Planning for a less hectic schedule towards the end of an extended photographic field trip is always a good idea. Being able to slow down and relax a bit helps to recharge one’s creative battery. This article shares a selection of fifteen macro images captured using extension tubes at Belvedere House, Ireland.
NOTE: Click on images to enlarge.
Whenever my wife and I travel with our Nikon 1 kit I always pack a set of extension tubes. Depending on our planned itinerary I sometimes don’t have the opportunity to use them very often. It is always good to have them on hand just in case.
During our recent trip to Ireland we purposely left our last full day open. We decided to spent it at Belvedere House Gardens & Park.
After touring Belvedere House we spent quite a bit of time in the extensive gardens. It was a pleasant Irish day… a mix of sun and clouds, with variable wind gusts thrown in for good measure. As a result I had to monitor my shutter speeds continuously.
The Nikon 1 system is great to use with extension tubes. Being small and light makes it easy to get in and around plants and find good shooting angles.
The auto focusing system is fast and accurate which is always a key consideration when using a camera for hand-held macro-type photography.
I enjoyed being able to leisurely find subject blossoms and consider various composition options. It was a nice change of pace from the previous few weeks we had spent touring the Emerald Isle. Using extension tubes at Belvedere House was a great way to spend our last day in Ireland.
I noticed a spider wrapping up a future meal that it had just caught in its web. If you look closely at the image below you’ll see that one of the spider’s fangs is visible.
The details that become clearly visible when using extension tubes or a macro lens to photograph a tiny flower always fascinate me.
I often like to put the main subject in a macro composition angled off to one side as it can help accentuate the shape and textures of a blossom.
Depending on the size of the subject flower and the focusing distance required for my compositions, I will often change out extension tubes.
My most frequently used extension tube tends to be a 16 mm. I almost always use a 1 Nikkor 30-110 mm f/3.8-5.6 zoom lens with a Nikon 1 J5 when utilizing my Nikon 1 kit for this type of photography.
I very seldom stack extension tubes as that causes a loss of more light. When shooting macro-type images outdoors, it is critical to use a fast enough shutter speed to ensure in-focus image captures. This often requires choosing a higher ISO… especially in breezy conditions.
Sometimes if the wind is quite strong, there’s no option but to photograph a flower bud using a fast shutter speed and a higher ISO. As long as I don’t go over ISO-3200 with my Nikon 1 gear I don’t worry about it. It is seldom an issue working in post with Nikon 1 images captured up to ISO-3200. At times using extension tubes at Belvedere House fell into the windy category!
If you would like to find out more about the Nikon 1 system, you may find our eBook The Little Camera That Could of interest. The eBook is available for purchase and download. It is priced at $9.99 Canadian. Readers interested in purchasing a copy can use the link below.
Technical Note:
All photographs were captured hand-held in available light using camera gear as noted in the EXIF data. All images were produced from RAW files using my standard process.
Word of mouth is the best form of endorsement. If you like our website please let your friends and associates know about our work. Linking to this site or to specific articles is allowed with proper acknowledgement. Reproducing articles, or any of the images contained in them, on another website or in any social media posting is a Copyright infringement.
How you can help keep this site advertising free
My intent is to keep this photography blog advertising free. If you enjoyed this article and my website and would like to support my work, you can purchase an eBook, or make a modest $10 donation through PayPal. Both are 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 2019 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. Posting comments on offending websites and calling out individuals who steal intellectual property is always appreciated!