Summer: A Photo Essay

Hello! I am properly back this time, I promise. Weekly posting shall resume!

This week, I will be talking about summer nature photography and the concept of a photo essay.

A photo essay  is a series of images that documents an event or tells a story. We often associate photo essays with news photojournalism, but this does not mean they don't apply to nature photography.
What are the keys to a successful photo essay?

1. Set the scene.

In nature photography, we can become myopic about our subject matter. Close animal portraiture is nice, but does not provide any environmental context. A good photo essay should include other elements of the animal's habitat so the viewer can get a complete picture of the story.

By including both macro and scenic shots of the flower beds, I've also introduced some variety into my photographs. Now, the reader immediately has some idea of what this story is going to be about - we are outside, in a garden.

2. Introduce the main characters.

The key measure of success of a photo essay is whether not it portrays a clear story. This is easiest to achieve if you have an idea of what you want to convey before you begin shooting. My story, for example, is going to be about insect life in the heady summertime.

To simplify things a bit for the blog post (I never like to include too many photos - I feel like it becomes overwhelming), I've focused here on grasshoppers. Open, grassy areas are excellent spaces to hunt for grasshoppers, who aren't exactly the most elusive of insects. In addition, their large size makes them an accessible subject matter even to those without dedicated macro lenses. If you want some tips for insect photography, click here.

3. Subplot

If you are doing a series on an animal, it is a good idea to include different behaviors from that species, if possible. It adds more dimension to your story.

Here is a shot of a slant-faced grasshopper doing what grasshoppers do best: eat. Eating is always an interesting behavior to document.

4. Conclusion

This is the part we've been waiting for! What was the point of your story? What happens in the end? This is also the point at which you might urge the viewer to action, or force the viewer to make a decision.

We, of course, know what summer means to insects.

So, what do you think? Have you ever created a photo essay? Does yours include text, or is it only pictures? And do you think that this photo essay was successful? Let me know in the comments below!

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Small Considerations, Creative Photography Tips, and More Wheelbug Photos

Creative Photography Tips

Surprise surprise, I'm back again! This week I'll be talking a bit more about achieving creative insect photographs.
So if you don't like bugs, look away. Because I do. (If you missed it, this article also talks about improving the artistic elements of your photography.)

Wheelbug nymph, late instar

1. See Eye to Eye

Like I've talked about previously in my article, "How to take Great Pet Photographs with a Smart Phone," perspective is important in photography. Particularly when photographing subjects that are shorter than you, it's important to bend down and shoot at eye level. The last time I checked, most insects are shorter than even me, so getting your knees dirty is important here. 

The subject's eye, in clear focus, in a photograph allows the viewer to make "eye contact," and thus feel more connected to or invested in the photograph. If you don't believe me, try it. Do a google search for animal photography. Are you more attracted to photos in which you can clearly see the animal's eyes, or not?

Wheel Bug, late instar nymph

2. Know your diagonals

This is a trick I often see portrait photographers use. To make a static shot more dynamic, tilt your camera and shoot at an angle. The strong diagonal line of the wooden railing in this shot adds drama and movement to a photo that is, quite frankly, otherwise quite boring. The new angle forces the viewer's brain to reevaluate the subject and examine it more closely, resulting in a viewer who is much more engaged with your work.

Also notice here the eye contact the insect is making with the viewer.

Yup, more wheel bugs

3. Patience is a virtue

Particularly in nature photography, some of the most striking images come from simply waiting until something fantastic happens. I followed several of these nymphs along wooden railings through a forested area of a local park. Finally, this scene happened. If you've ever watched a wheel bug, you know that they have quite interesting behaviors. When threatened, they rear up on their hind legs and splay their front two legs out. These two guys (girls?) ran into one another and got startled.

I used the flash in this photo because I realized that I needed a fast shutter speed to freeze the action of the two insects in the setting of the dim woods. As a downside, you can see the "flattening" effect the flash has on subjects - which is why I don't normally use it.

So, what do you think? Will you try any of these tips?

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Thanks for reading!

Little Surprises (Or, why you should always take your camera)

The first problem of photography is locating your subject - and that's what this week's post is about.

As much as is reasonably possible, you should always try to carry your camera with you.

This is because opportunities have a nasty tendency of popping up when you least expect them. A walk around your apartment complex suddenly becomes a photo session; you spy an unusual bird in the walmart parking lot (this has happened to me); your friend brings her adorable puppy to a party, etc. All of these situations make for great photography, but not if you don't have your camera.

