While at the Niagara Butterfly Conservatory I noticed a few unusual insects on some of the foliage and took some close-up images of them with a Nikon 1 J5, 1 Nikon 30-110 mm and MOVO extension tubes. I followed up with the folks at the conservatory and discovered that the insects were leafhoppers.
NOTE: Click on images to enlarge.
At first glance I thought the insects were grasshoppers, but they weren’t the least bit skittish.
I was able to get my Nikon 1 J5 quite close to them without any problem so they made excellent photo subjects.
The only real challenge was having to extend my reach over the railing and not losing my balance and tumbling over the barrier.
I tried a few different apertures from f/4.5 to f/8 to see how depth-of-field would be impacted.
I kept my shutter speed to a minimum of 1/160 to help ensure decently sharp images.
Apparently these leafhoppers were not intended to be display specimen as they are local insects that infiltrated into the facility. The staff does their best to keep them under control and must remain vigilant in that regard.
If you enjoyed this article and would like to learn more about the Nikon 1 system, you may want to have a look at our eBook, The Little Camera That Could. It illustrates the capability of the Nikon 1 system through hundreds of original photographs. There is also commentary and tips about the Nikon 1 system. The cost is $9.99 Canadian.
My intent is to keep this photography blog advertising free. If you enjoyed this article and/or my website and would like to make a modest $10 donation through PayPal to support my work it would be most appreciated. You can use the Donate button below. Larger donations can be made to tom@tomstirr.com through PayPal.
Article and all images are Copyright 2016 Thomas Stirr. All rights reserved. No use, duplication or adaptation of any kind is allowed without written consent. If you see this article reproduced anywhere else it is an unauthorized and illegal use.
The wonderful green tones and textures are really a great delight to view in these shots. That subtly of colour and the richness you’ve achieved are super.
I’ve not worked with the 30-100mm with tubes, but as I am now quite getting into the freedom of the Nikon 1 system, I can see that it will be an area I’ll certainly be exploring.
I did some very early morning city landscapes this morning, and agree the ability to pop the kit into a cargo pocket, brings such a release to the awareness of the images that are around.
Keep up the good work.
Thanks David!
I’m glad you enjoyed the images and that you are continuing to work with your Nikon 1 gear. I think you’ll enjoy using the 30-110mm with extension tubes. It creates such a small and light combination that it really is a joy to use. Make sure you buy decent extension tubes. I started out with a pair of Vello tubes that had bare plastic flanges that cracked and broke quite easily. Extension tubes with metal mounts, or those that at least have a metallic reinforcement coating on them are worth the additional money.
Tom
I’ve bought the Kooka extension tubes (10 mm, 16 mm and 21 mm) and am satisfied with the quality: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Kooka-Zwischenring-Satz-10-16-21-mm-Nikon-1-S2-V3-J5-J4-J3-Makro-Zwischenringe-/331760960385
Hi Stefan,
I’m sure you will have a lot of creative fun with them!
Tom
Always beautiful photography, Tom…
They may not be a part of the ‘official’ display, but I think they’re great subjects, and you have really highlighted their details and beauty.
I would love to visit the Niagara Butterfly Conservatory, though I would presume there is something like this is Milwaukee or Chicago, which I’m much closer to.
Thanks for all the great work you do. I’m still in the DSLR world with my D600, unlike you and your mirrorless gear. But gear is just a means to an end– capturing the beauty all around us!
Cheers,
Terry
Hi Terry,
Thanks for your supportive comment – much appreciated! I agree totally that the camera gear that each of us chooses is, as you say, ‘a means to an end’.
Tom
Nice photos. I have those in my area too. Nice and large ones here.
Glad you liked them Joni!
Tom