This article features a selection of handheld grasshopper macro images captured with the M.Zuiko 90 mm macro IS PRO lens. I used the M.Zuiko MC-20 teleconverter for all of the photographs in this article. Most of the images were captured using handheld in-camera focus stacking technology. A few photographs at the end of the article were captured using the M.Zuiko STF-8 Twin Macro Flash.

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I initially grabbed my camera gear to capture a handheld in-camera focus stacked macro image of a small spider that had spun a web adjacent to the front door of my home. That prompted me to look around for some other potential macro subjects.

After photographing a couple of flowers that were past their prime, I spotted a grasshopper perched on a leaf.

Having the M.Zuiko MC-20 teleconverter fitted with my 90 mm macro lens came in very handy as could frame my image from a distance. Grasshoppers can be skittish if they are approached too quickly, or if a photographer moves in too closely.

I moved in a bit closer and was able to capture the handheld in-camera focus stacked image above. Pressing my luck, I tried to move in even tighter. This caused the grasshopper to leap to another plant in the garden.

After carefully examining a number of other plants in my garden I was able to find the grasshopper again. It was somewhat buried in some foliage, so I had to gently thread my camera gear through a number of stems and branches to capture the above photograph.

I appreciate that many photographers use a diffuser with a flash for the majority of their macro photography. Since I often photograph subjects that are buried or semi-buried in foliage I find the M.Zuiko STF-8 Twin Macro Flash set-up works well for me as I try to maneuver my gear in tight spaces. This is another reason why I always shoot handheld and never use a tripod or monopod for macro photography.

Before I could capture an image, the grasshopper jumped away a second time. After scouring some foliage I found a grasshopper (although I wasn’t sure it was the same one) that was facing my shooting position. It was in a more open area so I was able to slowly move in and create the handheld in-camera focused stacked image above.

One of the things that I’ve always loved  about my E-M1X bodies are their dual grip design. This makes it very quick and easy to switch from a landscape to portrait orientation and have all of my essential camera controls in the exact same position. Shortly after capturing this image, the subject grasshopper disappeared.

After exploring some nearby shrubs I located the grasshopper in the above photograph. It’s colouration was completely different which confirmed it was a new subject. As I moved my macro set-up through some stems and branches I was able to capture a few more handheld in-camera focus stacked images of this grasshopper.

While I was photographing grasshoppers I was able to switch back and forth between my in-camera focus stacking technology, and using my STF-8 Twin Macro Flash.

Since switching to my Olympus/OM System equipment I’ve been doing more macro photography than ever before and enjoying it immensely. I love the creative options that are available to me with computational photography technologies like in-camera focus stacking and Handheld Hi Res.

Having the added flexibility and portability of the M.Zuiko STF-8 Twin Macro Flash readily available provides an additional option.

Capturing a ‘standard’ macro image without the use of any  computational photography technology or my STF-8 flash seems a bit strange at times… but it is still a viable option.

When it comes to macro photography the most important thing is to find camera gear that suits our individual shooting styles and preferences. Having the right camera gear for our specific needs allows our creativity to flow.

Technical Note

Photographs were captured handheld using camera gear as noted in the EXIF data. Some photographs were captured using Handheld In-Camera Focus Stacking. A stack of 12 images with a Focus Differential of 4 were used for all of the focus stacked images. All images were created from RAW files or out-of-camera jpegs using my standard process in post. This is the 1,480 article published on this website since its original inception in 2015.

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