Up Close with Nature

Tropical spiders

2012-01-06T20:15:00.005+08:00

All the spiders you see here were photographed within Malaysia - mostly in the Peninsula. Only a couple of them were photographed in Sabah (East Malaysia, Borneo).

Ant-mimic crab spider, Amyciaea lineatipes, mating! More bugs porn here:D

A male ant-mimic crab spider, Amyciaea lineatipes, with weaver ant prey

Orange crab spider on purple wildflower

A female Bolas spider with a much smaller male, Cyrtarachne fangchengensis

Common Garden Spider, Parawixia dehaani

A mating pair of lichen huntsman spiders. Natural light. Tips on natural light macro photography here.

Tiny jumping spider with caterpillar prey. More jumping spiders here.

Ogre faced spider / net casting spider /gladiator spider, Deinopidae.

A nursery web spider with wasp prey?

A Malaysian black and gold huntsman (family Sparassidae,Tube-dwelling spiders) and a daredevil yellow crazy ant! LOL. Huge spider, 25mm body length!

A Lynx spider with beetle prey

A pinkish crab spider

A female green jumping spider guarding her precious eggs...the eggs were about to hatch anytime soon!

Jumping spider with newly hatched spiderlings. More motherly love from the invertebrates here.

A wolf spider momma with spiderlings on her back

Ant mimic jumping spider. More mimicry here.

Another ant-mimic jumping spider, Myrmarachne plataleoides

A nursery web spider with jumping spider prey

A green lynx spider with red Pentatomidae bug prey, from Danum Valley.

Portia spider.

Bird dung crab spider with wasp prey, Maliau Basin.

Green huntsman spider

Another gorgeous green huntsman on pink Cordyline terminalis plant. Merged from 4 shots. Tutorial on merging here.

A beautiful spiny orb weaver, Gasteracantha arcuata

A handsome male Orsima ichneumon wasp mimic jumping spider.

A female Herennia spider.

A nursery web spider with eggsac.

Heurodes spider?

Spitting spider, Scytodes velutina(?) with babies.

Mommy spitting spider sharing her moth prey with her precious spiderlings :)

A closer look:

Male Long-jawed Orb Weaver Tetragnathidae

Huntsman spider with eggssac. The spiderlings were about the hatch!

Huntsman spider with newly hatched spiderlings

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-23T20:22:00.000+08:00

Merry Christmas and a Happy New year to you and your family!

Now a muack from the fly :D (front a couple of years ago :D)

Hover fly Santa and giraffe weevils reindeer :D..recycled from last year, or maybe 2 years ago:D. Remind me to do a new one next year!

Oh I couldn't resist adding the red nosed lanternfly in :D...that was last year :D

If you want to see more lanternflies, click here.

2011 Fave Macro Images

2011-12-21T20:36:00.005+08:00

2011 is almost over and as usual, I spent some time going through the images I have taken this year to come out with this mosaic.

Created using BigHugeLabs' Mosaic Maker.

It's been a good year. I only realized I found 5 new species (to me) of lantern bugs this year after going through the whole year's images. I had also managed to cross off a few insects/arthropods from my wish list, such as mantisfly, lacewing, owlfly, jewel wasp. The unexpected finds in Maliau Basin like the violin beetle, jewel beetle and dead leaf mantis are wonderful surprises too!

All in all, it's been a great year!

All taken with a 40D. Mostly full flash with Canon MP-E 65mm f/2.8 1-5X Macro Lens, and Sigma 150mm f/2.8 AF APO EX DG OS HSM Macro Lens for natural light for bigger subject.

Full flash macro shot with an MP-E65, Canon MT-24EX Macro Twin Lite Flash, and Concave Diffuser.

Natural light macro shot with a 150mm F2.8 (with or without a 1.4x teleconverter).

Should you like to check out any image in the mosaic above, just use the links below. For example, if you want to find out more or view bigger image of the mantis, a quick count will tell you that it's image #7. You can then click on #7 below and that will take you to that mantisfly image in my Flickr Stream.

1. flickr.com/photos/9353033@N05/5925447431/, 2. IMG_7512 copy, 3. IMG_8642 copy, 4. IMG_6788 copy, 5. IMG_8151 copy, 6. IMG_9433 copy, 7. IMG_6100 copy, 8. IMG_7643 copy, 9. IMG_7152 copy, 10. IMG_6898 copy, 11. IMG_2530 copy, 12. IMG_6748 copy, 13. IMG_8414 copy, 14. IMG_2407, 15. IMG_0204merged copy, 16. flickr.com/photos/9353033@N05/6219924736/, 17. IMG_7325 copy, 18. IMG_1477 copy, 19. IMG_8640 copy, 20. IMG_0609 copy, 21. IMG_1663 copy, 22. IMG_0472 copy, 23. IMG_8850 copy, 24. IMG_9640 copy, 25. IMG_9955 copy, 26. IMG_0020 copy, 27. IMG_0024 copy, 28. IMG_0598stk copy, 29. IMG_9235 copy, 30. IMG_8983 copy, 31. flickr.com/photos/9353033@N05/6028707942/, 32. IMG_1229 copy, 33. IMG_8132 copy, 34. IMG_7332 copy, 35. IMG_9358 copy, 36. IMG_7353 copy

You can find my 2010 Fave here.

