Travel Report - Taiwan May 2010 (1)

I was invited to go Taiwan to have a Nature Photography Trip by 大鬍子 [Director of http://www.chiuhua.com.tw/] ...within 5 days we travel from Taipei --> Wulai --> Syueshan (台北 --> 乌来 http://travel.network.com.tw/tourguide/twnmap/taipeicountry/Wulia.asp --> 大雪山 http://tsfs.forest.gov.tw/DM1/index.asp)

We meet quite a lot of Nature photographer & book writer (from all over the Taiwan , south, east....) and all of them are good nature lover and photographer...from the discussion and conversation , I do learn a lot from them ... not only on photography but how to appreciate the nature ....

There are a lot of hit and miss (photography) e.g. I got plenty of endemic birds and wild life from Taiwan which I do not expect ...... but I do missed out some of the creatures that I able to see but failed to capture ... :(
i. plenty of Scorpion flies around ...easily >10 among Wulai & Syueshan 乌来 --> 大雪山
ii. green metallic Giraffe Weevil .... it is still as shy as Malaysia GW
iii. a bird call Doraemon (小叮噹)
iv. lophura swinhoii (藍腹鷴) .... a endemic bird from Taiwan ...according to them ... it is most easy bird ever but then we still miss it due to the bad weather on last day in the Syueshan (大雪山)
v. Star ... even good weather but the star are not really bright due the bright moon

But again this was a wonderful trip and thanks Mr Chai [大鬍子] for the accommodation , time spend , nice foods ....

I may too busy to process all the pictures capture in 1-2 weeks time so let me share the view from 大鬍子 house @ Wulai (乌来) peak (this is a place locate at far high from the common tourist area and not all people allow to go out to this area as it do have a road block by police 7 x 24 @ entrance ... (Location map @ Flickr map)

Insect Info - 10.9 Weaver Ant

this is new idea I have, starting now I will trying my best to share the info of the bugs here with help of some sites and my experience ....

details of this Weaver Ant
Order Hymenoptera --> genus Oecophylla --> family Formicidae --> subfamily Formicinae --> Oecophylla smaragdina

膜翅目 --> 蟻科 --> 蚁亚科 --> 织巢蚁属 --> 黄猄蚁

The weaver ants belong to the ant genus Oecophylla (subfamily Formicinae) which contains two closely related living species: O. longinoda found in Sub-Saharan Africa and O. smaragdina found in southern India, southeast Asia, and Australia.

Weaver ants are obligately arboreal and are known for their unique nest building behaviour where workers construct nests by weaving together leaves using larval silk.[1] Colonies can be extremely large consisting of more than a hundred nests spanning numerous trees and contain more than half a million workers. Like many other ant species, weaver ants prey on small insects and supplement their diet with carbohydrate-rich honeydew excreted by small insects (Hemiptera) [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weaver_ant]

该属蚂蚁主要分布在东洋区、非洲区、澳洲区等气候温暖的地方。全世界有织叶蚁2种及十几个亚种、变种。

织叶蚁属蚂蚁和同亚科的弓背蚁属、多刺蚁属的一些蚁在筑巢方式上有同样独特的习性。它们的巢主要以幼虫吐出的分泌物和植物叶子等粘结而成。幼虫是筑巢过程的重要工具。织叶蚁属的幼虫在营巢活动中被小型工蚁的上颚叨着穿梭于植物叶子间，从而使植物叶片被幼虫吐出的丝粘结在一起，形成一紧密的巢。老熟幼虫不参与建巢活动。
[http://sciencer.net/ant/data/Formicinae/Oecophylla/index.html]

This weaver ant queen was not move at all while I see it, as it seem like it trying to protect her eggs.

1. what - Weaver Ant queen
2. where - leaf @ garden
3. How - easy as it not really move while with egg
4. size - 8-14mm

News - another Overseas Nature Photography Trip

Last year I make one to Indonesia, Cibodas come back with some good capture e.g.






or more picture from Cibodas, Indonesia click here


and this year, I have few more and Taiwan is coming hope I can bring more to share with you all

Taiwan I am coming ... :D

How I shoot MACRO - Results of 2010 May Lighting

am busy these few days with works, family ... just want to share some quick result from the new lighting discuss in May 2010 Lighting
or


the light look amazing , it produce the softness and the natural look (flashless) which I think I will continue to use this minimum another better version is out

i. this little termite move non-stop and I found it will rest for 2-3 s every very move .. then this is my opportunity to use this reflective insect to test my new lighting


ii. a wasp just woke up


more will be coming ....

How I shoot MACRO - New Accessories and Lighting 2010 May

after 2 month stop sharing my MACRO setup .. even I change/test it after few version but this is another workable Macro lighting setup for Canon MP-E65 & MT-24

My previous Lighting Share
http://liewwk-macro.blogspot.com/2010/03/how-i-shoot-macro-new-start.html

Some of the Accessories was bought and test on field few months back but I just not too sure it will be apply and busy to share it ... but now I am pretty sure these actually help me for macro shooting



1. gaffer tape
2. Wimberley Plamp
3. Kaiser flash Hot shoe
4. Vellum Paper
5. Japan flash hot shoe


and beside my above accessories below is my current light setup



more of my MACRO setup
http://www.flickr.com/photos/liewwk/sets/72157611341564765/

Landscape - how stars move?

I am back from MA, US and will share some of my shots there ...

spent ~2hours @~40-50F and it was windy ...still remember the coldness and this is what I plan to have .. even the north start seem little out of my plan spot ..

a standard quality


but if wish to have better quality movie
http://www.liewwkphoto.com/still/MA/startrails1/MA-Star1.htm


missed out the picture

2 years after

~2.5 years ago I am still noob for photography .. I had no idea what is ISO, Shutter speed ... aperture .. and the photography started while I had my long training @ US

most of the picture share @http://picasaweb.google.com/liewwk76 ... those were old days while I just shoot for my fun (and I miss those day .. while I can simply shoot thousands of pictures without worry too much... less PP time.. no worry on compo .. )

and 2.5 years later I went back to same place while I assign for a assignment back to same place here are 2 pictures I stand @ very similar location (which can see from my flickr @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/liewwk/4576930872/ (look for Taken in

2007 Oct

From NewPort/Fort Adams

2010 May


If you ask me what is my feeling among 2 pictures,
1. I am improving even I know still far to improve
2. I was more happier last trip ... just the feeling .. could be 1st time and repeat trip
3. shoot less pictures .. much lesser

again ... time flight ... I had started my photography ~2.5 years