In Part #5 of this Series...there's a LOT going on.
This chapter highlights insect photography in natural light, and graphically details a few field-tested techniques to help combat the challenges of extreme macro applications...while simultaneously, giving Mother Nature a well-deserved shot in the kisser.
We first met up with Bugsy in Part #4. By popular demand, he's back...and he's as innovative as ever!
Hopefully, it will be a fun read.
Macro Photography
Tools and Techniques
Part #5
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Among the myriad subject matter from which the outdoor macro photographer has to choose, none is more fascinating, educational, or photogenic than the minute critters which inhabit the vastness of the insect world. Whether it hops, wriggles, flies, crawls, or just oozes along, seldom is the day when we fail to find something new and exciting at which to poke our lenses.
Finding your Bug
Depending upon seasonal patterns and climate, locating willing Arthropoda subjects in the field is relatively easy…because they’re EVERYWHERE. It can however, become quite challenging when the more skittish or exotic species are hidden from view.
When not instantly obvious, it’s the cognizant nature photographer who learns how to recognize the presence of possible insect activity by examining the surrounding foliage for tell-tale signs of life.
Field Challenge 3:
While hiking along the trail in one of his favorite bug meadows, Bugsy is having difficulty finding something photogenic. He fears that this day afield may likely end up being a wasted walk in the woods. Finally, he notices a few obscure strands of web material draped across a trail-side shrub. At first glance, the shrub appears to be devoid of life. He visually tracks one of the silken strands toward an adjacent part of the plant and eventually discovers the web’s architect…a splendidly adorned arachnid covertly tucked away inside an enclosure of leaves. A gentle tap on the tiny den awakens the colorful spider and she pops out of her hiding place to see what’s going on. She’s a beautiful specimen, but shy and reclusive. She poses photogenically for a few seconds, and Bugsy’s reaction is immediate. He quickly grabs his photos. Then, in the blink of eye, the brief session concludes as the festooned mini-predator vanishes back into the sanctuary of her lair.
Further down the trail, Bugsy happens upon a small patch of milkweed plants. Through his years of experience, he immediately recognizes the milkweeds as preferred host plants for a number of local insect and caterpillar species. He meticulously examines the surface areas of each plant, but he finds nothing. Then, he notices a few tiny pellets of frass material scattered on top of one of the lower leaves. He turns over the leaf above it and discovers a handsome monarch caterpillar hanging on the underside…totally hidden from view from above. He holds the upturned leaf momentarily to position the photogenic larva, takes his photos, then he eases the leaf back into its original position and continues along the trail.
For determined insect aficionados, these scenarios are routine and may be repeated many times over the course of a normal day of bug hunting. More often than not, it’s the attentive photographer who locates the most interesting bugs to photograph. Typically observed signs of possible insect activity include a preponderance of chewed leaves and/or bare tree branches, which usually suggests that an army of feeding caterpillars had recently decimated that section of foliage. Further inspection might disclose that the group had migrated onto a nearby branch.
The presence of ants, high above the ground on tree trunks, or on the stems of small trees and shrubs, is another tell-tale sign which should encourage further exploration. Finding the ants usually indicates that treehoppers, leafhoppers, or other related species are nearby. Ants and Cicadellidae are known to co-exist in symbiotic relationships.
In the little drama pictured below, the ants were more mobile so they were spotted first. Closer examination of the surrounding real estate revealed the tiny treehopper, covertly disguised amid the colorful bark of the tree.
Once found, it was then easy to focus attention on the ‘hopper and wait for behavioral actions to
develop.
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Helira mexicana Treehopper Being Tended by Ants
To be successful as nature photographers, particularly when our quarry is tiny and secluded, we must train our eyes and our minds to acknowledge and react to the seemingly inconsequential details we encounter every day in the field.
Get to Know Your Bug
(Spicebush Swallowtail)
The diversity of life abounding within the insect world is seemingly endless. The goal of many nature photographers, who specialize in shooting insects, is to try to find and photograph at least one new species during each bug hunting foray. Sometimes this aspiration is realized…sometime not.
