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Arthur Scott Macmillan, Contributor
Full name:
Arthur Scott Macmillan
Contact:
Gr¹º8@gmail.com where r¹º means 10 r's in a row. There! That should confuse the address harvesters.
NOTE: I forgot the 8 after Grrrrrrrrrr by mistake so if for the last ten years you've tried unsuccessfully to contact me, that would be why. That and the fact that I don't really check my email that often. But sorry if you tried. I'm sure I would have liked to have heard from you! So it would look like:
Grrrrrrrrrr8 with the the ending attached. If you see a Comcast address, ignore it. I don't know why it is there and I can't delete it.
City, state, country:
Santa Cruz, CA, USA
Biography:

I've decided to change my license terms for my images here to "Creative commons." I would hope to be informed if any image were to be published. It's just good business. I would be sure to buy the book or magazine!
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My EXIF data policy & explanation

-I always leave the EXIF info in my images, though there was a brief period when I removed it, and a very few photos were taken with non-EXIF writing cameras.

Why? So I can double check the date and time. And frankly, I like knowing what lens, camera, and settings were used.

Good News:
I have used many modern lenses that are correctly documented via EXIF. Macro lenses include 30mm/3.5, 60mm/2.8, 90mm/2.8, 100mm/2.8, and 180mm/3.5

Bad News: Many of my photos were / are taken with pre-digital lenses (film era legacy lenses) attached to my DSLR bodies.

If you see on of the following:
-50mm, f/1.8
-50mm, f/1.4
-0mm, f/0
-#####mm (a five digit focal length)
-Or something impossible

Then you probable will never know what lens I used, But the time and date are valid (unless the camera make says Sony).

Otherwise most of the EXIF info is correct.
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My Photography History:

2007 I purchased my first DSLR, a Canon Digital Rebel XTi. I soon bought a Tamron SP 90mm f/2.8 Di AF 1:1 Macro lens!

2009-2014 The SP 90 macro lens broke! All that was left were the kit zoom lenses and the 20-40 year old manual focus lenses. For years I shot almost exclusively with the manual focus 30 year old Tamron Adaptall SP 35-80mm f/2.8-3.8 with a doubler. It wasn't perfect...but it wasn't that bad either.

2014! I finally have the lens of my dreams. It is a Tamron SP 180mm f/3.5 1:1 macro lens! It's a little heavy, and far from silent. But it is really fun to use!

2015! Now I also have a Canon EF-s 60mm AF, USM 1:1 macro lens. (I wanted something I could use in confined spaces).

2021: I have far better equipment than at any point in my past for capturing macro images. 30, 60, 100, and 180mm dedicated macro lenses! The thing is...now I am shooting birds!? I still like shooting macros. But I just don't seem to upload that many photos. But don't count me out just yet!

So I shot macro's for 5 years without a macro lens, without AF, without sophisticated flashes or lighting. But then, lots of people here have done a lot more with a lot less. I have played with tubes, diopters, reversed lenses, teleconverters, and ultimate image stabilization. Yes, though it is rare, I do use a tripod once in a while. I still enjoy macro photography. Arthropods and other flora and fauna as well.

I believe we (with noted exception) here at Bugguide share a dream: Expanding our knowledge and skill through cooperation, And adding to the body of scientific knowledge by adding tiny bits of information to a huge puzzle. Experts and their studies further science, but science exists outside the lab, and photographs and observations of photo enthusiasts like my self, with an interest in nature also contribute. Though my role is a small one, I do love being a part of this!

I HAVE SOME "FAVORITE BUG GUIDES" (Some teach me, some encourage, some amaze me) This list is NOT all inclusive and it simply based on who has it going on!

Thank you:
V. Belov (I'll check spellings later - maybe. I think he knows everything. He's just not saying).
John F. Carr (I've been told he is best reason to be here).
Martin Hauser (Enthusiasm breeds enthusiasm!)
John Ascher (must have compound eyes to see so many posts!)
Ron Hemberger (A good friend who answered so many Q's)
Bob Carlson (He must be a professor! A natural teacher)
Richard Vernier, Thanks for sharing your knowledge!
***Scott Peden*** He donated time, and encouragement to thousands!
Jim Moore (When he says give back, he means it!)
Rick and Libby Alvarez (Like a compass, she points me in the right direction!)
Robert Lord Z. (who I really admire for his dedication)
Kelsey J.R.P. Byers (A bright star in the dipthera sky!)
Hartmut Wisch (I was jealous of your one handed shooting legend until I, too adopted the efficient technique!)
Gary McDonald (who has seen almost the same things I have, but better)
Charley Eiseman (one hopes he will comment on one's photo!)
Aaron Schusteff (R. Morgan simply used him as an example of how someone does science photography the right way)
Dick Wilson (If it's a moth in the PNW, he's photographed it!)
Harsi Parker (A certain type of curiosity about everything that makes me smile!)
Vespula vulgaris & Graham Montgomery (They'll learn much more, than I'll ever know...)
John and Jane Balaban (The spirit of sharing!)
Eric Eaton (And most of all, he did it his way!)

***I am sorry to announce that Scott Peden passed away on December 5th, 2016. I wanted to say a few words about Scott. He is the only member of Bugguide that I met in person due to our close proximity, and his wonderful enthusiasm. He served as a docent for many of the State & National Parks in the area such as Big Basin, Henry Cowell Redwoods, Natural Bridges (which contains a major Monarch Butterfly winter layover, and many more for over 25 years. We met at Rancho Del Oso Federal Preserve where he is famous for his guided nature walks. He was an expert in native California plants in this region. He was of Scottish ancestry. He played the bagpipes and the guitar. Together with a couple other local bug enthusiasts we gave a bug walk for the public to point out and identify insects. It was one of the best times I've ever had. He was a great and enthusiastic photographer. I had counted on many more years to learn along side of him. Sorry if this seems like an odd or inappropriate eulogy. But...Scott connected with people. It just doesn't seem appropriate to let his presence here fade away without a word.

(I haven't even scratched the surface! I can't decide if I should add more, or just give up because I will surely omit lots of great people like, well peoples names I can't spell off the top of my head!)

By way of background, all of these years my bug photography has almost exclusively been done during my walking of my dogs. As a result I have been in residential neighborhoods more than less artificial natural habitats. That has changed a little recently. I enjoy going to local state and federal parks and open spaces occasionally. Also, I discovered one of my neighbors is a well known naturalist named Randall Morgan, and he welcomes me to stalk insects in his garden, which contains a large number of native Californian Plants. In the past few months it has become blatantly obvious that I see more variety of insects in his small garden than in most of the rest of the city combined. I only recently started designating submissions from his garden as Santa Cruz RMG. RMG meaning Randall Morgan's Garden. That way I can document at least some of the amazing insects I have seen there. I am even thinking of plantings some native plants in my own yard! Seeing is believing!



-Arthur Scott Macmillan
Photography enthusiast
More expert in arthropods than the average American
Less expert in arthropods than most of the people heavily
involved, or formerly trained in the related sciences.


Favorite quotes: "Be the change you want to see in the world"
"It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice"
"Love many, trust few, harm none."
"Disclaimer: I'm afraid the seeds within me to ID all my little subjects have been attacked by seed-head weevils."
Signature:
"I am me"