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<p class="has-drop-cap">This month's u3a photography challenge has been umbrellas and macro photography. To rise to the macro challenge I bought some extension tubes in February. The last time I used them was about 30 years ago. Then I used a fixed focus lens. It appears that a zoom lens behaves differently with extension tubes.</p>
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<figure class="wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped"><!-- wp:image {"id":7243,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} -->
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://pigyard.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/SMc-orchid.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-7243"/></figure>
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<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://pigyard.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/SMc-orchid-macro1.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-7241"/></figure>
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<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://pigyard.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/SMc-orchid-macro2.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-7242"/></figure>
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<p>I started with an orchid. The depth of field is extremely narrow and it requires a lot more light to make more in focus.</p>
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<figure class="wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped"><!-- wp:image {"id":7239,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} -->
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://pigyard.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/SMc-bee-macro3.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-7239"/></figure>
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<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://pigyard.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/SMc-bee-macro2.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-7238"/></figure>
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<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://pigyard.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/SMc-bee-macro1.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-7237"/></figure>
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<p>The comb I removed from the hive still had bees on it. After a night out in the cold they were slowed sufficiently for me to get up close and personal without risk of getting stung. The longer they were in the utility room the more active they became so I had to cut the shoot. As can be seen the depth of field is slim.</p>
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<div class="wp-block-media-text alignwide is-stacked-on-mobile" style="grid-template-columns:28% auto"><figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img src="https://pigyard.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/SMc-umbrella-768x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-7244 size-full"/></figure><div class="wp-block-media-text__content"><!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Content…","style":{"typography":{"fontSize":"16px"}}} -->
<p style="font-size:16px">Umbrellas was much more difficult to be imaginative with. I had this idea of taking a photo of someone then overlaying the same person with an umbrella in front of them. I wanted to make the person appear as a vague image through the umbrella but I ran out of time.</p>
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<div class="wp-block-media-text alignwide has-media-on-the-right is-stacked-on-mobile" style="grid-template-columns:auto 39%"><figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img src="https://pigyard.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/SMc-month-choice-willows-@-marina-1024x768.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-7240 size-full"/></figure><div class="wp-block-media-text__content"><!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Content…","style":{"typography":{"fontSize":"16px"}}} -->
<p style="font-size:16px">Every month we submit an image we've taken and like. This was taken in Milton Keynes with the setting sun catching the willows. Technically not difficult - simply a matter of being in the right place at the right time.</p>
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