Late instar grasshopper

This is the guiding principle of street photography, but we hardly think of it for nature photography. It's as if "nature" has retreated to its own little place in the world, and we can't encounter it unless we go specifically looking. Well, I contend that this is a false notion. Due to encroachment and habitat loss, urban wildlife are becoming more adaptable and more common.

Grasshopper nymph

Of course, as you shouldn't be surprised to hear at this point, insects are the queens of urban animal life. Small and highly adaptable, insect species flourish where other animals are unable to survive. This means that there is likely a whole safari of creatures waiting outside your front door.

...Have you gone to look yet?

Grasshopper nymph

 I wanted to highlight these little grasshopper nymph pictures because I took them in a flower pot outside my apartment door. To clarify, it's not a garden; it's a single flower pot. And it's not even my flower pot. Having my camera on hand whenever I go outside allows me to capture unexpected critters like these. And hey, they look pretty cool, right?

So how about you? Are you glued to your camera, or do you tend to leave it at home?

Insects not your thing? Check out my article on bird photography.

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One Small Square

Continuing my mini-series about insect photography this week, I've decided to talk a little bit about biodiversity. Last week, I wrote about the importance of developing a theme or a purpose for your work. Well, one of my personal themes is to showcase the local biodiversity available within easy reach - right in your backyard, if you will.

Wheel Bug Nymph (as far as I can tell - correct me if you have a better idea!)

This is part of the beauty of insects - they are weird and wonderful, and a lot easier to access than classic "great" subjects of animal photography (eg, lions, elephants, etc). If you haven't spent some time looking at our six-legged neighbors, well, you're missing out. Insects are the most successful group of animals in existence. In fact, there are more species of beetle alone than of any other animal.

Ironically, I don't have any beetles in this post. Whoops.

Why are Insects Important?

Insects are an important group of animals for many reasons. Firstly, they form the base of the food pyramid, supporting small mammals, birds, and reptiles. These smaller vertebrates (insects, as you may recall, are invertebrates) can then support larger predator animals, which, eventually, support us.

Additionally, insects directly support the human population by pollinating most of the fruits and vegetables we enjoy. This is why colony collapse disorder, in honey bees, is such an important issue. If the honey bee disappears completely, the negative impact on our food supply would be catastrophic.

Ok, so I screwed up here also, and didn't manage to include any honey bee images. How about a carpenter bee?

What does this have to do with photography?

As photographers, we have the choice to use our skills to bring awareness to different issues, whether they be social, political, or environmental. Don't be defeatist and think that no one wants to hear your opinion - with photography and other visual arts, you can show people your opinion, and force them to think about current issues. I believe that this is the best use of nature photography, to inspire people toward greater environmental stewardship and engagement.

So what's with the title?

Well, now it's time for you to try a little experiment for yourself (did you try the challenge in last week's post?). You will need a notebook, a macro lens if you have one, your smart phone, or some other device capable of recording what you see. Pick an area of ground - it can be a flower patch, a tree, a stream - and sit. I hope it's a nice day outside where you are! Watch what comes by - fish, mammals, insects - and record them. When's the last time you did something like this? How many species did you find? This is a measure of your local biodiversity, and a reminder that, without your help, it may vanish, forever.

Great Purple Hairstreak

So, what's your passion? Whatever it is, remember that there are many ways you can help forward progressive causes in today's "information age." Don't be silent.

Interested in insects? See my insect photography tips.

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Perspective & Photo Challenge

The Art of photography is just as much a challenge as the Skill of photography. Photography hangs in a strange world, a balance between the vision of the artist and the abilities of the equipment. This is another post about the Art of photography. (You can read my last post about the art of photography here.)

Little bug, big world

One of the struggles of artistic photography is to produce images that are more than just physical documentations of the subject. Sometimes this seems easy, but other times it can be more difficult. This begs the question:

How can I push myself to produce more artistic images?

There are, of course, many answers to this question. One thing I would suggest would be to determine what your goals as a photographer are. What are you trying to convey to the viewer? Are you trying to persuade them, amaze them, terrify them? Or are you trying to capture abstract emotions, melancholy, love, peace? It's up to you, but there's very little chance of achieving your goal if you don't have a clear idea of what it is.

So, besides having a "mission statement" for my work, what else can I do?

Photography is, of course, a visual art. Ergo you must force yourself to produce visually unique and captivating images - you will not be able to achieve your goal if no one wants to look at your work. 

