feathers created by Canadian photographer Waldo Nell.

Image stacking shots focused at different distances from a subject is a process I haven’t had much need to use myself, but it’s a technique I’ve always been fascinated by, so DIYP had a chat with Waldo to find out more about him and his process.

This photographer brings Lego characters to life with these movie inspired and humorous scenes

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With influences ranging from The Avengers and X-Men to Star Wars and The Martian, French photographer Sofiane Samial (AKA Samsofy) spends his days making amazing Lego photography in a project titled Legography.

Intriqued by Samsofy’s work, DIYP reached out to get some more insight into this project, discussing his inspirations, and how he creates them.

4K macro video makes tabletop landscapes look like ethereal masterpieces

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‘Sometimes, the complexity of simplicity makes us fail to preserve the fundament of all we are and all we represent’.

This is the opening line for the description of ‘SINGULARITY’, a mesmerizing macro video by award-winning photographer Roman De Giuli. And while it might seem contrived, it couldn’t be more true.

That’s because this psychedelic adventure was captured with nothing more than glass components, various liquids and fabric dyes, all of which come together to create a visual feast for those who enjoy out of this world imagery.

“Specifications have nothing to do with quality” – Insights from a camera tech + the best lens teardown video you ever saw

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Mike Kusak at FixyourCamera.org is a self-confessed electronics nut.  As a camera tech with over a decade of professional experience Mike has worked on some of the most advanced cameras and lenses available.

In the first video of what looks set to become a valuable archive of reference material, Mike dismantles, repairs and rebuilds a Tokina 100mm f/2.8 Macro lens.

After seeing the video we were intrigued, so DIYP had a chat with Mike about his work, the website, YouTube and his hopes for their future.

Tamron Announces New 85mm f/1.8, 90mm f/2.8 Macro and DIY Firmware Updates

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The lens leaks and announcements are coming through thick and fast at the moment, aren’t they?

You might’ve noticed Tamron’s teaser image floating around lately suggesting that some new lenses might be coming, but now Tamron officially joins Sigma, Sony, Samyang, SLR Magic, Canon, and others launching new glass in 2016 with the announcement of two new lenses.

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