Belly Crawling for Conservation

A few years ago I became fixated on one simple, elegant statement in Piotr Naskrecki’s landmark book, The Smaller Majority. Simply put, the author writes that 99% of life on planet earth is smaller than a human finger with most being smaller than a fingernail. This immediately sent my head spinning. I looked out onto my backyard and began to wonder what might be out there to discover, photograph and share with the world. It didn’t take me long to realize that even in an area with a temperate climate such as where I live, this statement inevitably holds true. As a macro photographer, my obsession with insects, plants and other small creatures suddenly found a renewed sense of purpose.

Considering humankind’s obsession with discovery, it surprises me that more photographers aren’t as obsessed with macro photography as I am. What other discipline of nature photography offers so much in terms of an opportunity to make fresh new imagery, which may in fact, also represent behaviors and species completely new to science? Going a step further, these images can also make a tremendous contribution to conservation due to the well-documented fact that invertebrates and other small creatures are tremendously important to the well-being of every eco-system in the world.
The July-August 2010 issue of Audubon Magazine contained a fascinating article on the All Taxa Biological Inventory (ATBI) project currently being conducted in The Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Due to the variety of species being found and its inherit biological richness, the article compares the GSMNP to the tropics. Kevin FitzPatrick, a photographer and iLCP member who has spent the last several years working for the ATBI recently shared with me that researchers believe that they have discovered an estimated 1,000 new species in the park over the past 10 years. What else is out there waiting to be discovered is anybody’s guess but most believe that this is only the tip of the iceberg.

I’ll leave you with this: What if every major nature photography “star” decided to focus their cameras on their own backyards over the span of a year? Can you imagine the incredible new insights and imagery of our natural world which would result from such an experiment? All of us who have a passion for nature and photography should be out getting our knees and elbows dirty from time-to-time. There is so much to see with such little investment if we can only slow down, and change our perspective. It will change the way that you see the world.

Wide-Angle Macro: The Nuts & Bolts.

Many of you may remember several posts that I wrote this past summer on Wide-Angle Macro Photography. Well, for those interested in really learning the nuts and bolts of this technique, I would highly recommend that you follow this series of articles by my friend Paul Harcourt Davies. Paul –a master of wide-angle macro– will be going through how to create these amazing images in great depth. Do check it out if you want to learn more.

My Quest for Wide-Angled Macro Continues

I am continuing to refine my wide-angled macro technique. Some of you may be saying "enough of the wide-angled posts already!" Fair enough, I suppose, but if I'm going to air my dirty laundry –AKA the good, the bad and the ugly images that come from trying something new– you may just have to bear with me for a little longer as a small favor. I'm hoping that by revealing the process that I'm working through, you may be inspired to push your own personal boundaries as well. I'd love to hear more of your thoughts on this developing series.

I think that I'm beginning to attain a better balance between the foreground and background lighting with these. I'm also getting better at adjusting the lighting to alter mood as shown in the Veronica's Looking Glass (purple flowers). One thing that is faulty with this round of images is that (you might've noticed) the subjects have a bit of an outline on them. This is because I'm using a rear-curtain flash setting (a good thing) but the shutter-speed / flash duration are slightly under & over what they should be, ideally. Otherwise, things are looking better by my estimation. Now if I can just get these subjects to stay still...plants included!

In-Your-Face Macro Photography

With a new wide-angle lens (Nikkor 18-35mm zoom), and a couple of new flashes (Nikon SB-900 and SB-600), I’ve been having a great time refining my wide-angle macro photography technique. Until now, I had been relying on ambient light and very long exposures to make wide-angle shots in this ein. Although there are a few pioneering macro photographers who have used this technique very well –Mark Moffett, Piotr Naskrecki, for example– the implementation takes some time to refine and the settings really vary based on what gear you choose to use. There are a few different ways to make this style of macro work and personal preferences vary.