As photographers, we perceive our primary objective as creating imagery. It’s always beneficial though, when we are able to learn…and then share something about that cute critter we had just found.
Field Challenge 4:
It’s another beautiful morning, as Bugsy packs his gear and heads off to one of his favorite local meadows. He assembles his macro gear and begins searching the trail-side shrubs for signs of life. His keen eye spots many photogenic subjects, but they are common species he’s seen so many times before. He keeps searching…hoping for something new.
A bit of movement catches his eye and he snaps into attention. “What the heck is THAT?” he wonders, as he moves in for a closer look.
The bug is large and ominous...gray/black in color, with a sharp proboscis and a sinister stare of death in its tiny eyes. On the back of its armored shell of a body rests an intimidating saw-like protrusion, reminiscent of some pre-historic being of times past. It moves about within its world slowly, undaunted.
Bugsy is exhilarated by this exotic discovery. He recognizes that the cardinal rule to follow when an unfamiliar species is encountered is to shoot first and ask questions later, so he hurriedly grabs a few quick photos for documentation.
This bug seems uncharacteristically cooperative. As the photographer moves his camera closer to capture its unique body structure from all angles, the beast poses…seemingly enjoying the attention. He gets his share of close-up views, then concludes the photo session by pulling his camera back to include a few shots of the bizarre creature in the surrounding foliage.
After feeling confident that he’d collected a suitable compilation of renditions, Bugsy abandons the session and continues on his way.
Later that day, at his work station, the photographer examines the images he had created earlier and begins his investigation process to determine a possible identification of his new-found, mystery creature. While comparing similarly structured insects he finds in his guide books and on-line sources, his research leads him toward a member of the Assassin Bug family. He eventually concludes that the species he had encountered that morning was a Wheel Bug (Arilus cristatus).
He also learns that this predatory beast is capable of attacking and consuming the largest of insect prey. During further research, he discovers that, when handled in a threatening manner, A Wheel Bug can get really nasty…emitting a rancid odor, while simultaneously stabbing at the hapless attacker with its sharp beak. Bugsy’s thankful that he’d wisely chosen to maintain a safe distance from THIS intimidating fellow!
For serious insect photographers, confirming accurate identifications can prove to be as challenging and rewarding as the photography itself. Fortunately, there are a ubiquitous array of entomological experts, either on-line or in print, who are willing to share their expertise.
Our photographer, in this case, was one of the lucky ones who was able to positively pinpoint his identification with minimal inquiries. He was wise to have taken several photos from varying angles to assist in his research.
Once found, photographed (…and correctly identified), it’s advantageous when a nature photographer can augment his or her rendition with a tidbit of relevant information about the subject. Photographers should strive to include not only the accurate I.D., but also, at least one facet of information about the species which he or she thinks others might find interesting.
So in this case, Bugsy’s caption might read something like this:
“The Wheel Bug (Arilus cristatus), a large member of the Assassin Bug family, is a formidable insect predator capable of consuming prey many times larger than itself. When handled, its powerful bite is considered to be more painful than a bee sting.”
Accurate, descriptive captions help to give our nature photos definition. Whether we enjoy shooting bugs, flowers, wild mushrooms, or whatever…just like us, our subjects all have great stories to tell.
Shooting Your Bug:
As determined aficionados quickly learn, consistently achieving high quality insect imagery in the field is as demanding as it gets. Among the challenges typically incurred, environmental issues rank highest among those which must be constantly addressed and overcome. Harsh light, deep shade, gusty winds, temperature extremes…you name it. Mother Nature seems indelibly intent upon protecting her own by launching her arsenal of weaponry at the would-be demon photographer, who’s sole malice is attempting to procure a few pictures.
For the nature photographer, pitted against so formidable an opponent as Mother Earth, unraveling Nature’s trials and successfully addressing her tribulations represents points scored. More often than not, these acquired victories prove to be the most rewarding aspects of the game.