Wireless Macro Rig

2011-12-08T19:02:00.001+08:00

This is an alternative to the FMMB and it is also wireless! No ETTL cordCANON OC-E3 OFF CAMERA SHOE CORD needed!

If you really like the FMMB (Front Mounted Macro Bracket) but don't know how to DIY one for yourself, fret not. There's an easy way out, and it won't really cost you a lot! Items like extension tubes and Canon Speedlite 270EX II Flash are items that will come in really handy in macro anyway!

Chances are, you might already have most of the items already, and all you need is one simple bracket. (HDE flash bracket shown below, or something similar) so you can bring the 270EX II even closer to the front (if you have to), and closer to your macro subject.

I used my 40D body, MP-E65 lens and 1.4x teleconverter here just for illustration. This wireless macro rig works only with IF (internal focus) lenses like the Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM or Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM, or Nikon 105mm f/2.8G ED-IF AF-S VR , and with extension tubes (prefered over teleconverter), and of course, newer bodies like Canon EOS 60D , Canon EOS 7D , Canon EOS Rebel T3i /600D

Some side notes:

- the 270 EX II should be upside down/belly up.
- Only the newer Canon body like 60D, 7D, and 600D can trigger the 270EX II wirelessly.
- Mount Ring/tripod collar B is for the older Canon 100mm (USM) while D is for the newer Canon 100mm L (IS)
- You won't be able to rotate the mount ring all the way up (flat surface on top) unless you have at least one tube attached to the body, as the mount ring will hit the popup flash.

Why you need at least one extension tube if you want to use the tripod collar/mount ring:

Lacewing and Mantidfly

2011-11-23T18:34:00.001+08:00

Lacewing and mantidfly are insects in the order Neuroptea (net winged insects). Both are quite rare, at least here in Malaysia. I have only seen like 7 lacewings in four years of macro photography, and even fewer mantidflies!

My first mantidfly. What a gorgeous creature!

Another shot of this beauty.

My first time lucky with lacewing. Saw a couple before but never managed any decent shots.

My second time lucky with lacewing :)

Third time lucky with green lacewing:)

Mnay of you may not have seen a live lacewing before but I am sure you have seen lacewing junior (larva!) at one time or another. Both adult lacewings and larvae are predatory and feed on plant pests like aphids.

All images shot with a 40D, MP-E65, MT-24EX Twin Flash and DIY Concave Diffuser. Full flash, 1/200, around F13, ISO 100, handheld.

Owlflies from Maliau Basin:

Sleeping wasps

2011-09-30T17:25:00.005+08:00

This is a colelction of all the sleeping wasps and bees I have encountered during night macro. You won't find them sleeping like this during daylight.

Sleeping blue cuckoo bee, Thyreus sp.

profile shot

I don't like to sleep alone :D

Blue banded bee

Hover wasp (Vespidae: Stenogastrinae)

Another sleeping bee

Mud-dauber wasp (Sceliphrinae; Chalybion sp.)

Scoliidae wasp

Larrinae under the family Crabronidae. This could be a Liris sp. or another genus such as Tachytes; the specimen will be needed for identification.(IDed by: Vespa bicolor)

The same sleeping wasp

As you can see, some of them sleep by locking their mandibles onto the perches/plants while the others just rest on the perches. All taken with a 40D, MP-E65, MT-24EX and DIY concave diffuser, full flash.

Gonocephalus grandis - angle head lizard

2011-08-25T14:52:00.000+08:00

Gonocephalus grandis is a diurnal species that is native to primary rainforests and good secondary forests They occur mainly along streams of all sizes.

A male adult Gonocephalus grandis, angle head lizard in all his glory.

A full body shot showing how long its tail is!

A female, adult. She wasn't shy and let me got really close!

A juvenile female

A female, juvenile. When one started staying close to the trunk, that's not a good sign for the photographer :D

Next, they would start sliding away from you to the other side of the tree trunk!

Matt's Macro Rig

2011-07-26T19:33:00.002+08:00

Sharing another full flash macro rig. This time it's from Matt (MVers on Flickr). He uses Sigma 150mm and 48mm of tubes plus 1.4X TC.

More macro rigs here.

Sigma 150, 48mm of extension tubes, 1.4x teleconverter, 580EX II and big DIY Diffuser.

There is an adjustable panel for you to control the amount of light diffusion to suit different subject. Great idea, right?

You can control the light angle too: left, top, right.

Now a few sample shots from Matt's macro rig:

Jagged ambush bug (Phymata) with prey

Calico Pennant (Celithemis elisa) (Female)

Hanging-thief [Diogmites misellus]

Salamander

Jumping spider Phidippus

More macro rigs here.