Although it is common to use a ring-flash for macro-photography, I prefer to use the more flexible Nikon speedlights (just about any variable setting off-camera flashes will do) because they allow me to be more creative in terms of how I light each scene. I have also found that, because of the reflective nature of some species, it is nice to be able to pull the light source further back to reduce highlights. One of the downsides to using the larger ‘strobes’ is that they can be heavy. Because I hand hold the camera gear, this weight can make it somewhat difficult to remain steady and keep within the very limited area of sharp focus that is inherent in macro-photography. However, this isn’t that big of a deal because the flash is firing at such a rapid rate (and set at rear-curtain) that the image usually comes out sharp. The question is: Which part of the subject is sharp? Sharp grasshopper eyes are usually preferred to sharp grasshopper knees!

The minimal working distance can be threatening to more timid species so field-craft and an understanding of animal behavior is really required. Some species feel more comfortable if approached slowly, while others are best approached in a rapid fashion followed up with sudden stillness. This is where experimentation and research come into play. Once you get close to subject, you then have to throw composition into the whole juggling act. I don’t believe that the image above is exactly an amazing photograph but I like the direction that it is going in. This theatrical, in your face, and well-lit approach to macro photography is really appealing to me in a storybook kind of way and I’m having a great time exploring the possibilities.

Small in the Frame

In recent months, I have become really intrigued by images which feature wildlife that has been positioned 'small in the frame.' Coupled with a shallow depth of field, I find that this approach often makes for interesting imagery with a very zen-like vibe. While I am certainly a fan of extreme macro close-ups (check-out some of the cool stuff that Alex Wild is posting over at Photo-Synthesis right now), I also enjoy stepping back and just letting the subject breathe from time-to-time. When all of the pieces meld together, the final result can often be at once, bold, subtle and poetic.

Froggy Went'a Courtin'

I've really been having a lot of fun experimenting with wide-angle macro photography this spring. Although I'm still striving to get more depth-of-field in my backgrounds, I like the direction that this series is going in. These two photos are of one of the many spring peepers (Hyla crucifer) that have been singing for weeks around the pond behind our place. These very diminutive tree frogs are a perfect subject for my current set-up because they are so very small (max. 1.5" snout to vent) and therefore are able to fall completely within the sharp area of the image.

One of my friends recently commented that these images look fake, or almost like they were made on a set or with post-processing. I must admit that I know what he is alluding to. However to me, this strange juxtaposition of the foreground and background is what makes this technique appealing. I should say that I am, in fact, doing all of this in-camera just in case any of you were wondering as well. The addition of off-camera fill-flash on the subject certainly adds to the surreal quality or 'museum display' feel of the photograph.
I like this approach to macro-photography because it allows the viewer to see some of the subject's environment, which is an important element for natural history photography and certainly something that is quite often lacking in macro imagery.

Water-Striders | sredirtS-retaW

I recently spent an entire morning photographing, and finding myself mesmerized by, a group of water striders in a nearby creek. I hadn't intended to photograph these gravity-defying members of the 'true bug' family but as I peered through my lens, I discovered a scene that reminded me something out of the movie 'Tron'–minus the black lights.

Major battles were waged between rival males that included surprise attacks and retreats, mating pairs chasing away other pairs and placid moments where couples would stand still on the mirror-like surface of the water. Who knew that a group of bugs that I had mostly taken for granted all of my life were living so vigorously? The lesson that I was once again reminded of was that great beauty and action worth photographing, and more importantly protecting, literally exists all around us. I look forward to filling up more memory cards on this species in the near future.

Technical Note: I used a 300 mm lens with a 27.5mm extension tube to get me as close to the scene as possible without frightening the insects.

Blog of the Week: Myrmecos

This post marks the beginning of a new series for Natural Imagery called "Blog of the Week." I wanted to use this series to call special attention to sites that inspire me and those that should hopefully be of interest to any one reading this post.

The first slot goes to Myrmecos, a blog by biologist and photographer Alex Wild which explores all things 'ants.' Myrmecos was included in my Top Ten Macro Photography Blogs post several months ago but I wanted to highlight it one more time. There are three reasons that I really enjoy this blog: 1.) The photography is really great; nice, clean, and technically superb. 2.) I've learned a lot about ants reading this blog 3.) Mr. Wild does a great job of regularly posting a mix interesting info and humor; a rare mix in the entomological realm.

I hope that you'll check out this excellent blog when you have a moment.