Field Challenge 5:
It’s a cool, early fall pre-dawn as Bugsy awakes from a sound sleep. He hurriedly packs his photography gear and steers his car toward the highway.
His early start was definitely pre-planned. Having listened to the weather forecast the night before, he knew that his morning of photographing insects would be short lived. He was aware that by mid-morning, he could expect a sunny, breezy day to develop. The forecast conditions would then prevail throughout most of the daylight hours.
His early start pays off and he arrives at his favorite meadow just as the first light of day is beginning to break. The pre-dawn air is comfortably cool and still. Given the clear sky and overnight chill, Bugsy knows what to expect. The typically active insects he will be seeking to photograph that morning will be completely motionless…frozen in time, in temporary hibernation. He knows that the time of suspended animation will be limited, and that the magic would end as the morning sun rises and ascends into the sky.
At that time, his immobile subjects would awaken. Tiny bodies, warmed by the rising sun, would be reborn and the once dormant insects would resume their normal business of hopping from flower to flower.
Bugsy quickly assembles his macro gear and begins searching. The first thing he notices is that a heavy dew had developed. This was great news. Not only would the cool moisture prolong the warming process and extend his morning shoot, but he would have the added bonus of capturing his
little critters encased in dewdrops, as though draped in glistening blankets of liquid pearls. It was perfect. He takes full advantage of the prime conditions prevalent within those first few precious hours of his day as he silently, but methodically approaches and photographs multitudes of minuscule, latent life forms.
As our intrepid photographer demonstrates, getting an early start is synonymous with a consistent rate of success in Nature’s playgrounds Those first few hours of daylight typically provide a lion’s share of opportunities for the early riser. Calm winds and immobile subjects allow the photographer to utilize multi-second exposures in natural light. Best of all, when dormant, typically active and skittish bugs can be successfully approached to within inches for those intimate close-ups that all macro photographers crave.
Shooting Tip…Morning light is cool. Prior to sunrise, a “Shade” WB Setting (8000-8300 K) produces better results. Once the actual sunrise occurs, re-setting the WB to “Sunlight” (5200 K), will accentuate the warm, amber light illuminating the subjects.
Around an hour after sunrise is the time to pick up the pace and shoot quickly. Soon, the light will be harsh and unforgiving, the bugs will awaken, the wind will begin to blow, and the insect photographer’s tactical strategies will need to be drastically modified.
Field Challenge 6:
Meanwhile, back in the meadow…
The sun had risen and, as promised, a steady breeze had begun. It had been a productive morning and, even though his phase of long exposures in natural light had nearly ended, Bugsy was not yet ready to call it quits.
The bumblebees were the first to awaken from their overnight slumber and were busily buzzing about in search of nectar. Although the weather was getting warmer by the minute, many of the meadow’s other insect inhabitants were still fast asleep. For Bugsy, approaching the tiny creatures remained relatively easy, but incessant breezes made natural light photography increasingly more difficult. The delicate plant stems throughout his meadow swayed to and fro.
Bugsy’s attentive eye spots a colorful leafhopper a few feet off of the ground, contentedly resting on the suspended leaf of a delicate shrub. He feels that the natural light illuminating the subject would be challenging to utilize, but the light seems far too flattering to ignore. The tiny hopper appears complacent and cooperative, but there’s an obstacle which must be overcome. Its fragile perch is persistently swinging in the breeze.
Knowing that the motion of the flimsy plant will severely compromise his ability to use a long exposure to capture his discovery in natural light, the photographer has two choices to consider. He could either completely abandon that satisfying natural illumination and use electronic flash to freeze the leaf’s motion, or he could attempt to stabilize the main stem of the shrub enough to inhibit its erratic gyrations. He opts for Plan B.
Momentarily putting his camera and tripod aside, Bugsy reaches into his gear bag and removes his home-made stabilizing kit, which consists of nothing more than three lengths of pre-fabricated coat-hanger wire with tiny alligator clips attached.
