LeeinNC Loc: Morganton, NC

Can someone clue me in as to where this artifact is so I can remove it?

(Download)

pquiggle Loc: Monterey Bay California

Looks like it's on the sensor.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

It's lint / dust on your sensor. This link shows some of the potential results of using a simple airblower called a Giotto Rocket Air:

Recommended resizing parameters for digital images

Consider too whether f/22 is the best choice. The smaller the aperture, the more likely sensor dust will be evident, as well as encountering softened details due to diffraction.

Rongnongno Loc: FL

Your sensor needs a deep cleaning, there is junk all over your image.

-

(Download)

LeeinNC Loc: Morganton, NC

Thanks guys! Thought I'd ask before ordering a cleaning kit.

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

--Bob

LeeinNC Loc: Morganton, NC

I have considered a different aperture, but the trade off between DOF and diffraction made me go f22. I feel the effects of diffraction are negligible.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Without debating artistic style, you might consider the other impacts of such a small aperture: a slower shutterspeed and / or a relatively higher ISO. You have this bee 'frozen', so clearly 1/250 worked. I've been culling this morning bees from earlier this week, where several times even at 1/800, I've been kicking images where I'd wished I had been even faster for less blur of the insect.

LeeinNC Loc: Morganton, NC

I was wondering how you are able to access the exif data from a photo?
That little pearl could be quite handy.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

You probably can see all the shooting parameters in your digital editor. For online, I use Exif Viewer, an extension specific to Chrome that I use as my browser. There are similar tools as plug-ins for other browser types.

LeeinNC Loc: Morganton, NC

gessman Loc: Colorado

Are you familiar with focus stacking, when possible, to allow wider aperture and sufficient dof?

https://www.google.com/search?q=focus+stacking+macro+photography&rlz=1C1GCEA_enUS850US850&oq=focus+stacking+macro&aqs=chrome.0.0j69i57j0l6.14381j0j15&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

LeeinNC Loc: Morganton, NC

Yes, I've tried it a few times, but most of what I shoot are in motion.

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

That is very probably sensor dust. And I suspect there's a lot more of it (see below), although some of it is faint and some of the "specks" may be an insect in the distance that's out of focus. Other stuff is more obviously sensor dust. There also may be some add'l specks "hiding" in the details of the in-focus areas of the image.

Your camera has a self-cleaning sensor, which probably runs each time you turn the camera off or on. However, that merely "shakes" the sensor for a few seconds, which only removes loose dust. This helps a lot! I have to shoot a lot in dusty conditions and with older cameras that lacked self-cleaning sensors, it wasn't uncommon for me to need to do a cleaning every month or even more often. Today, using cameras with self-cleaning sensors, I would guess I typically only need to do a cleaning once a year, on average.

Even with a self-cleaning sensor like yours (and mine), over time stuff gets adhered and a more thorough sensor cleaning is needed.

You have choice of paying someone to do it or investing in the proper tools and supplies, then learning to do it yourself. It's not difficult, though it does need to be done correctly and carefully or you might damage your camera. It's also a bit of an investment... probably $100 to $150... to get the tools and supplies. But once you have them you'll be all set to do a good number of cleanings in the future.

Here's an excellent web site with info about the sensor cleaning process: http://www.cleaningdigitalcameras.com/

The guys who wrote and maintain that site are professional camera repair techs who also happen to run Micro-Tools.com, one of the top suppliers to the camera repair industry. They have thorough knowledge of virtually every cleaning method (it's virtually always a multi-step process... download their workflow chart and you'll see why).

The alternative is to pay someone to do the cleaning. Sometimes you can get a free cleaning at a trade show... but usually it's gonna cost $25 to $50, depending upon where you have it done. Since your camera is an older model where no doubt the warranty expired years ago, I wouldn't bother sending it to Nikon for cleaning.... which would add the cost of shipping both directions and probably mean at least two or three weeks turn-around time. A sensor cleaning by Nikon is no different from one done by a local, independent shop. Some camera stores even have someone trained to do the simple cleaning job.

If your camera has never had a sensor cleaning, it will almost certainly need a "wet cleaning" to remove oils (from shutter lubrication) and adhered dust. Following that, it will likely need puffs of air from a bulb blower and, once all oils and specks are removed, a final gentle polishing with a Sensor Pen to remove the slight haze that cleaning solutions leave behind and to help prevent dust from adhering again quickly. Other tools that come in handy are a lighted magnifying loupe and a precision Speck Grabber. I also sometimes use a broader "adhesive" type dust removal tool like Dust Aid and an anti-static brush.

For wet cleanings you have choice of pre-wetted, individually packaged optical swabs (expensive)... or plain swabs with separate sensor cleaning fluid (a bit lower cost)... or Pec Pads and wands to make your own "swabs" for use with sensor cleaning fluid of your choice (such as Eclipse). I opted for the last choice and have been using the same 200 count pack of Pec Pads for 10 or l1l5 years worth of sensor cleanings.

Kits are available and may be a way to save, but be careful to check their contents. Some contain "cheap" stuff or brands I've never heard of and would worry about using.

With an "FX" D700, you need a "full frame" kit, which will have 24mm wands or swabs. (APS-C kits use a 15mm wand or swab and there may be even smaller for micro 4/3 and 1" sensors).

Finally, when a camera's self-cleaning sensor shakes off dust, where does it go? Many cameras have one or more small, adhesive patches adjacent to the sensor that's intended to "capture" loose dust. In an older camera, that might lose it's adhesive properties or over the years become clogged with dust. So it may need replacement, which would be a job for a professional camera repair tech, not for the typical user. (Another, closely related tech job is replacement of light seals around the mirror of some SLRs and DSLRs, which can degrade with age... If you have a pro cleaning done, if your camera uses them the tech will usually let you know if those seals need replacement.)

Looking at your image enlarged, besides the gnarly hunk you circled, I think I see quite a few specks of dust (which mostly show up at small apertures like you're using here)...

EDIT: Whoops, I just noticed Rongnongno already went there.

(Download)

gessman Loc: Colorado

I have seen situations where a person focuses just past a moving subject, if it's moving slow enough, and pulls the camera back across the subject while shooting in fast burst mode and getting 3 to 5 shots before the subject can move very far and remains within a range so Photoshop alignment process can pull some sharp images that can be stacked. Of course, movement is a problem and that's why I stipulated "when possible."