Maliau Basin - Part II

2011-07-08T20:36:00.002+08:00

Maliau Basin trip report, Part II. You can find Part I here.

Violin beetle

Jewel beetle, Catoxantha opulenta

Dead leaf mantis, Deroplatys truncata

Antlion(?)

Mating pair of green lantern bugs, Pyrops shiinaorum shiinaorum

Green lantern bug, Pyrops shiinaorum shiinaorum

Lantern bug, Pyrops sultana

Handsome longhorn beetle, Cyriopalus pascoei, Thomson, 1878, male.

Handsome rhinoceros beetle, Chalcosoma mollenkampi.

Rhino beetle, Chalcosoma atlas

Gonocephalus borneensis or G. liogaster?

Frog, Staurois natator, Black spotted rock frog

Owlfly

Stag beetle

A lovely white beetle

Euchomenella sp- Malaysian Long Neck Mantis, Giraffe Mantis

Maliau Basin

2011-07-02T17:22:00.005+08:00

Maliau Basin or also Maliau Basin Conservation Area, is a region in Sabah, Malaysia, which represents a geological catchment surrounding the Maliau River. Located around the center of Sabah in the Sandakan Division, it was designated as a conservation area by the Sabah Foundation (Yayasan Sabah) in 1981. Later in 1997 the Sabah State Assembly gazetted the Basin as a Protection Forest Reserve (Class I) with a total area of 588 square kilometres. The region also features Mount Lotung (1667 metres), Maliau Falls, and Lake Linumunsut. Efforts are underway to nominate the area as a World Heritage Site.^[1](From Wikipedia)

Both Maliau Basin and Danum Valley are managed by Yayasan Sabah (Sabah Foundation). You can find more information and contact numbers here. Previous blogs on my Danum Valley trip is here and here.

Again, we flew AirAsia from Kuala Lumpur to Tawau. Our 9D/8N stay with full board in Maliau Basin, twin sharing, cost around RM1200 (USD 400) for Malaysian, and RM2730 (USD 900 for non Malaysian).

A little bit on the cost breakdown: 4WD transportation from Tawau to Maliau Basin Conservation Area (MBCA) is RM650 for two ways for 4 passengers. Full meals is RM65 for Malaysian and RM150 for non Malaysian. Twin sharing rest house is RM80/night for Malaysian and RM220 for non Malaysian. Entrance fee RM30 for Malaysian and RM50 for non Malaysian.

4WD from Tawau airport to Maliau Basin (return), RM650/round trip. The journey from airport to Maliau Basin takes around 5 hours.

Left: tea/coffee/milo - self service
Right: Typical lunch/dinner, rice with 3 or 4 dishes. For breakfast, it's normally fried noodle or nasi lemak, and bread with butter and jam, and cereal with milk.

Left: Rest area next to the dining hall (on the right) and deck on the left with forest view.
Right: Rest house with boardwalk

Left: misty forest in the morning. Right: sunset

More misty forest in the morning. I got up at 5:40am almost every single day to shoot these:D

The hanging bridge spanning across Sungai Maliau

Once you cross the river, the Maliau Skybridge (canopy walk) awaits you!

A moon moth, Actias maenas, that visited us one night.

Many wild boars there too, day and night.

A staff holding an injured hawk cuckoo he found

Malayan civet, Viverra tangalunga that visited us at night.

Residential Brown wood owl, Strix leptogrammica. It's there every night!

Bird of prey. Still looking for the ID.

Stay tuned for part II with mainly macro images: violin beetle, dead leaf mantis (Deroplatys truncata), jewel beetle, owlfly and more!

Edit: Part II posted. It's here.

270EX for Macro - improved version.

2011-05-21T23:29:00.008+08:00

As mentioned in my previous post on using a single 270EX for macro, there were two issues that needed to be addressed. The two issues were:

1. shadow on the lower part of the subject
2. very dim catch light in subject's eyes.

In my opinion, these two issues were caused by the fact that the 270EX was too far out and as a result, the light would come down from a higher angle.

In this post, I will show you the solution. You will not believe how simple it is. I don't even need a ballhead anymore!

This animated gif will tell you everything you need to know!

New vs old method:

Left: 270EX upside down/belly up Right: 270EX in normal position (upside up?:D)

The 270EX was on an FMMB (Front Mounted Macro Bracket) mounted onto the front of the lens. This is extremely convenient for lenses with no IF (Internal Focus). The bracket and speedlight will move along when you zoom in/change magnification. (Edit: i still love my MT24 though and use this 270EX on FMMB as backup only)

I was playing with my 270EX, extending the head out, tilting it at different angles when the idea struck me - turn the 270EX upside down (belly up)!

As can be seen in the gif animation, at its lowest flash head position, it can handle the MPE65's working distance at 5X (1.6 inches). With this improved setup, now I can just tilt the 270EX's flash head to take care of different working distances/magnifications of the MPE65! Sweet! Now, if only the 270EX comes with focusing light as well like the MT24EX does! But you can't have the cake and eat it too though.