He plunges the open ends of the thin metal wires into the ground in triangular formation around the base of the plant and uses the clips to secure the wires together. Then, trying not to spook the tiny bug into flight, he delicately attaches one of the clips to the plant stem just below the leafhopper’s position. With the swaying foliage now stabilized and motionless, he maneuvers his tripod-mounted camera into position.
Before taking his shots, Bugsy notices a bit of glare emanating from the leaf of the shrub, upon which his leafhopper lies in waiting. He realizes that, with the sun at his back, the glare from the leaf is very pronounced. He re-positions his tripod and camera to shoot from a different angle and the glare is minimized, but not fully eliminated. Realizing that any visible glare will appear as a distraction, he reaches into his back pocket to remove his portable diffuser.
Momentarily setting the diffuser aside, he extends his macro bellows to enlarge the tiny hopper and composes his scene with its closest eye dead-center within the frame.
With his lens aperture wide open, Bugsy critically focuses on the center portion of that nearest eye. At such extreme magnification, he imagines what his bug might be thinking as it is looking back at him.
Once a critical focus point is established, he re-composes, selects a shooting aperture setting of f-16 to attain appropriate depth of field, and he meters the scene. To allow for the light which will later be lost due to his intended use of the diffuser, he compensates by setting his shutter speed one stop slower than his meter recommends.
One last glance through the viewfinder verifies that his focus and composition are true. With the lens stopped down to its shooting aperture, the viewfinder has grown considerably darker but he notices a distracting element. A single blade of grass close to the front of the lens is carefully removed.
Finally, with everything set, he engages the timer on his camera and presses the shutter. During the five second delay from the timer, the photographer quickly holds up the diffusion material between the sun and his subject…casting a diffused shadow over his entire composition. The timer runs out, the shutter opens and closes, and Bugsy is rewarded with a perfect macro exposure.
Some valuable lessons can be learned from this photographer’s field challenge:
#1--Stabilizing delicate plants helps to inhibit their movement, resulting in sharper, natural light images.
#2--Harsh glare can be controlled by shifting the camera position and/or utilizing some form of diffusion.
#3--Using the camera’s timer permits hands-free activation of the shutter…an action which not only minimizes camera movement, but permits free reign to fine-tune the exposure with a diffuser, reflector, or other hand-held device.
#4--Critically focusing on a key element should be performed with the lens aperture at its widest setting. Stopping down the lens after focusing increases depth of field.
#5--Focusing on the eyes of any subject defines its character, and guarantees that the primary point of interest within the frame is sharpest.
#6--Making one final check on composition and focus helps to divert disaster.
We should break down and examine these six key elements in greater detail, since they represent plausible solutions to many of the pitfalls we, as macro photographers, encounter every day.
#1 As we know, in extreme macro, everything is amplified…especially subject movement. Trying to compose and focus upon a subject that’s doing the tango is as frustrating as it gets. When we delve into extreme, greater than life-size reproductions with extension tubes or a macro bellows, effectively managing subject movement becomes one of our greatest challenges. Attempting to photograph moving subjects in natural light always results in poorly composed, blurry images.
Stabilizing delicate plant stems really helps to control those subject gyrations.
The stabilizers described earlier are simple to make. Small alligator clips are pinched onto the ends of three lengths of coat hanger wire (18” to 24”). A small wrap of electrical tape around base of the clips secures them to the ends of the wires…and that’s it. Once assembled, they are easily transported inside a tripod bag. These simple home-made devices allow us to inhibit the unvarying gyration of low-lying, wind driven plants and shrubs as we prolong our natural-light shooting time into mid-morning and beyond.
To minimize movement of taller shrubs and tree branches requires much more elaborate stabilizing tools and techniques, such as meticulously wedged forked sticks found at the scene, or by utilizing some form of tripod/clamp system.
