Welcome to World of Mirrorless Macro!

My name is Faiz B. and I am an amateur macro photographer, and just like the blog name suggests, I shoot entirely on a mirrorless system. I am assuming that the reasons you're here are either:

a) You are new to macro photography and undecided on which system is best for you.
b) You have a mirrorless camera intended for macro work but do not know how to push the limits of your set-up to produce a quality macro photo.
c) You have a DSLR camera and already shooting some macro but for whatever reasons, is thinking to make the switch to mirror less.
d) You are a DSLR die-hard fan  and here to just read the negative comments I have about your system of choice and why you should make the switch.

Whatever your reasons may be, you have come to the right place, well, with the exception of the last point because I won't be talking smack about your DSLR or Point 'n' Shoot camera. There is no such thing as the perfect system or set-up; You have your own reasons for choosing what you chose and I respect that. Just for the record, I have tried nearly every possible configurations and sensor-format cameras suitable for macro photography, having experimented with countless of cameras, flashes, DIY diffusers, amongst other things, and in the end, made the decision to stick to what I have today.  I will share more about my reasons behind the decision in future posts. Through this blog, I am also hoping to share some tips and tricks that I've learnt along the way that would help you take better shots with your mirrorless system.

In the meantime, here are some photos that I have taken with my OMD EM1 and EM5. *pls click on image for a higher quality photo*

1. A tiny ant-mimicking mantis nymph (10mm). Click Here for a short video I made on this highly interesting creature!

2. I shoot a lot of backlighting - Here is a shot of termite soldiers.

3. I shot this beautiful Silver-colored Argiope argentata during my recent trip to the US. Found her on a hiking trip to Big Sur.

4. This Pasilobus sp. or commonly known as the bird-dung spider, mimics like its name suggests - Bird dungs.

4. Another awesome spider that mimics (Mymarachne maxillosa). This jumping spider (Saliticidae) mimics the  Common Spiny Ant (Polyrchachis sp). Here is a short documentary I made of this amazing spider (filmed with a Point 'n' Shoot camera).

5. One of my favourite shots. This plant hopper reminds me of Elmo, won't you agree? :)

6. This huntsman, possibly from the genus Heteropoda, was shot during one of my late night macro sessions. It appeared right before we decided to pack up!

7. I absolutely adore this shot although it was a real pain to get it right! This newly emerged Cicada was sandwiched between a nest of red weaver ants and a deep trench. Can you imagine the poses I had to adopt?

8. Kerangga ants feeding nectar secreted from a Centaur Oakblue Caterpillar. A classic case of mutualism in Nature. Click here for a short documentary that I made highlighting this beautiful relationship (Filmed with a Point 'n' Shoot camera).

9. This Scutelleridae (?) was spotted on a wall right outside my office! 

10. This Kerengga-ant mimic caterpillar (Homodes bracteigutta) can often be seen around the nest of its namesake. It is tiny, less than 15mm in length.

11. This mommy Jumper is the epitome of motherly love- You can almost feel it in her eyes. I took only 3 shots in total as I did not want to stress her out.

12. Another shot of a Homodes bracteigutta, doing the "Locomotive". :)

13. A sleeping Blue Cuckoo Bee. Why was it named after a bird? This lazy mommy would lay its egg in the nests of other bees, just like its namesake, the Cuckoo Bird!

14. A backlit caterpillar, dangling on its own silk. (<15mm)

15. One of my favourite jumpers, Epeus flavobilineatus. I wonder what it is like to not ever having a bad hair day!

16. Another shot of a Scutelleridae (?). Check out its proboscis!

17. A tiny phlocidae (?) with an even tinier prey! Looks like a mosquito (?).

18. Okay, I lied. This is my favourite jumper - The wide-jawed jumping spider (Viciria sp.)

    

19. Now, we all know just how difficult it is to photograph Dragonflies. This was taken after numerous attempts.

20. Another Ant-mimicking spider, Amyciaea lineatipes. This crab spider (Thomisid) preys exclusively on Kerengga Ants. Click here for a short documentary I made on this spider! (Filmed with a Point 'n' Shoot camera)

21. Close-up of a Midge (<10mm).

22. This Uloboridae is probably no larger than the tip of a pencil.

23. Two Kerengga ants fighting over a spider's Exuvium.

Thank you for visiting and I hope to see you here again soon. Watch this space! :)