The MPE65's working distances at different magnification are as below:

1X - 4 inches; 2X - 2.5 inches, 3X - 2 inches; 4X - 1.7 inches; 5X - 1.6 inches

Sample images taken with this new setup. I used the same concave light tent diffuser that I use for the MT24EX.

Blue tiger beetle (Neocollyris formasana?) with red socks.

Grey ant, Diacamma sp.

A female Bathippus sp.(?) jumping spider

A tiger beetle with an ant's head

Edit: I still recommend that you get a twin flash. I only use this FMMB as a backup.

270EX for macro

2011-05-16T18:48:00.003+08:00

By now, I am sure you are aware that many of my macro friends use single 270EX as their light source for macro. Just check out this post in case you missed that. It's been proven without any doubt that a single 270EX is just as good as twin flash.

Two of the easiest and most light weight ways of holding the 270EX in place are:

1. an FMMB (front mounted macro bracket). More info about the FMMB here.

FMMB is great for lenses without IF (internal focus) and/or lenses without tripod collar/mount ring. Example: Tamron SP90, MPE65 (both SP90 and MPE65 extends out considerably) , and Nikon 105mm (no tripod collar?)

270EX on the FMMB, MPE65 and 40D. (Edit: this is the old method. New and improved method is here)

Yellow arrow shows that the oce3 cable is preventing the 270ex to be pointed any lower.

The angle between the two green arrows are more than 45 degrees, so the lighting is more like top lighting. A comparison to the MT24EX can be seen below, after a few sample shots.

Sample shots:

I used the same concave diffuser like this. More about that concave diffuser here.

Jumping spider. Noticeably much much dimmer catch lights in the jumper's eyes. I personally prefer it to be slightly stronger. I am guessing this is due to the higher light angle.

Fly. Heavy shadow on the lower part of the fly. I am not too concerned about shadow below the subject, I am more concerned about shadow on the lower part of the subject. Again, i am sure this is due to the higher light angle.

hover fly

270EX on FMMB versus MT24EX

Bigger image here.

The 270EX is just too far out and shines down from a higher angle, whereas the MT24EX flash heads are just on top of the front of the lens/filter, with lower angle too. (Compare the angles between the green lines). These explain why we get dim catch lights on subject's eyes and the shadow on lower part of subject. I think I found the solution already and I will share it in my next posting.

Note: the shadow and dim catch light issues are more prominent in the MPE65's higher magnification range i.e 2x and above. At 1X, with a working distance of 4 inches (front of lens to subject), it should be okay.

(Edit: check out the new and improved method that solves the shadow and dim catch light problem)

For normal 1:1 macro lenses, this setup should still work well.

2) Mount Ring/Tripod Collar

Almost no DIY required compared to the FMMB, but you will need to add in one or more extension tube(s) or teleconverter in order to be able to rotate the tripod collar/mount ring 180 degrees.

Another giraffe weevils!

2011-05-15T16:40:00.002+08:00

Another type of giraffe weevils / leaf rolling weevils spotted. Very similar to the Cycnotrachelus sp. that I have often seen and photographed, but instead of on the Bridelia sp host plant, these were found of a different type of host plant, with relatively smaller leaves. No ID on the plant yet.

Giraffe weevil, male, body length approximately 9mm including the neck, and 5.6mm excluding the neck.

IDed as Leptapoderus (Soendapoderus) semirufus (Faust, 1883). Thanks to Andrei from The leaf-rolling weevils (Coleoptera: Rhynchitidae, Attelabidae) of the world fauna

ID credit:

A male Paracycnotrachelus sp. giraffe weevil was found on similar host plant just a few feet apart. Body length approximately 10mm including the neck, and 6mm excluding the neck. This same species of leaf rolling weevils have been found on Bridelia sp plant as well.

Male giraffe weevil image courtesy of Jasrul.

The host plant, no ID yet.

The nitidi (mini popiah)

A closer look at the leaf

Other types of giraffe weevils/leaf rolling beetles I have documented:

Paracycnotrachelus sp. on Bridelia sp. host plant

Spiny giraffe weevils

Ant Mimicry - mimics vs models

2011-05-06T21:24:00.004+08:00

Ant Mimicry: (from Wikipedia):

Ant mimicry is mimicry of ants by other organisms. Ants are abundant all over the world, and insect predators that rely on vision to identify their prey such as birds and wasps normally avoid them, either because they are unpalatable, or aggressive. Thus some other arthropods mimic ants to escape predation (protective mimicry). Conversely, some species (e.g. Zodariidae spiders) use their anatomical and behavioral ant mimicry to hunt ants (aggressive mimicry). Other cases are also known.[1] The term myrmecomorphy is also used to describe ant mimicry.

Protective mimicry - mimic ants to avoid predation.

Female ant-mimic jumping spider, Myrmarachne sp. (left) mimicking a weaver ant (right)

Male ant-mimic jumping spider, Myrmarachne sp. mimicking a weaver ant carrying another worker, according to Wikipedia.

