Macro photography in the wild

Any shoot starts long before you go out in the field. First you have to think of the subject, what you would like to photograph, then choose and prepare the necessary technique. Sometimes an idea for a shot pops into my head, so I sketch it out straight away and write down what camera settings to use. These out-of-the-box ideas won’t help make a masterpiece at the push of a button, but they will set the right direction of thought. The result can be a completely different scene, and you get a more interesting shot.

The Martian

g. Staraya Toropa, Tver region.

Canon 20D, EF 70-300 DO IS USM + DCR 250

1/200 s, f/25, ISO 100, 300 mm

The picture depicts a spider-horn Salticidae . Spider skunks have good eyesight. This allows them to sneak up on their prey from a long distance and jump over it, knocking it down underneath them. They move by hopping from place to place and turn around, looking around, which together with their microscopic size only 3 mm in length makes it very difficult to take pictures of fidgeting animals. It’s not just a matter of catching the right angle and focusing, it’s of course catching it in the viewfinder!

Once you have decided on your ideas, it is worth choosing a tool to help you realise them. My ideology of nature photography is simple: as little technique as possible and as much experimentation as possible with angle, light and shooting parameters. Many photographers use a lot of equipment, from diffusers to complex lighting systems. Yes, it certainly gives you better picture quality, no glare and the right light, but it also greatly limits your freedom of action. My choice is in favor of mobility and responsiveness, using the minimum necessary equipment when shooting in the field, especially in harsh conditions.

I never use a tripod. In extreme cases when I need to use slow shutter speeds I find a natural support or fix the camera on the ground, a tree or a rock. The more flashes and diffusers you have, the more cumbersome your system becomes, and consequently, the harder it is to lock it in the right positions if you need to change the angle instantly. Sometimes the conditions of shooting in a confined space in a hole, a tree hollow or a crevice in the rock do not allow you to put an external flash in the shooting area, then the ring flash can help, it gives less artistic light, but allows you to capture the intended shot. This is one example of when quality should be sacrificed for the sake of the goal.

Given the latest trend in major photographic competitions, image quality often does not play a role in the jury’s vote. This means you have to make your own choices based on your priorities.

MACRO MODE FOR SUPER-SMALL TARGETS

The “Martian” was shot using non-standard solutions. I thought, what if I take the macro element off the macro lens and put it on a telephoto lens?. I guess it was just a coincidence, proving once again that you have to try everything. This turned out to be a better option than using a normal macro lens. Combining the macro lens cap with the Canon EF 70-300 DO IS USM gave me the zoom capability, which means I can change the magnification when doing macro photography, and I got a more blurry background at longer focal lengths without compromising the resolution. Enjoyed the color performance of these optics. And the ease and flexibility of use made this a major tool in my arsenal. I’ve used it on most of my shoots. It is also versatile, because if I take this system with me when I am outdoors, with one move of my hand I can turn a macro lens into a telephoto and shoot not only the micro world, but also birds and animals.

On one of such trips to nature with the help of this system I shot “The Martian”, using an external flash with a self-made reflector from white cardboard which was attached to the top. The flash was adjusted with positive exposure compensation, which allowed me to re-light the bases of the daisy petals, giving the picture an airy quality. But there’s still one drawback with this technique: the incredible difficulty of focusing by hand. It’s almost impossible to frame a 3mm model with less than 1mm depth of field visible in the viewfinder, not including hand shake. You need to frame the shot, make sure the subject’s eyes are in focus and carefully press the shutter button. With all this work I got probably one of my best shots.

Macro mode for extra-large objects

After a while I started to think about adding a teleconverter to the above-described scheme to get the maximum possible magnification of the insects. Even though I thought I would loose quality and aperture, I got good results. I was able to peek into a mysterious and full of surprises micro world, which is invisible to the human eye, and get large portraits of insects not more than 3 mm in size. Secondly, it gave me an idea to take a picture with a long focal length, so that I could capture the disk of the sun in the frame. All I had to do was to take out the macro nozzle. That’s how the idea for the “Sunset Conductor” frame came about.