Do this exercise.

I've mentioned this somewhere before, but a great trick to force yourself to expand your visual horizons is to constrain your subject matter. What does that mean? Simple: make yourself take 10 (or 5, or 15, or 20) different images of the same subject.

Dramatic backside view

Challenge yourself to think of different "themes" for each shot, and push yourself to demonstrate different aspects of your subject in each frame. This brief series I've done involves a Reduviid nymph (I believe it is a Wheel Bug but I cannot confirm this). Each picture is distinct in evoking emotion in the viewer, although they were all shot on the same morning, at the same location, of the same insect.

Detailed side view

When I look at these images together, they form a story (for me) about the Wheel Bug nymph. It's small, but is a ferocious predator (look at that vicious proboscis!), and is patterned beautifully. Other people probably look at them and think, "gross, that looks terrifying, why would anyone go near that thing???"

Well, to each her own. If you aren't that person alluded to above, you may want to check out my post on insect photography here.

What do you think about this challenge? Are you going to try it weekend? (If you do and  you upload your photos somewhere, feel free to leave a link in the comments. I'd love to see!)

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By the way:

Entomophilia: Insect Photography Tips

By now, I've spent a lot of time on the blog talking about insects - about how much I like them, what great macro subjects they make, and how beautiful they are. However, I don't actually have a post in which I discuss tips for insect photography, so I thought I would remedy that today.

Hairstreak butterfly

Tip #1: If you haven't already, you may want to read my post on macro photography basics.
This is because, in case you hadn't noticed, insects are small. If you want to capture the intricacies of insect bodies, you will need macro equipment. The basic rules of macro photography apply, of course, regardless of your subject matter. I won't cover these here because they've already been covered, but feel free to post questions if you have any!

Damselfly

Tip #2: Find you some bugs!
Now is an excellent time to find insects. As the weather warms, larvae hatch and adults wake from hibernation. The best time to photograph insects is, unsurprisingly, in the early morning. There are two main reasons for this. Firstly, the light is best in the morning. This should always be your favored shooting time. Secondly, it's coldest in the morning. Okay, okay, I know I just said that now is a great time for insects because it's warming up. However, insects are fast little buggers. It can be very difficult to capture sharp macro images when your subject is buzzing around so quickly you can't even see its wings beating. Shooting in the morning allows you to take advantage of the slowing effects of cold on insects, increasing your chances of getting the shot you want.

Okay, that sounds reasonable, but, where can I find some cool bugs?
Well, if you can't find bugs, you aren't looking! There are more insects on the planet than any other animal. But, I understand that many of us have grown to ignore insects; the literally fly under our radars, out of sight, out of mind. You'll have to break this habit.

Insects can be found in pretty much every habitat there is, but a flower bed can often be the easiest place to start hunting for bugs. Find a spot that you like. It's even better if multiple plant species populate your flower bed - the more species of plants there are, the more species of insects will likely be attracted. You might have to sit for a little while, but soon your brain will start recognizing the multitude of flitting, buzzing, and feeding critters around you. From then on, just hone your awareness.

Skipper Butterfly

Any other advice for photographing insects? As in, how can I avoid getting stung?

Ah, the stinging question! I get it a lot. Truthfully, the vast vast majority of insects are completely harmless. Don't believe me? Pick some up! They're generally pleasant to handle, surprisingly. Of course, some insects do bite and sting - notably bees and wasps. I won't discourage you from trying to photograph these animals, though, as I believe that they are very beautiful.

In fact, bees and wasps (order Hymenoptera) usually won't sting unless they feel threatened or you invade their territory (ie, damage a nest). Granted, if you bump into one accidentally they may think you are attacking them and thus retaliate. So I would recommend keeping relatively still to photograph stinging insects.

Feel free to leave any questions about insect photography below, and, as always, thanks for reading!

(Did you see my previous post on landscape photography with a smartphone?)

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Very Small Rocks: Macro Photography Basics

Macro Photography Basics

Baby reduviid 

You may have noticed that I kinda have a thing for arthropods. Okay, maybe not "kind of", but definitely certainly. Quite frankly, I love bugs. And while I believe that insects are amazing photography subjects, I realize that macro photography is not as intuitive as other forms of nature photography. Firstly, you need specialized equipment (should I do a post on this? Let me know). Secondly, you need to understand the technical hang-ups with macro work. Finally, you need to really like small things.

So what even is macro photography?