This dragon was photographed with an extended bellows in natural light. A flexible clamp, attached to the tripod, stabilized its gently swaying Aspen perch during an 8 second exposure.
It’s important to reiterate that, in extreme macro…ANY subject movement during a natural light exposure will result in a blurry image.
#2 Reflected glare is another nightmare typically encountered on those sunny days afield. As Bugsy described, a shift of the camera angle will help to diminish those hot spots.
Shooting Tip…Position your thumb and forefinger into an “L” shaped right angle. Point your thumb at the sun and shoot in the direction your forefinger is pointing. This will be the direction where reflected glare is least prevalent.
This simple Rule of Thumb (*) applies to any situation where reflected glare is a compromising issue. Applying diffusion also helps to minimize hot spots and soften shadows. By implementing these two processes together, reflected glare can often be completely obliterated.
#3 As mentioned earlier, everything is exponentially amplified when we are shooting close. Camera-shake accounts for the majority of our blurred macro exposures…even when we use our tripods. The act of releasing the shutter on a natural light exposure should always be performed hands-free by using the timer, with the mirror locked up.
Activating the shutter within the most critical ranges is best performed in Exposure Delay Mode. This camera setting will flip the mirror up when the release button is pressed. The shutter opens a second or two later to expose the scene, then the mirror flips back down. (If your camera does not have this feature, similar results can be achieved by utilizing a wired or wireless remote triggering device while the mirror is locked up.)
...but what constitutes “critical range”?
Did you know that at 1/15-second, due to mirror slap alone, your tripod-mounted camera moves during the entire exposure? Well, it’s true. Tests have proven this. When shooting in macro, any shutter speed from 1/60 second and slower should be considered as critical range for camera-shake related movement. Unfortunately for the extreme macro photographer, just about every natural light, low ISO exposure will fall within that critical range. And to make matters worse, camera movement is compounded further when we extend our lens with extension tubes or on a bellows.
We incessantly invest our fortunes on the best equipment and the sharpest lenses, but we insist upon pressing our camera shutters with fumbling fingers. We then wonder why our pictures always seem so soft. More often than not, it’s our technique which is to blame. Just as in super-telephoto applications, when we delve into extreme macro photography in natural light, activating the shutters on our cameras hands-free should definitely become our default initiative.
#4 In extreme macro, everything is amplified. (…haven’t we heard this before?)
The further we extend our lens away from the sensor, the more perceptible our lack of apparent depth of field becomes. In extreme macro (greater than life-size renditions of 3X and beyond), our DOF is literally measured in microns. Most true macro lenses will sport aperture rings which range from f-2.8 to f-32. Unfortunately, optical lab tests have determined that no lens will perform optimally at either aperture extreme. Their “sweet spot”, where critical sharpness is best, typically occurs somewhere in the middle of the aperture scale, between f-5.6 and f-11. This is bad news for the serious macro photographer, aspiring to ensure that the most important elements of the image are as sharp as a tack…while also attempting to squeeze out as much depth of field as possible. As macro photographers, we understand that we must stop down our lenses far enough to give our renditions distinctness and compositional integrity, but as usual, we are coerced into compromise. We also require the primary points of interest in our photographs to be as sharp as our equipment will allow.
During this Field Challenge, Bugsy meticulously focused the scene with his lens wide open. He then, stopped his lens down to shoot his leafhopper subject at f-16...even though his lens aperture had the capability of stopping down two stops further. He chose to sacrifice those few millimeters of apparent focus deeper into the frame, but he rewarded himself by squeezing out a little more critical sharpness on his primary point of interest. His chosen aperture setting brought him just a little closer toward the sweet spot of his macro lens, where he knew that it would perform better.
#5 The character and disposition of life is perceived through one’s eyes. Even in the simplest of life-forms, this axiom holds true. The eyes of our subjects should always be principal focal points in our photographs. Our photographer’s choice to follow this cardinal rule was to ensure that the closest eye of his leafhopper was the sharpest part of the entire composition.
If the eye is in focus,…the rest of the frame can fall where it may.