I nurtured this shot for almost a week during my vacation in Crimea. Wondering what was so textured to put next to the sun. Suddenly one evening a praying mantis flew into our room. I immediately understood what it was all about and went to the beach to wait for sunset. After putting the model on the vine, I started experimenting with the camera settings. The first time I got a bad shot. At times the wind took a branch with a praying mantis out of frame, then my hand shook under the weight of my heavy optic system and I lost my composition. In general I agonized a lot, getting shots of a bright yellow disk of the sun with sharp edges. But suddenly I was lucky: a little cloud on the horizon slightly covered the sun, and it let me make some shots with blurred edges and a pleasant orange tint.

Footage

The next step in taking a picture is to add the subject into the picture. A nice, high quality shot, though it pleases the eye, but it doesn’t touch the soul strings. The shot needed some dynamics, tragedy or just human emotion. Insects may seem to be primitive creatures, but they can also look emotional. Wiggling their whiskers, changing the position of their feet, they seem to repeat all our movements, postures and emotions, and we have to try to capture it. To do this, you have to study the subject, his habits and reactions well. For example, praying mantises look curiously at the photographer with their heads moving from side to side, spider-horns jump right on your lens with enviable frequency, rising on their legs and twisting in different directions before doing it. The main thing is to choose a key moment and be able to capture it so that it conveys dynamics and emotions. If you know your model’s habits it won’t be hard to do. This was the principle behind the “Guardian of Nature’s Gems” shot.

Knowing that skunky spiders like to pay attention to the camera and, after taking aim, jump on the lens, I decided to take advantage of this moment. It wasn’t easy to take this shot, because the spider didn’t want to pose for quite a while, jumping from one blade of grass to another. It went on like that for about half an hour. Then I finally succeeded in attracting his attention with my lens, he turned around and I got ready to shoot, framed the shot, caught the spider in the frame, got ready to press the shutter – and he was gone. There he is, sitting on the lens. Another hour went by. After getting used to my chasing the spider settled down and started swinging and sweeping to survey the area. He didn’t jump off the grass for a long time, and I managed to get a lot of diverse shots. I realized it was now ready for a real shot and I moved the raindrop from a nearby blade of grass to where the spider was sitting. This is where my agony started all over again. And he would try the drop to the touch, and look into it as if in a mirror, and jump away again, and I would find a new drop and patiently start all over again. And then the spider froze for a split second. The droplet is in place, and I prudently ducked the daisies in the background. I frame the shot, catch sharpness, and that’s how the Guardian of the Gems of Nature came to be.

When shooting wildlife objects larger than 10 centimeters it is not always easy to use a macro lens. When the aperture is small the depth of field is insufficient along the entire subject, and when the aperture is closed the background is too sharp, so it’s hard to see the picture in general. I use a medium zoom for such purposes. It allows me to change the focal length, playing with perspective, and gives me more flexibility in controlling the focal length.

Shooting in tropical rain forests

Although my main focus is macro photography I try not to miss bigger animals in the frame.

Shooting exotic animals is probably the most important thing for me. That’s why I travel to tropical countries. Before the trip requires a long information preparation. Need to learn the country and the customs of the people who live there. Studying the geography and local animals to capture the full range of inhabitants of this unique world of the tropics that amazes with its riot of colors and biodiversity.

It is necessary to make an estimate and a detailed route of movements, scheduling it by days. Once you arrive at the place, you can adjust the plan by asking the locals for details. I usually talk to the staff or owners of the hotels where I stay overnight, or to the staff of national parks and reserves. I ask them about the animals I wish to photograph, where to find them, and how to get there. Exploring routes more interesting to me as a wildlife photographer. Trying to get the most complete picture of the diversity of scenery in the places I want to go.

