I am resting on the sofa today after getting up really early for 3.5 hours of hockey before it got too ridiculously hot, so I figured I should make another post. I continued scanning through my photos from the Kanawha State Forest in WV. So far, this set has produced posts about a Gorgone Checkerspot Butterfly, my current favorite unidentified green spider, and Apheloria virginiensis millipedes.

Today, I stumbled across this photo that I have overlooked several times already and really don't remember taking...

Technical Data: Canon EOS 7D, Tamron 180mm f/3.5 Di SP LD 1:1 Macro, 1/25 sec at f/11.3. ISO 200. Dolica AX620B100 tripod. No post production. Kanawha State Forest, Charleston, WV.

Why This Photo: Honestly. this is basically a one-off photo. I have one other shot of this moth, but I either didn't get much of a chance to or didn't want to spend much time with this subject.

What Works: The biggest thing that struck me with this photo is its simplicity. There is basically just the main subject and nothing else to distract you from it. Yet the photo isn't flat - the blurred background still holds enough to keep (at least my) interest.

What Doesn't Work: Focus is sharp, but it is either slightly forward of where it should be, or I needed a slightly wider depth of field. If you check the full-size version, the head and antennae of the moth are blurred. Kind of minor, but it sure would make a better photo. Also, it would have been nice if I could have gotten the face of the moth in the photo - but sometimes that's easier said than done.

Oftentimes, that one-off photo turns out to be a really nice photo. And many times, simpler is better.

And then there's that whole luck factor... ;)

- Bill

First, if you have not yet seen the previous posts from this series, you should definitely check them out! The first post has a butterfly shot, and the second post in the series has my current favorite spider photo! Some really awesome stuff you don't want to miss.

I've been wanting to find a millipede to photograph for some time now. As we started our first photo hike through the Kanawha State Forest I quickly saw one of these black and gold millipedes - I have yet to find a common name for them, and doubt everyone will want me to call them Apheloria virginiensis repeatedly. Though I could... a couple years of owning and operating a tropical fish store and hatchery has gotten me pretty fluent with scientific names.

After spotting one, it became quite easy to find many more - they were almost everywhere. I spent multiple attempts trying to capture a good image of one of these guys to little avail. I quickly had to reassess my impression of millipedes as slow and cumbersome critters. These little buggers could sure run - it was pretty difficult to get good focus.

But I tried...

... and tried and tried and tried some more.

Which is why I'm not going to really critique any of these shots. I basically feel at best all I managed was either a record shot or worse - a poorly focused record shot. I spent so much effort trying to track these guys as they ran along the ground, and whenever they did stop I couldn't get them at a good angle to produce a nice photograph (and trying to adjust anything around them - like moving a stick or leaf - caused them to start running again).

With their bright markings, we were pretty cautious about disturbing them too much and didn't want to handle them at all, and it turns out that was a very good idea since they are reported to secrete a cyanide compound as a defense, that while not necessarily deadly would have caused a lot of discomfort and possible injury. In general, remember that bright markings on insects and other animals can often indicate that it is poisonous.

So that will be the lesson for today's photos - have a healthy respect for your subject. Whether for your own safety or for the better well-being of the subject, keep that respect at the forefront of your mind - ahead of even getting that prized image. Especially if you are not familiar with your subject, such as this case, remember to give your subject its space and only observe, and you'll be fine. You might have to go back later to try for another shot later, but there are much worse possibilities.

- Bill

If you haven't read the first post from our Kanawha State Forest trip, check it out here.

This is the first of several shots of the same species of spider (I haven't been able to identify it yet) I took while wandering around the Kanawha State Forest outside Charleston, WV.

We saw this spider on our first day there, and I got several shots I liked, but still went back for more on Sunday. I found the same three spiders in the same locations and took a bunch more shots. Specifically one of the things I went back for was a vertically oriented photograph, and this is probably my favorite one from the set.

Technical Data: Canon EOS 7D, Tamron 180mm f/3.5 Di SP LD 1:1 Macro, 1/130 sec at f/3.5. ISO 200. Dolica AX620B100 tripod. No post production. Kanawha State Forest, Charleston, WV.

Why This Photo: I really wanted a vertical shot of this spider, so I specifically went back to capture an image like this.

What Works: Focus is pretty sharp. I like the diagonal orientation of the spider within this vertical shot. And though I didn't specifically try for it, the background produces a nice frame around the spider within the frame of the shot, and very faintly keeps the web in the shot towards the bottom while also making the spider appear to be floating in mid-air.

What Doesn't Work: Unfortunately, to achieve the focus I did, I had to use a wide aperture which causes the spider's legs to not be in focus while the body is in focus. And the one tip of the leg on the right side of the frame just barely breaks the right of the edge of the image.

I have some more photos of these spiders to share later, but drop me a comment and let me know what you think of this one.

