Father, I have a confession… I shoot Nikon. 😮

If you’re a Canon user, I come in peace, no hate etc.

Nikon’s summer sale meant my gadget lust was on max and I snared the Nikon 105mm 2.8 macro lens.

Nikon Z 105mm Macro lens

Macro is something I aspire to get more into, and I’m very aware that, in the fullness of time, and when spare time actually becomes available, I may need lights, stand, and other paraphernalia.

But for the here and now, it’s handheld attempts.

A few shots around the house told me things were working fine.

Cactus

Out in the garden, the following two captures went into the bag.

Hydrangea

And an unknown plant as follows:

Unknown Bush / Plant

After a quick walk round the plants in our house, and the garden, it was time to take things to somewhere where insects would be guaranteed.

Hickling Broad

We dropped in to Hickling Broad, always a favourite of ours for a great walk.

I took my Z7 with the macro lens, and my Z9 with my 180-600, both with straps. It was quite a neck strain carrying them together.

Kathryn was rolling her eyes as I looked like a puny version of Arnie with my two cameras/lenses on straps slung over my opposite shoulders.

Arnie

As we wandered round, and helped by the quiet afternoon where the birds seemed to have received a memo I was coming and went into hiding, I found myself enjoying the macro lens more than the telephoto.

My first shot captured a bee:

Nikon Z7, 105mm, f/13, 1/500, ISO 1250

Next up was a capture of a drone fly.

Shots of the drone fly

We wandered round to the back of the Broad, but the birds were quite clearly happy having a siesta.

I spotted what I believe are soldier beetles having a moment!

Nikon Z7, 105mm, f/13, 1/500, ISO 1250

As we were reaching the end of our walk round the reserve, I took the following shot which is cropped. No idea what it is but I like it…

What is it? No idea I’m afraid

And that was a wrap.

The new lens has had a good run out, and it was hugely enjoyable to wander around looking for bugs and insects to photograph.

A longer term ambition is to get into more serious macro stuff with flashes, diffusers, tripod work and focus stacking but that’s for another day.

Onwards and upwards…