Photoquilter Loc: Virginia

Not sure if these are grasshoppers or locusts. I was not able to get closer than 3 feet, as they were deep inside a garden bed (botanical garden). I did not have a tripod with me, so it is not as sharp as it could be, either. Suggestions for other ways to get this shot under such conditions? Using 105mm Nikkor Micro and D7000. About 6:30 pm (metadata is wrong... must change the time on my camera).

Nikonian72 Loc: Chico CA

Your image is a close-up, not a macro. With your camera and lens, a 24-mm diameter U.S. quarter will fill your sensor side to side. If your grasshoppers are smaller than 24-mm (approx 1-inch) in length, then it is a macro; if they are longer, than your image is a close-up. You can crop your image to macro proportions, which will give you a deeper DoF than shooting a macro at MFD.

Here is how to practice shooting true macro at MFD:
FAQ: How to Document Field-of-View of a True Macro Lens
http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-36370-1.html

17-mm Dime & 24-mm Quarter macro field on a Nikon APS-C sensor at MFD

Photoquilter Loc: Virginia

Thanks for the explanation! Will run the suggested test to get a better feel for it.
Barb