There is actually a technical definition of a "macro" lens - it must render the subject with a 1:2 or 1:1 reproduction ratio. In other words, the subject must be at least half as large on the film as it is in real life. Make sense? (Note: Some sources only consider 1:1 ratios to be true 'macro', but I believe that this is nitpicking).

Dew-laden flowers

Okay, so besides being small, what's the difference?

The main technical difficulty of macro photography is learning how to handle the magnification power of the lens. In short, the extreme magnification creates problems for the photographer.

1. Focusing Problems

At very high magnifications, the depth of field becomes very shallow. Thus it is imperative to focus your images carefully. A few millimeters' change in the focal plane can create entirely different images. Pay close attention that your desired subject is actually the point in the frame you are focusing on. I would recommend using manual focus. As a corollary to this tip, a tripod is helpful in ensuring that you don't accidentally twitch and move your subject out of focus.

Hornet Clearwing Moth

You can see in the image above how shallow the depth of field is. Unless this is the look you are going for, I would suggest stopping down to a very small f-stop to maximize your available depth. 

(If the above discussion about depth of field is confusing you, you may want to head over here to read my article about f-stops.)

2. Choosing the Right Subject

I've spoken (and written) before about how I believe there are 3 main components of a good photograph: lighting, subject, and composition. Depending on the type of photography, these individual elements attain greater or lesser importance. For macro photography, I believe that choosing an appropriate subject is paramount.

Parasitized Tobacco Hornworm Caterpillar

You should seek out subjects with interesting patterns, textures, or behaviors. Okay, you say, I'm supposed to be doing that anyway. And that's true -  but the key here is to discover subjects that are not easily appreciated with the naked eye. With the magic of your macro lens, you are transporting the viewer to place she cannot otherwise go. In short, your camera becomes a tool with which to expose a hidden world. In my obvious opinion, insects make wonderful macro subjects, as their bodies are etched with color and detail we rarely notice at our native scale.

Hover fly

3. Lighting Difficulties

Because of the issues discussed in tip #1, macro photographers often stop down very far. This results in little available light to shoot with, and thus blurry images. To combat this problem, many photographers choose to use flash to illuminate their macro images. Personally, I prefer the appearance of natural light in photographs. However, if you like flash - go for it! But don't let anyone try to convince you that you "need" expensive lighting gear to undertake macro photography. None of my images are shot with flash.

Parting words:

So there are a few technical challenges posed by macro photography, but they are not insurmountable, even for beginning photographers. Overall, the same basics of light, subject, composition hold true with this, and any, genre of photography. While equipment can be expensive, there are entry-level devices that can help elevate your images to the realm of small (macro lenses are even available for smart phones now). Would you like me to write a post about macro equipment? Let me know in the comments.

In the meantime, it's insect season again! Get out there, and get CLOSE.

If you're interested, in this article, I talk briefly about finding great insect subjects.

Want to see more tips? Click here to follow me on Tumblr and here to follow me on Bloglovin! Don't forget you can also use the handy sidebar to subscribe via email or RSS feed. Check back next friday for a new post, and thanks for reading.

Evening Walk

It's probably obvious to you, by now, if you've ever picked up a camera, that lighting is important. Many photographers wax poetic about the delicate pre-dawn light that waking up at 5:00 AM affords you. I can't disagree - the morning is beautiful. However, I feel that evening light is under-appreciated. Glowing and golden, it illuminates subjects in dramatic backlight or highlights textures of scale or fur. Plus you don't even have to get up early on your day off.

Taking advantage of the harsh evening light can make for some interesting portraits.

The sun has been blessed with Midas' touch and can charm even the most drab subject into bedazzlement.

Walkingstick - Phasmida

Of course, when working with subjects that are naturally flashy, strong evening light ratchets up their attire to an almost gaudy level. Here, I had to be careful not to overexpose highlights on this Japanese beetle.

Japanese Beetle (invasive)

Unfortunately, this sort of "magic" lighting fades quickly, so if you want to take advantage of it, you'd better work fast!

What's your favorite time of day for photography?
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Sneaky Sneaky

One of the more amusing aspects of nature photography is the quest to locate your subject. Buildings and mountains don't move, you can ask people to pose for you, but if it's animal photography you're after, you must lurk and hunt and wait until the moment arises.
Many animals specialize in avoidance - venom, claws, or camouflage. For the latter group, finding them is, of course, no easy task. At the same time, leaning in for a shot of a flower only to discover a cleverly concealed crab spider can be a delightful (or perhaps alarming) surprise.
Indeed, we strive in many instances to highlight wildlife in photographs. However, for some species, demonstrating their concealment is more appropriate.