#6 During that “final check” before taking his photo, our photographer noticed and promptly removed a distracting element, which would likely have ruined his photo. A single blade of grass close to the lens was virtually invisible when Bugsy was focusing his lens on the eye of the leafhopper. With the aperture wide open, the extremely shallow depth of field allowed his lens to literally “focus around” the intruder. It was only as he was stopping down the lens to his shooting aperture that he noticed the grass…still out of focus, but clearly visible as a hazy goblin running right through the center of the frame.
It’s also quite possible that the photographer was so enamored by the situation that he became temporarily blinded to what was an obvious flaw in his composition. In all facets of photography, it’s always wise to take a step back and double-check the entire frame prior to shooting. More often than not, that final check will reveal something distracting which may have been missed during the initial composition.
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105 mm Macro Lens with Bellows
2 Second Exposure in Natural Light
Capturing Behavior and Species Interaction
The insect kingdom is a mystical, beguiling world of battles, conflicts and exchanges. As nature photographers, we enjoy the benefit of having front row seats to witness these interactions...like the ones below:
This brief fracas between a Black-spotted Prominent caterpillar and a crab spider lasted only a few seconds. The charismatic prominent was the primary focus of attention. It was a cooperative subject, which allowed for many macro photographs from different angles of perspective, as well as experimentation with different background materials (..like this piece of blue poster board).
During the entire photo session with the caterpillar, the spider was obliviously resting on the other side of the twig…out of the frame.
Suddenly, as if on cue, the arachnid sprang to life, hustled across the twig and seemed intent upon stealing the show.
The crab spider began “fighting” with the much larger caterpillar. A one point during the battle, the cantankerous crab hopped onto the prominent’s back. The caterpillar responded by swinging its head around like a mace, sending the invader airborne.
The spider hung briefly on a strand of silk, as if regaining its composure, then scrambled up its silken lifeline to resume the battle.
When the fight was over, both combatants were unharmed and went their separate ways.
(…so I guess we can call it a draw?)
An adult Entylia carinata Treehopper stands guard over its brood of offspring
...as an ant looks on.
E. carinata ranks among the tiniest of known treehopper species. While variable in color, the defining “notch” on its carapace is this creature’s identifying attribute. They appear in life as minuscule specs…barely visible to the naked eye. At first glance, they are often dismissed as tiny fragments of dead leaf material. When enlarged beyond life-size, their true identity is revealed.
The little drama pictured above was captured with a macro lens on a fully-extended bellows, at a magnification of around 3.4X. The entire frame comprised less than a half-inch.
Red-humped Oakworms (Symmerista canicosta)
Through research, I learned that some species of caterpillars weave delicate threads of elasticized material...which they use to attach themselves to their perch, as well as to each other. This interactive, group behavior helps prevent the cluster from falling out of the tree during inclement weather.
(...fascinating stuff!)
A unfortunate pair of Saddleback Caterpillars infested with Braconid Wasp larvae
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A female Wolf Spider carries her young around on her back...protecting them until they are able to fend for themselves.
Capturing natural behavior ranks highest among all nature photographers aspirations. Unless you’re an entomologist, intent only upon documenting species for identification, it
benefit’s the photographer (and his audience) to portray a subject that’s involved in some form of interaction or activity. It pays to be cognizant of what’s going on within a macro scene because a behavioral scenario could develop in an instant…and end even quicker.
A Peek at What's Next
The final installment to this Macro Series is interactive I list my Top 25 Macro Photography Tips...and include a provision for readers to add a few of their OWN tips to the list
It should be a lot of fun!
© Bob Cammarata 2015
bobcammarata.blogspot.com
No portion of this material may be copied or used without permission
*(Thanks to outdoor writer/photographer Lefty Kreh for the "Rule of Thumb")
Go To Part 6 of this Series
*(Thanks to outdoor writer/photographer Lefty Kreh for the "Rule of Thumb")
Go To Part 6 of this Series
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