In fact, tropical rainforests are the cradle of evolution, a unique source of diverse subjects. But it’s not enough to make an interesting photo report about the place you’re going to. To complete the picture, I also collect all kinds of scientific information about the animals and plants that I have already photographed. I do this both during the trip, by asking guides and locals and scouring the scientific literature, and after returning home to write interesting stories and articles. It’s important to learn all about dangerous animals, their habits and habitats.

Shooting in the jungle, besides all the dangers of wildlife, brings other challenges, not only for you but also for your photographic equipment. in 100% humidity, the first problems you will face are fogging of the lens and even condensation on the sensor, the only way to get rid of which is to dry the camera without the lens. It doesn’t last long if you’re still under the forest canopy.

When I traveled in Central America, every morning before I went into the woods I tried to put all my gear out in the blazing sun to remove any residual moisture. Probably the right solution would be to use an underwater box, but that’s too limiting. It is quite inconvenient to manage the camera settings when it is under the thick “armor” of the box. Store the equipment together with special silica bags that absorb moisture. But even after taking all the measures against the penetration of moisture, some elements of my photographic equipment were failing one after another.

On a trip to Costa Rica, the master flash occasionally malfunctioned and refused to work as a radio-controlled flash, switching to normal single mode at the most inopportune moment. The other flash simply fired a pulse one second after the shutter was released. Certain functions of my camera also stopped working: when I pressed the corresponding button, it would appear to stop working. Even the built-in flash refused to open. So the most important thing in any trip is to duplicate all the equipment if possible. I learned this the hard way when in the jungle of Thailand my camera shutter button malfunctioned, and I was only able to repair it when I got back to New York. Now I always take two SLRs and a backup digital camera.

During my last expedition to Borneo, the shutter of my main camera got jammed during the first days and did not work again until I got home after it had dried out. Then the two flashes went out one after the other. The first one had a mechanical breakdown due to heavy use in high altitude jungle treks. The second one, maybe because of the humidity, or maybe for some other reason, the condenser burned out. I ended up with only a built-in flash. But even in this situation you can find a way out. I attach different white materials in front of the built-in flash – to avoid glare and to reduce the rough shadow effect. Of course, this significantly reduced the quality of photos taken during the final days of the trip, but I didn’t give up and stop filming. I tried to convince myself that quality is not the most important thing for a photographer. It’s possible to get a unique shot on a point-and-shoot if you take it seriously.

There are other things you might encounter when traveling in a tropical country. Because of the high humidity in the rainforest our bodies become dehydrated quickly, so we need to keep replenishing our bodies with drinking water. Rising from the ground after shooting a macro scene you might feel light-headed and weak, which is the first sign that your body is not getting enough water. You become dehydrated instantly, and even if you’ve been drinking water recently you can feel these symptoms again in half an hour. If you only go for a few hours, you need to carry as much drinking water as you can carry without being too burdened. And drink it all the time, even if you’re not thirsty.

Make sure you take something to eat. Any kind of dry food, be it cookies, nuts or chocolate bars will prove to be quite useful and replenish your energy. After all, if you feel unwell you will have no time for photography, your activity will significantly decrease, and the time you’ve spent walking around will go in vain. In a tropical forest, any moment can be decisive, suddenly giving you the chance to take a photo of a rare animal. And many pictures you have to do with a lot of physical exertion, climbing a mountain or a tree.

If you are entering a rainforest for the first time, it might seem uninhabited, or devoid of life. This is a major misconception. First, all the animals and insects of the tropics are masters of disguise. And how else could it be, when they have a huge number of enemies? Secondly, most of all creatures live high up in the canopy, and only rarely do some of them come down.

And thirdly, most tropical creatures are nocturnal. The best time to go on a macro safari, and to take pictures of animals of prey, reptiles, and amphibians is at night and early morning.

But even in the midday heat, knowing the habits of the local inhabitants, you can find a lot of interesting stories.

Most insects, for example, hide under the leaves during the day. If you look underneath them, you’ll find a lot of sleeping models.

Some night frog species cleverly camouflage themselves on the leaves of palm trees and bushes. To spot them, all you have to do is focus your attention and look at all the plants in your path. We must move slowly and quietly so as not to frighten the cautious forest dwellers.