A black ant-mimic jumping spider, probably mimicking a Tetraponera sp. ant?

An ant-mimic katydid nymph, a mimicry of the Camponotus sp.?

A red and black ant-mimic jumping spider, surely a mimicry of the fearsome semut selangor " Tetraponera rufonigra. (Image taken by Aniruddha, author of "Wanderer's Eye"

Black ant-mimic jumping spider, mimicking the Polyrhachis sp?

An ant-mimicking stick insect nymph:

Ant-mimicking mantis nymph

Ant-mimic Alydidae, two of them.

Aggressive mimicry - mimic ants in order to hunt them!

A male ant mimic crab spider Amyciaea lineatipes with weaver ant prey.

An assassin bug nymph, Acanthaspis petax, with ant carcasses on its back, and an ant prey!

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-02T12:17:00.001+08:00

Happy Mother's Day! Better early than late!

You can check out individual images by clicking the corresponding links below:
1. www.flickr.com/photos/orionmystery/4937868312/, 2. www.flickr.com/photos/orionmystery/4937867158/, 3. www.flickr.com/photos/orionmystery/4937871790/, 4. www.flickr.com/photos/orionmystery/4937874020/, 5. www.flickr.com/photos/orionmystery/4857442780/, 6. Me, My Eggs, My Babies (IMG_4039 copy), 7. IMG_8458 copy, 8. IMG_4761 copy, 9. IMG_6070editcopy, 10. www.flickr.com/photos/orionmystery/5256945709/, 11. IMG_7647 copy, 12. IMG_3355 copy, 13. IMG_0023 wolfie mommy copy, 14. IMG_1187 copy, 15. IMG_3356 copy, 16. www.flickr.com/photos/orionmystery/4733059176/

Lantern bug / lantern fly

2011-03-31T20:14:00.005+08:00

Lantern bug / lanternfly is among my most favorite macro subjects. Whenever I find one, I spend hours and hours photographing it, or just admire its spectacular beauty!

Edit:

New catches from Maliau Basin. Managed to find only 2 new species to add to my collection.

Pyrops sultana

Pyrops shiinaorum shiinaorum(?) Mating! Lucky me. More Bugs Porn here.

Haven't managed to find the ID yet. It has the same "red nose" as the Laternaria ruhli from Endau Rompin.

Pyrops spinolae? Natural light.

Pyrops whiteheadi? from Danum Valley. Reflector used.

Laternaria oculata(?) 180mm.

Pyrops candelarius? from Danum Valley

Laternaria ruhli from Endau Rompin

Zanna terminalis? nymph. Yet to find an adult for this one. Full flash.

Plamp

2011-03-26T15:37:00.001+08:00

What is a plamp? Well, a plamp is a flexible wire with clamps attached to both ends. Like this.

This one was given to me by Sunny from the Butterfly Circle forum :). If you want to check out great butterfly images or to know more about these beautiful insects, click here.

It is an extremely useful contraption that will come in handy in close-up and macro photography. Clip or tie one end to your tripod and the other to the stem of the flower you want to shoot. This will not only hold the flower/subject in place but will also greatly reduce the subject movement due to breeze. You get the idea? I am sure you can think of many other ways to put this cool gadget to use.

You can buy a ready made plamp on-line, or you can DIY one. What you see above is about 2 feet long (the 6 mm diameter blue coated wire), with 2 inch clamps at both ends.

You will have to strip off about 2 cm of the polyethylene coating/insulation on both ends of the wire before you can hot glue the bare ends to the clamps. You can use cable tie too if you want to, or a combination of both. Finish it off by heat-shrink wrapping the joint areas and voila, you have got yourself a professional looking DIY Plamp.

Diffusers and reflectors

2011-03-21T21:52:00.001+08:00

When shooting macro / closeup with natural light, sometimes you need not just a reflector, but a diffuser as well.

First, a little bit about diffuser and reflector.

Diffuser and reflector set. White translucent fabric (left) is great for diffusing harsh direct light. The cover (right) has 4 colors: silver and black (underside) and gold and white inside. Of course, you can turn it inside out easily.

When to use which side? Here's an excerpt from Amazon site:

Ardinbir Studio 22" 60cm 5 in 1 Round Collapsible Disc Photo Reflector/Diffuser Kit: Gold Silver Black White Translucent Set
Technical Details
- Silver increases the specular highlights and yields a high-contrast image. Its perfect for video, product shots and B&W photography
- Gold produces a natural, golden fill that is great for sunsets or indoor portraits
- White produces an even, neutral-colored bounce light that works beautifully as a fill light source
- Black is used as a flag to block light or can be used to subtract light
- Translucent fabric is used to diffuse light, producing a broad light source and a soft, wraparound effect

It was mid day and under partial shade, and a little bit of direct sunlight made it through the canopy. I didn't have a commercial diffuser with me but I used a 3mm thick foam sheet as my DIY Diffuser (right hand).

From a different angle. Diffuser on right hand and reflector on left.