Thanks for stopping by.

- Bill

Anya and I took a trip down to Charleston, WV this past weekend, and so I spent two days taking photographs in Kanawha State Forest. The first day we spent roughly two hours walking just a 0.25 mile trail.

We saw tons of things to photograph because I had our Tamron 180mm Macro lens set on the camera. We spent the entire time looking for tiny critters to photograph - things from butterflies, to frogs, to millipedes, and spiders... tiny flowers, mushrooms, and even some strange wild dwarf strawberries.

Anya really is a great spotter. I love being out on photo excursions with her. She finds a subject for me, then wanders ahead to find another while I set up shop and take some photos. She really helps with my patience to move slower through an area and look at things much more closely - definitely helpful when you're out for macro shots.

Technical Details: Canon EOS 7D, Tamron 180mm f/3.5 Di SP LD 1:1 Macro, 1/100 sec at f/7. ISO 200. Dolica AX620B100 tripod. No post production. Kanawha State Forest, Charleston, WV.

Why This Photo: We had just hopped out of the truck, and gotten started. There were butterflies all over the place, so what better subject to get started with. Butterflies are incredibly elusive, but so rewarding when you manage to get a good crisp shot.

What Works: I like the soft background of this photo, with enough detail to not be bland and boring. The framing is nice - I had another shot that was slightly crisper in focus, but the edge of the wing got clipped off - this shot has the entire butterfly in the shot, and nicely offset to keep things interesting.

What Doesn't Work: The focus is just the slightest bit soft on the eyes of the butterfly (but you have to look at the full size version to really notice). Additionally, I failed to hit that perfect time when the both wings were parallel to the camera's sensor to produce both wings in focus - this isn't as huge of a deal in my opinion, but a shot with both wings crisp would be worth so much more. And finally, I wish the butterfly had been oriented in a more upright position as opposed to this downward facing direction - but beggars can't be choosers (at least not yet).

Researching more on this butterfly to find the species (Chlosyne gorgone) showed that they are only reported to live in that specific county in WV where the Kanawha State Forest is. They live plenty of other places in the country, but I just happened to get lucky with this one in that area.

They by far were the most abundant butterflies in the park, and were definitely the most cooperative to photograph. I'll have another shot of one that I shot later that day that literally let me move around it and inch closer and closer as if it could care less. I'll share that photo later, I promise.

What do you think of this shot? Maybe compare it to this one to the right which is the one I mentioned that the wing tip got cropped out (darn constantly moving subjects combined with a gentle breeze!).

Leave me a comment and give me a little critique.

And stay tuned as I have many more photos to share from this outing.

- Bill

So after I bought my Sigma 150-500mm f/5-6.3 lens, I decided that the cheapie tripod we had just wasn't cutting it.

I spent several weeks searching and comparing and debating and pricing various tripods. I gathered advice from several different people to try and figure out what I should buy. I was all set to spend $300+ on a tripod and ballhead combination, when unfortunately, I hit some surprise expenses that have dried up my camera equipment budget for a while.

Then my friend Tom showed me this tripod:

I won't even begin to tell you this tripod compares to some of the other tripods I was looking at. It really doesn't (well, I don't think it does, but I guess I can't say for sure since I've never gotten to work with some of those expensive ones). I did get the chance to borrow Tom's Dolica AX620B100 62-Inch Proline Tripod and Ball Head.

However, considering you can get this combination for $39.99 from Amazon.com, it really makes a strong argument. Especially in my situation where budget becomes a major factor...

There are definitely pros and cons to this tripod, so after working with it for the weekend, let me give you my somewhat lengthy impression of it.

Pros:

Alright! So it is time to unveil some of the improvements I've been trying to get working for some time.

I've figured out a way to associate a thumbnail image with posts. So now when I make a post to discuss a photograph, I can also attach a thumbnail of that image to the posts.

Now, with those thumbnails I've created two new features - Table of Contents and the Random Images to the right. The thumbnail images provide links back to the original post where the photo was discussed.

Oddly enough I had been trying to figure this out for months to no avail, but finally asked for some help on the Drupal IRC channel and was directed to a perfect solution. It really restores my opinion of Drupal's ability to produce some really impressive websites.

Check out the new features and let me know what you think. I still have some small edits I want to make to the way they are displayed, but the functionality should be the same (unless I get a lot of requests for additional features of course).

- Bill

This photo recently received honorable mention in one of the Photographic Section's digital competition and qualified for year-end judging.

Technical Data: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT, Tamron 180mm f/3.5 Di SP LD 1:1 Macro, 1/2 sec at f/3.5. ISO 400. Sharpened in Photoshop Elements 8.0. Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, Columbus, OH.