In Bako National Park I spotted a flock of proboscis monkeys, or nose-noses as they are called, which live only on Borneo Island. The rhinoceros is an endemic species. e. found only here. These monkeys are very cautious and do not like the presence of people. Sitting high in the trees they try to move as far away as possible once they spot a human nearby.

In my case, the flock was picking fallen fruit on the oceanfront. I stealthily made my way around to where they were slowly heading, and crawled through the bushes and lurked in wait. Suddenly I saw through the foliage the queer face of their leader with a huge hanging nose. I only managed to get three shots before he got up and walked away with the rest of the flock. It was the noise of the camera shutter that gave me away.

Despite the seeming tranquility, the rainforest is very dangerous. You’ll think there’s nothing alive here, because you can’t find anything. At night the situation changes dramatically, the forest is filled with life. You forget about the danger and begin to pay less attention to your actions, distracted by the shooting. And if you lean on a tree or a branch, you can disturb a snake, waiting in ambush for its prey. Her reaction will be unequivocal. Many times when I was shooting, I was not immediately aware of snakes lurking in the trees close to me, but I always try to be very careful, and it worked out fine. When shooting poisonous snakes it’s vitally important not to approach it at a distance from which it is able to attack usually two-thirds of its length . And it’s better not to go near them at all, if you have no experience in handling dangerous reptiles.

You have to be even more careful at night, when most of the forest’s dangerous inhabitants are active. It is necessary to make every step deliberately, like in chess, and not to lose your head in pursuit of the shot! The other danger that’s waiting for you is the cheeky macaques. A lot of packs are not afraid of people and come close. If you try to get close to them, they’ll grin and make attacking lunges. Once, when I was filming a baby long-tailed macaque, I got distracted when I was setting up my camera. When he noticed this, he jumped onto a branch overhanging my head. The natural reaction would be to scare him off. He, too, was apparently frightened and climbed the tree screaming. The whole pack rushed to his voice. They surrounded me on all sides, grinning and growling with their big fangs. Macaques are very clever animals: when attacked, one part of the pack draws attention to itself, forcing you to turn towards it, while the other attacks from behind. In such a situation you have to behave the same way as if attacked by dogs. And by no means run away from the battlefield, because, feeling your weakness, they do not hesitate to take decisive action. You have to pick up a stick, a rock, or at most a camera and wave them off or pretend you’re going to throw them at them. Any objects you can find and use that you don’t mind can be used. After that, the beasts retreat a bit and allow you to slowly walk away from the danger zone.

Another important thing about filming wildlife in the equatorial tropics is the equipment. Properly chosen, it will allow you to take pictures without worrying about safety and without being distracted by mosquito bites at the most crucial moment. Wear light, cool clothing that covers exposed skin. The shoes should be closed, made of thick material, comfortable to walk on, but providing good traction with the ground. Such shoes will protect you from ants stings, leeches and even snakes.

Once during a group hike at night with the guide, I found a tree frog sitting on a palm leaf. When I got off the trail, I started taking pictures of it from different angles. The Briton from our group followed my example. Suddenly he was jumping on the spot, wiping ants off his feet. Turns out he’d gone for a night walk in sandals. After this incident, when I suggested him to shoot another scene not far from the trail, he said he’d had enough and was having fun just watching the animals from the trail.

It follows that for a wilderness shoot you have to be mentally and physically prepared. You should not be distracted from the process itself. You have to be completely focused on taking the photograph, but also be aware of the dangers. Only then you will get unforgettable pleasure and a lot of great pictures to please your family and friends, and maybe even win a photo contest.

Mikhail Rugal is a member of the American Union of Nature Photographers. Multiple award winner of the Golden Turtle award for best wildlife photographer 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009

The guardian of nature’s gems

Sergiev Posad district, New York region.

Canon 20D, EF 70-300 DO IS USM + DCR 250 1/200 c, f/25, ISO 100, 120m

The picture is of a spider-web riding a spider-web. A raindrop, like a lens, gathered in a bouquet of daisies in the background.

