Laura Weishaupt

I use the Canon ef-s 60mm f/2.8 macro, Canon 180mm f/3.5 macro, and MP-E 65mm f/2.8 1-5x macro. The efs 60mm is a workhorse for me. I like it for the buttery smooth focus ring, razor sharpness, and nimble size when mounted on my Rebel. It is excellent in every way. You can get one used at B&H for $318.99. I highly recommend it for use on the 70D. I don't recommend the other 2 lenses for your stated purpose. Macro often isn't about reach, but it is about stability and light. As you think about macro as part of the hobby, you'll need to consider these things. Depending on your subject, a decent tripod, rail, and cable release will come in very handy. Completely agree.The used prices for the lenses mentioned here are pretty good. Good luck.

On another distant world avians gather near aquatic areas. They are secretive and best seen when their peacock like plumage is reflected in the water.

Why not rent both for a week and see which one screams "BUY ME". There's no substitute for in hand experience. You can read till the cows come home, but renting is an investment in personal R&D. Ergonomics matter. Which one is more comfortable in addition to being more useful overall? Renting gives you the chance to really get a feel for a lens. Having the lens for a week will answer any questions and you can make your purchase with confidence.

I hope the OP is still looking at the thread. Check out the different units of Jean Lafitte NHP. I enjoyed the Barataria unit for nature. The Chalmette unit is on the other side of the city. Both are outside the city. Also check out Big Branch March NWR and Fontainebleau SP near Slidell. I prefer to get out of town and head out into the marshes. Route 23 will take you to Delta NWR near the end of the Mississippi R delta. Or, go the other way down I 90 towards Houma in Terrebonne Parish. Mandalay NWR is located there. Check into the Lousiana Wild Stamp and see if it is still issued. It's like a license for birding or looking at flowers. Last time I lived in LA I was asked to show my stamp , so look into it. Also check into local road and trail conditions at any park or NWR. Don't forget to eat the local food. Crawfish boudin is especially good. Suck the filling from the casing. Have a good time.

On a distant planet blue cyclonic storms swirl through an orange atmosphere.

You're welcome. Looks are often deceptive. It's a few feet deep, and dark, but is under the influence of boulders above and below the surface (which I leave oof) as well as a few other factors. I went yesterday and today and the "views" were very different. Among my favorite were small eddys reflecting the blue sky that swirled through dark orange water. It looks like a satellite image of weather from another world.

This one is for you Michael, an abstraction of autumn color in running water, no post processing or manipulation. Nature is good.:)

Good Morning , I prefer nature to people as subjects, but these clam diggers were too good to resist. Taken at Point St George in Del Norte County, CA with a 7Dmk2 and the ever reliable Canon 70-200 f4. Have a great day, everyone.

I have some ideas as to what this is, but I don't really know beyond being photo worthy.

Well, if he ever had access to a privy as nice as this one, I'm sure he'd have written about it. But, since this was at a bluegrass (no pun here) festival I'd pick a soundtrack by Doc Watson....maybe his version of "Sitting on Top of the World" :p

Another from the Portapotty Blues series.

Happy first day of fall. Brown leaves, gray sky, all the stuff of California Dreamin'.

Gerronema strombodes

Greetings Canonites, Last week I was at the Gettysburg Bluegrass Festival. Each day a group of folks gather at a picnic table for the morning jam at 9am. I've seen up to 15 people join in. The music and singing provided a nice backdrop to getting my booth ready for the days business. Each morning starts out with sunlit blues.....the porta-potty blues.

This is for a couple of life long friends who used to live in Redding, CA. They enjoyed going to Brookings, OR for a romantic get away. It's easy to imagine the footprints in the sand belonging to them as they found a place to watch the sunset at Chrissy Fields with Brookings in the distance.

Lachnum virgineum with lots of dew. I think this was posted in Nature at some time.

That's kind of you to say. The lens is fun, so get out there and have a good time.

I think a photo is required for joining the Association of Certifiable Tree Huggers. :) I used an 8mm circular fisheye on a crop sensor body, so the circle isn't complete. Trees disguise the corners of the frame except in the upper right. Cropping it out would have taken too much, so I left it there. Still, from the ground to way up there is a considerable distance.

Excellent image, Edwin. I love the way light plays with the surface texture, giving it a metallic eyeball effect. That's really good. My cool round things are much larger, around a whopping 2mm, give or take some. These are forming sporangia of a Hemitrichia species, likely H. clavata or H. calyculata. Yes, it's a slime mold. When mature they will be a little larger, golden, and fluffy with spore encrusted springy threads. Shot with my trusty workhorse, the Canon Rebel XSi with the 60mm efs lens at 1:1.