Let's see what kind of difference a diffuser make.

No diffuser used. Note the hotspot on the top side of eyes and also abdomen

With a diffuser, no hotspot (Pygmy dragonfly photos courtesy of Derrick)

Comparison:

Spiny giraffe weevils and host plant

2011-03-17T20:15:00.003+08:00

I was extremely excited when I found this spiny / spiky version of the more common Cycnotrachelus sp giraffe weevil / long necked beetle a couple of weeks ago.

Edit: this spiny/spiky weaver has been IDed as Hoplapoderus hystrix (Fabricius, 1801). Thanks to Andrei from The leaf-rolling weevils (Coleoptera: Rhynchitidae, Attelabidae) of the world fauna

The spiny version, no ID yet The more common type, Cycnotrachelus sp

It is easy to see the resemblance. The only difference being the one on the left has spines / spikes on her elytra. Of course, I could not help thinking how dangerous it would be for a male spiny giraffe weevil / long necked beetle to mate with a female, with all the spines / spikes. Ouch :D

The similarity doesn't just end there. I was lucky to witness the whole process of how a female beetle roll up a leaf to lay egg in.

This is the host plant for this type of spiny giraffe weevil / long necked beetle. I don't have an ID for this plant yet but the closest match I found was Celtis sp.

A closer look:

I did not capture the whole process but you can check out how the Cycnotrachelus roll up a leaf and lay egg in here. The process is similar. You can also find out what kind of host plant the Cycnotrachelus sp like here.

Now a couple more shots of this shy but lovely female spiny/spiky giraffe weevil/long necked beetle.

The hole was the work of this cute spiny giraffe weevil / long necked beetle. She feeds on this plant, and lay eggs on similar plant too.

The next logical things to do, is, of course, to find a male specimen, and better still, a mating pair!

A mating pair like this...but the spiny/spiky version :D

Macro Diffuser

2011-03-05T23:25:00.001+08:00

This post is all about macro diffusers.

Since I have posted so many different types of macro diffusers before in my blog, I thought it is a great idea to have a summary list of all the macro diffusers here for easier reference:

Macro Diffuser for pop up flash / built in flash.

Highly recommended if you already have a macro lens but no budget for a speedlite / speedlight yet.

Macro diffuser for bigger speedlite/speedlight such as the 580EX II / SB900, 430EX, SB800, SB600 etc:

Highly recommended if you already have a speedlite or speedlight and want to really try out macro before committing to a more dedicated system such as the twin flash or flash bracket.

Macro diffuser for bigger speedlite / speedlight on flash bracket, such as the 580EX II / SB900, 430EX, SB800, SB600 etc:

Highly recommended if you are serious about macro but not willing to spend money on twin flash system.

Macro diffuser for light weight speedlite or speedlight like the 270EX or similar

Highly recommended if you want a light weight macro rig that really works but won't cost you a bomb. The FMMB (front mounted macro bracket) is great if your macro lens has no IF (internal focus), as the bracket (and thus the speedlite mounted onto the bracket) will move along as you change the magnification. However, if your lens has IF (such as the Canon 100L and 100 USM), you can use a tripod collar and save yourself some DIY work. (Note: Canon tripod mount ring D is for the 100L whereas tripod mount ring B is for 100USM)

Macro diffuser for MT-24EX

Highly recommended if you already have the MP-E65. MT-24EX is MP-E65's best friend and you know it!

Macro Diffuser for Nikon's R1C1 or R1

Unseen Asia 2011 Winner

2011-03-01T15:07:00.002+08:00

My face-to-face with a longhorn beetle image won the Reader's Digest Unseen Asia 2011, March challenge. The prize is a Ricoh CX4. I have always wanted a compact camera/ point & shoot that I can carry with me at all times and also for blogging!

The actual image is here:

It is my first time winning something in a photo contest. I am so lucky! Thanks to Jeffrey Siow for the early good news.

Tripod for Macro

2011-02-25T18:53:00.001+08:00

This post is about tripod for macro photography.

I was out looking for bugs again when I found this newly emerged cicada perching on its own exuvium, pumping fluids to its wings, waiting for its body to harden before taking its first flight! I spent the next one hour photography this cicada.

I believe I missed the emergence process by about 10 to 15 minutes. Better luck next time! The newly emerged cicada was about 5 inches from the ground, on the root of a tree. So i lowered my tripod. My cheap tripod, which cost me RM200 ( about 65 USD), could go quite low, if it wasn't for the centre column which gets in the way.

But I really wanted to get low enough so I could shoot from an angle which maximizes my DOF. A light bulb lit up in my head and I found myself a blunt, dry tree branch on the forest floor and started digging! Ah..i forgot to include dry tree branch i used for digging in this pic. :D.

A closer look. Tripod brand name removed. I probably should start carrying a spade in my backpack. I wonder if there is a foldable spade:D. Although I managed to get quite low, it still wasn't as low as I would have liked. The next time you see holes and earth all dug up, it may not be the work of the wild boars.