Why This Photo: I've always liked emerald boas and other arboreal snakes. The posture of these snakes as they bask on their coils on three branches is always interesting to me. Finally, I intentially focused on the heat sensory pits instead of on the eyes for a different look at things.

What Works: The sharp focus on the heat pits gives a new look at things, and the softened eyes still keep your attention. The catch-lights on the eyes and scales are a nice touch too.

What Doesn't Work: The section of the body in the bottom right that is out of focus is somewhat distracting, but the framing of the shot prevents it from being cropped out. Also, there appears to be a tiny bit of a double image on the eye - probably from the long exposure.

What do you think? Leave me a comment and let me know...

- Bill

PS: I continue to slowly make progress on those site improvements I talked about. Hopefully I'll have something to demo soon.

So I stumbled on this site today, and found this project created by the New York Times.

The project is called A Moment in Time. Basically the premise was to create a huge virtual gallery of photos all taken at the same moment around the globe - 15:00 U.T.C., Sunday, May 2.

The post here goes into more detail about the project.

As the application loads, it very aptly gives you the warning to 'not make any plans for the rest of the day'.

Enjoy!

- Bill

PS: Sorry about the low frequency of posts recently. I've been working on the site more recently, but all on behind the scenes stuff. I'm not going to go into details in case I'm unable to make the stuff I want to do work out.

Ok - so the posting frequency doesn't seem to be getting much better. I promise to continue trying to get better about that. Heck - I haven't even had much chance to get out and use the camera much either - something I definitely need to remedy.

This is another photo I was hoping to save for use later, but I really need something to get me going.

In one of my photography magazines, I had read about a technique called light painting. There are two forms of light painting - using a light source outside of the scene to 'paint' a section of the scene to highlight it, and using a light source within the scene to 'paint' the air to have a type of graffiti appear in the image.

I decided to try the former. By using different colored lights to highlight your subject, you can change its color dramatically...

Back in November, I went on a hiking trip on a section of the Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail with some good friends.

While we spent the night at one of the adirondacks, I tried my hand at some nighttime long exposure photography and light painting. After taking a fair amount of good-natured kidding from my buddies about the extra weight I was lugging in camera gear for the hike, the photos I got really made it worth while.

Technical Data: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT, Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 II at 18mm, Unknown manual exposure length at f/5.6, ISO 1600. No post production. Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail.

Why This Photo: I really wanted to try my hand at light painting, after a few other attempts that were coming out very nicely, I thought the blue light on the outside of the shelter contrasted with the red glow from the fire inside the shelter would do a great job of illustrating the cold weather (though it was unseasonably warm for November) with the warmth of the shelter.

What Works: For being basically a first attempt, this turned out well. I like the contrast of the red and blue lighting. Additionally, you can just start to make out the stars in the background.

What Doesn't Work: The framing isn't perfect as I think this might work better if the shelter were more off-center. I also should have selected a much lower ISO for this long of an exposure to help reduce any digital noise.

Surprisingly, this was a lot easier than you would think. Remember your tripod, and a remote shutter release is helpful (or use your timer delay, but that won't work for manual exposure lengths). Try different combinations - I'll share a photo later where I used red and blue lights to paint something purple!

I thought for sure I would end up with a bunch of junk photos, but a couple of these are among my favorite photos. Unfortunately, I have never made a point of heading back out to make some more of these photos.

Maybe it is time to schedule another hiking trip.

- Bill

Sorry for the lack of posts recently. I've had some stuff going on recently that has been messing up my routine.

In the meantime, I've also been looking at purchasing a new tripod. I figure it is time I upgrade to a real tripod that can deal with the camera and lenses I have. Hopefully if I can get a decent tripod, I'll be able to convince myself to use it more often.

I'm hoping to pick up something light - possibly carbon fiber. But one of the problems I keep running into is the maximum height. Being 6'6" tall, I feel I need a pretty large tripod, and those don't come cheap.

I've been looking at the Flashpoint F-2228 tripod. For a carbon fiber tripod that holds up to 22 lbs, the price is definitely appealing. However, the specs seem spotty since this is a fairly new tripod. The listed maximum height is 65" which is still a bit low for my preferences, and probably is with the center post extended. Ideally, I'd like a tripod that hits the height I want without extending the center column (but realistically, that's never going to happen).

Additionally, I'd like lever lock legs instead of twist locks. Something light - preferably below five pounds. It needs to support at least eight pounds, but I wouldn't mind something more in the 15-20 range. I've been looking at ballheads as well.

I think part of the problem is that there are so many options out there, and the price range is so great. It is tough knowing whether you're going to get something worthwhile for the price. And though the internet allows for more access to a wider range of options, it isn't easy to make a purchase decision without actually getting to check out the product and see whether the write-up matches the product.

Have any suggestions? I'd love to hear them. Drop me a comment and let me know.

Thanks!

- Bill