Lighting is key in the composition of this photograph. The light reflecting off of the leaf this anole is perched upon allows him to stand out against the green background. This photograph both demonstrates the efficacy of his camouflage and permits the viewer a detailed look at his lizardy form.

When I first came upon this caterpillar, whose texture and color matched the concrete he was walking across almost exactly, I was actually confused. What the heck was that thing booking it across the cement?

Oh, right, a bug.

You know how I love bugs.

At any rate, I am torn between loving and hating this photograph. On the one hand, I find it visually interesting, particularly because photographs essentially never show a caterpillar in motion. On the other hand, it is confusing to look at. The blurred elements of the photograph are almost more prominent than the sharp ones, obscuring, rather than highlighting, the subject. The sharp part of the image, the caterpillar's head, blends in with his background so seamlessly that it is difficult to distinguish them visually. So I'm still on the fence about this one.

What do you think?

A Brief Lesson in Entomology

As a nature photographer, I make it my goal to not only document, but also to learn about the creatures I am photographing. Knowledge engenders respect, and respect is an important element in the photographer - wilderness relationship.
It means that we think about our impact on the landscape, and not simply how we might get the most impressive photograph.
On a smaller scale, I believe that identification of subjects is educational and can sometimes even be of scientific interest. As a friend of mine once said, "I get angry when I don't know the names of things."
Laypeople often feel confused by the myriad of buzzing, crawling, and climbing critters around them and resort to calling them all "bugs."
This is all right if you are pointing to a critter on a flower and exclaiming to your friend, "look at that bug!" But, in the age of the internet, I know many of you will further be uploading images of said bug and would like to title it something accurate and informative. There are several websites which can help you with this, one of them being www.bugguide.net . But I will also try to help. Here is a common mistake:

Many people see this unoffending critter and exclaim, "Bee!" 

But this isn't a bee. This animal isn't even in the same order as a bee. This is a hover fly (order Diptera, for those who are interested).

This, on the other hand, is a honey bee (order Hymenoptera):

Here are a few things to look for:

-eye shape - a fly will have large, broad, flat eyes. A bee's eyes will be generally be smaller and set on the sides of the head

-hair: bees are generally much more fuzzy appearing than flies

-wings: bees actually have four wings, while flies have two (this can be hard to see though, as their wings are clear)

-antennae: bees usually have longer antennae than flies

And here is another kind of bee, a carpenter bee, for comparison:

Again, you can see his hairy body, long antennae, and offset, tall oval-shaped eyes.

I hope this was helpful and, as always, thanks for reading!

Photo info:

Nikon D70 + Sigma 105mm f/2.8 macro lens

Wisdom of the Flowers

I like bugs.
Insects are great subjects for photography because they are unique, exotic, and varied - albeit very small. Their size often necessitates a macro lens to capture their true beauty and detail.
Also, they are accessible.
Many of us nature photographers, myself included, do not have the luxury to jet off to Africa, South America,  or some other locale populated by strange and vibrant megafauna - elephants, monkeys, zebras, leopards - you know.
Bizarre and wonderful insects live in  your backyard. In fact, you can find them even if you don't have a backyard. I found this fellow in a flower pot outside in my apartment complex. I quickly grabbed my camera for a little photoshoot.

He sat rather still for a rather long time, allowing me the luxury of exploring different compositions and depths of field.

I know when I see an animal, particularly one that's flighty, like a bird, come into my viewfinder, I tend to automatically leap to set composition stored away in my brain. Many times, I snap a somewhat generic shot just in time before the critter scurries off. 

But is it worth it?

A still subject allows one the time to think and compose with precision, bringing more creativity into the photographic process. Hopefully this sort of practice will let me have more interesting compositions ready on hand for when the occasion strikes.

I need to stop taking exclusively this picture, basically:

Thanks for reading!

And, as always - get outside people :) Bug season is starting! (At least in the US)

Picture info:
Grasshopper Nymph

Taken with Nikon D70 + Sigma 105mm f/2.8 macro

Hello Hello!

Hi, so this is my second photography blog (you can also follow me at twofeetphoto.tumblr.com).
The main purpose of this blog will be to share my love of nature and the natural world with you. If nothing else, I hope these posts will at least inspire you to take a walk outside and see what you can find!

I'm still figuring out how to use Blogger, so please excuse the mess!