And then Derrick suggested an idea - fold up the tripod and put it on the ground, like this:

Excellent. Now we could get really really low!

I can't show you the actual shot from this session yet but I have a somewhat similar shot I took back in November 26, 2007 - my first sighting of an newly emerged cicada. Same type of cicada, same park. Same "a few minutes too late" :(

You don't have to go through all this trouble though if you are willing to spend some money on the right tripod. I have seen one where the center column can be removed. Beanbag is also another idea, if you don't mind an additional 400 gram or so in your backpack.

Cheap Macro

2011-02-16T17:39:00.002+08:00

If you want to try out macro but not willing yet to fork out good money for a real macro lens until you are really sure that macro is for you, then this post is for you.

Depending on what lenses you already have, one of these options should work for you. Approximate prices indicated for reference.

1. Raynox DCR250

This is a +8 diopter lens that you can snap onto your existing lens in order to achieve higher magnification. It works on lens (any brands!) with filter size from 52mm to 67mm. You will get higher magnification on the tele end only though. A 50-200 or 50-250 tele lens should work great with the DCR250.

At 200mm end, the DCR250 will give you approximately 200mm/ 125 = 1.6:1 magnification.

Sample image:

zshunfa @ Flickr, A300 + SAL55200 + Raynox-DCR250 + HVL-F56AM @150mm, Snoot Diffuser.

Cons: more expensive than the other options mentioned below.

2. Reversed lens

All you need is one of those cheap reversing ring/adapter. About 10USD. Here are some suitable lenses.

a) 50mm. You get a fixed 1:1 when you reverse a 50mm directly onto your camera body.

b) 18-55 kit lens. You get from 1:1 up to 3:1 (at 18mm end) with this setup.

Sam Martin's reversed 18-55 setup.

Sample image:

c) other lens you can reverse:
- 28mm, gives you about 2:1 magnification
- 20mm, gives you about 3:1 magnification

Exact magnification varies with different make/model of lens even though the focal length is the same. The best way to measure magnification is to shoot an MM ruler as explained in this post.

A couple of examples to help you understand what type of reversing ring/adapter you need.

Example #1: Canon 50mm F1.8

The filter size is 52mm, therefore you need a 52mm reversing ring for Canon. This is the one you will need:

Example #2: Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS SLR Lens

The filter size is 58mm, therefore you need to get a 58mm reversing ring/adapter for Canon.

Example #3 Nikon 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G AF-S DX VR Nikkor Zoom Lens

The filter size is 52mm (different from the Canon 18-55, with 58mm filter thread size), therefore you need to get a 52mm reversing ring/adapter for Nikon.

Cons: no auto focus, no ETTL/TTL. More about this below.

3) Extension Tubes

I talked about it in detail here.

Since this post is about macro on the cheap, we will only talk about the type of extension tubes without electrical circuitry nor mechanical coupling, which means no auto focus (AF) and no TTL.

You have to preset your aperture to the desired value, normally F11, which means the lens will close down and the viewfinder will be dim. You might need a focusing light like this.

Since there is no TTL, you will have to guess the flash power required to properly expose a scene at different magnification and F number. This can be quite a pain.

You can use ET (extension tubes) on the 50mm, 28mm, 20mm etc. As mentioned in this post, :

Magnification gained = length of tubes / focal length

For example, with the nifty fifty 50mm F1.8 and full set of 68 mm of tubes

Magnification gained = 68/50 = 1.36X.

Full set of ET on the 28mm will give you around: 68/28 = 2.4x

Full set of ET on the 20mm will give you around: 68/20 = 3.4X

Cons: no auto focus, no ETTL/TTL.

4) Extension tubes + reversed lens

Yes, by now I am sure you have thought about combining method #2 and #3. All you need is the extension tubes and the right reversing ring/adapter.

5) A hacked 35-80mm or 28-80mm.

You can remove the front element of a 35-80mm or 28-80mm easily and turn it into a super lightweight macro lens than can go from around 0.7X to 1.8X. More detail here.

Cheap macro with a 35-80mm lens

2011-02-12T22:53:00.003+08:00

In this post, you will see how you can turn either a 35-80mm, or a 28-80mm into a macro lens with absolutely minimal effort. All you need to do is to remove the front element and you will be rewarded with a macro lens capable of going from around 0.7X to 1.8X (1:1.35 to 1.85:1).

For more "cheap macro" ideas, check this out.

This is not my idea. I stumbled across a thread on hacking a 35-80mm in the FredMiranda forum a few days ago. The original idea was with a 35-80. I told CheeWai about this and coincidentally, a friend of his has the 28-80mm so he loaned it for a little experiment. You can see how it went below.

All images and text below are by CheeWai.

Here is how it's done:

10 year old EF 28-80mm kit lens. An old 35-80mm lens will work too. For now, I will use 28-80 as this is what I can find. Lens is courtesy of Tan Bing Liang.

For 35-80mm lens, pry open the front sticker to reveal 3 tiny screws

But lucky me, the screws for the 28-80 is located at the side of the focusing ring. Front sticker saved.