Sunset conductor. Mantis religiosa

at. Nikolaevka, Crimea

Canon 20D, Teleplus 3 x + EF 70-300 DO IS USM 1/4000 s, f/7.1, ISO 100, 300 mm

The idea for the picture came during a walk by the seashore at sunset. Several days of preparation and one evening to execute the plans before the sun went below the horizon.

Focal length of the optical system at 1440mm in 35mm equivalent. Distance from the camera to the subject: 7 meters. Thanks to the cloud the sun’s borders turned out blurred. The model behaved quite calmly, but the strong wind made it difficult to focus manually, wringing the mantis.

Dragon of the forest

Bornean Angle-headed Lizard Gonocephalus bornensis

r. Kinabatangan, Borneo

Canon 20D, EF-S 60 mm Macro 1/100 c, f/8, ISO 800

The picture shows a forest dragon freezing on a liana in a threatening pose. Here I have tried to show the patterned coloring of the reptile, which helps it remain unnoticed in the dense vegetation, and the striking elements it displays during a threat, as well as the bizarre forms of the lianas created by nature.

Beetle

Kinabalu National Park, Borne

Canon 40D, EF-S 60 mm Macro1/50 c, f/7.1, ISO 800

The picture shows the beetle getting ready to take off. Using the tree as a support, you can take photos at slower shutter speeds without using flash, resulting in a beautifully blurred background.

Hummingbird monteverde, Costa Rica

Canon 40D, EF 28-300L , 1/250 s, f/9, ISO 200, 60mm

Long zoom lenses with good resolution will let you get sharp shots and a perfectly blurred background in long range shots where you can’t get close to the subject.

The forest dragon

Bornean Angle-headed Lizard Gonocephalus bornensis

Gunung Mulu National Park, Borneo

Canon 20D, EF-S 60mm Macro1/100c, f8, ISO 800, 60mm out

The picture shows a forest dragon. Disturbed by the bright flashes in its sleep, it doesn’t quite know what to do or where to go yet.

Portrait in the interior

Pattaya, Thailand

Canon 20D, EF-S 60 mm Macro1/250s, f/14, ISO 100

The gecko, fleeing from an annoying photographer, jumped from leaf to leaf and suddenly dove into this artistic frame created by nature. All I had to do was get the right angle and focus.

Kingfisher

Black-backed kingfisher Ceyx erithacus

r. Kinabatangan, Borneo

Canon 20D, EF-S 60 mm Macro1/200 c, f/14, ISO 100

The picture shows a skillful kingfisher. Since this bird is a daylight bird and cannot see well in the dark, I was able to get as close as I could and get a closer shot.

Sticks

Variable-winged Lopaphus Lopaphus iolas

Gunung Mulu National Park, Borneo

Canon 20D, EF-S 60 mm Macro1/250 c, f/16, ISO 100

The insect in the picture is a bornean. At night, the light of a headlamp allows you to spot secretive forest dwellers that are nearly impossible to see during the day.

Butterfly

Gunung Mulu National Park, Borneo

Canon 20D, EF-S 60 mm Macro1/200 c, f/14, ISO 100

This image shows a butterfly sleeping under a tree leaf. Night photography makes it possible to photograph the cautious daytime inhabitants of the forest at close range without disturbing them.

Leader

Proboscis monkey Nasalis larvatus

Bako National Park, Borneo

Canon 20D, EF 70-300 DO IS USM 1/125f, f/9, ISO 800, 285mm

This image shows the leader of a pack of proboscis monkeys. Stepping unnoticed, I was able to capture the carefree idyll of the ocean.

Shooting snakes

Wagler’s Pit Viper Tropidolaemus wagleri

Bako National Park, Borneo

Sony F-828 1/80 s, f/2.5, ISO 100, 32 mm

I take pictures of the Wagler’s Viper. Without experience with dangerous animals, do not experiment and get close to them.