Well, it's been an incredible educational journey for us this week. A Vapourer moth cocoon appeared on our window frame. We'd never heard of them before - let alone seen them! Here's some photos of the sequence of the events (I took quite a few and @Ryan Cush prog Macro Studio was magnificent in identifying and sorting out the stacks!!!). The eggs had a lucky escape, the window cleaners came this morning as we were going out. They were instructed NOT to wipe the cocoon and the eggs away! Will the eggs hatch in a few weeks or is it too cold and we'll all have to wait until Spring 2027? She's unable to fly, having little stubs for wings, so - she's now dead, her job done. Photos taken with an Olympus OM-1ii camera and 90mm macro lens. I'm amazed at how close I can get to the action and the quality of the images. Some were simply single shots, some stacked in-camera, others photo bracketed shots and merged on the computer with Macro Studio. I love the mega close up ones of her amongst the aubrieta - mind you I did get funny looks and comments whilst I was laid on the pathway taking them.

Has anyone here tried Macro Studio for focus stacking? I’d be interested to hear how you think it compares to Helicon Focus, particularly the quality of the finished stacks, handling of fine detail and halos, processing speed, and ease of retouching. If you’ve used both, which do you prefer and why? Any side-by-side examples would be great to see!

I was on a photographing fungi hunt this afternoon and I did get a nice lil one. Then I found a live hornets nest with lots of them buzzing around. I decided that maybe, just maybe, it's not too wise to photograph hornets close up with my 90mm Olympus macro lens. These are slightly cropped - I held the camera at arms length and fired off about a dozen shots. So, am I a daft bugga? Answers on a postcard please . . . ​​

Well I was going to put some stuff in the rubbish bin but this Common Darter dragonfly was sitting there on the lid. So, a quick dash to get the OM-1ii, the 90mm macro lens and Godox v480 flash. I like this image - it's a single shot 1/100th sec electronic shutter, f8 80 ISO Do you reckon it's a rubbish shot?

Share your favourite image you created in August and tell us a little about it. What inspired you? How did you make it? Or why is it special to you? ✅ No theme ✅ No pressure ✅ No judgement It doesn’t need to be perfect or even finished! It could be a completed piece, a fun experiment, a work in progress, or simply something you enjoyed creating. Every image is part of your creative journey, and if it means something to you, it absolutely belongs here. Don’t be shy about sharing. Your work might inspire someone else to try something new, and this is a wonderfully supportive space in which to celebrate what we’ve all been making. ✨ A quick reminder: this is a sharing thread, not a critique. Let’s keep it positive, friendly, encouraging and inspiring. 💬 Remember to show some love to other creators too. A like or a kind comment can genuinely make someone’s day. 🙌 Can’t wait to see what everyone created in August! 💛