Simply pop open the front element, be extra careful not to scratch the glass element. This entire process is non destructive and is completely reversible.

This is what it looks like with the front element removed. Incidently, the element removed is the focusing element. Therefore, AF and MF will no longer work. Not an issue to me since I slide my camera back and forth when focusing in macro.

Basically, it's done. I now have a zoomable macro lens with a magnification range of 0.7x to 1.8x !!

Around 0.74X magnification @ 28mm. Working distance at 1.5 inch

Around 1.85x magnification @ 80mm. Working Distance at 1.0 inch

Pros and Cons

Pros:

- Cheap (or free) if you can get hold of the lens.
- Extremely light weight compared to current macro lens
- can still ETTL and control the aperture!
- 0.7x - 1.8x gives flexibility
- super light, weighs almost next to nothing!

Cons:

- Working distance too close.
- optics quality is average.

Notes: with the Canon 35-80mm, you get from around 0.82X magnification to 1.71X life size magnification according to this site.

For more cheap macro ideas, check this out.

Butterflies and rainforest

2011-01-29T16:31:00.003+08:00

Like most people, I like butterflies. (Who doesn't?:D). However, while i like them and think they are beautiful, I never really have very high regard for them. So the butterflies pollinate a few flowers, plants and crops, but they are no where as efficient as the bees in this aspect.

I didn't realize how wrong I was until I stumbled upon this website: Langkawi-gazette

Excerpt from the page:

The rainforest – once going into decline, can not recreate itself, because the Butterflies will be missing

What have the Butterflies to do with it ?

Here we have to know two things: Langkawi has such a big number of species of Butterflies (340) because his rain forest has such a huge number of different plants and trees. Each specie of butterfly is dependent upon a certain kind of plant or a certain kind of tree and in return helps this plant or tree to fertilize its seeds.

Once a species of Butterfly is extinct, because there were no more trees of a certain kind to sustain it, the seeds of the remaining trees of this specie will not be fertilized anymore: a downward spiral.

Simply counting the species of Butterflies immediately shows if a forest is untouched and in good shape (with many kinds of trees), or if it has already declined to a near mono culture of only a few species of trees left.

That’s why the Butterflies are so important, because Butterflies (and the Moths) are the ones who fertilize the seeds of the trees in the flowers on the top of the crown. This is not done by Bees or Wasps or any other insects, it’s done by the Butterflies

Here's to all the beautiful butterflies out there!

Lime butterfly, Papilio demoleus

A small congregation of Rajah Brooke's birdwing butterflies (Trogonoptera brookiana) at a salt lick.

Blue grassy tiger, Ideopsis vulgaris macrina

Royal Assyrian, Terinos terpander robertsia

Club Silverline, Spindasis syama terana

If you would like to learn more about butterflies and butterfly photography, I highly recommend that you check out the Butterfly Circle. Also check out my buddy LC Goh's great collection of butterfly images!

Please watch this short clip: The Butterfly's Tale

the butterfly's tale;
Swarms of butterflys were once widespread across our countrysides, but now you will be lucky to see one or two...
The decline is due to Industrial agriculture, the loss of 97% England's natural grasslands and wildflower meadows, the increase of motorways and urban development plus climate change which brings new predators and diseases..
Butterflys are essential eco system pollinators benefiting both agriculture and medical science for its plant derived medecines, as well as being sensitive indicators of environmental change.

The last species extinct in Britain, the Large Blue (Maculinea Arion)(d.1979) was re-established in the 1980's by Professor Thomas, who stated "What is bad for butterflys is bad for all species -- including our own''.
( http://www.butterflyworldproject.com/ )
Other Species recently extinct in the UK; Mazarine Blue (d.1904) Black-Veined White (d.1925) & Large Tortoiseshell(d.1970's). Currently 1/3 of only 435 species in Europe are under threat...
Around the world the Large Copper of Ireland, Giant Swallowtail of Jamaica, Atewa of Ghana, American Silverspot and Apollo of the Alps have also become extinct.
In The USA the Monarch butterfly now faces drastic reductions following destruction of their milkweed seeding plant by biotech agricultural chemicals.

On a brighter note, in 2008 Sir David Attenborough the BBC's Natural history broadcaster launched a £25m conservation project to reverse this disaster. Butterfly World, has 250 species flying in its dome, and also hosts extensive gardens and meadows to attract native British species.
( http://www.butterflyworldproject.com/ )

To save the butterfly, plant suitable nectar producing plants, the best are the Buddlea, Ice-plant, Lavender, Michaelmas Daisy and Marjoram.
Caterpillars also need feeding so plant Holly and Ivy in sunny positions where they can grow tall and flower, & keep the Stinging Nettles as these are home for the Comma, Small Tortoiseshell and Red Admiral butterflys.

Original Poem the butterfly's tale c. Celestial Elf 2011.
( http://celestialelfdanceoflife.blogspot.com/2011/04/butterflys-tale.html )