Showing posts with label malaysia macro. Show all posts
Showing posts with label malaysia macro. Show all posts

Monday, January 3, 2011

New Found - Owl Fly Family Ascalaphidae

a new discover near my In-law garden ... I thought I lost them after the incident
http://liewwk-macro.blogspot.com/2010/06/news-another-sad-news.html


http://liewwk-macro.blogspot.com/2010/12/they-are-back.html
but then I found most of the bugs back with new discover Owl Flyand this real rare to me .. 1st time saw it and not much ppl saw it wild in MALAYSIA too


... owl fly ...

Friday, August 27, 2010

MACRO PP - When you meet a big bug (photomerge)

this is mostly sharing for MP-E65 user but it do apply for other user too when there are few occasion which need this Photomerge technique.

For MP-E65 user, one of the problem is we only have minimum magnification of 1:1 and while the bug >35mm (for Full frame user) or >23mm (APS-c user)then the object will never fit into single frame .. but we need it to be fit sometime (big is not always GOOD).... there are few suggestion

i. easy way , get another normal MACRO len which can do <1:1 (which I do it too)
ii. but sometime the moment may not allow you change len as it may leave you .....then photomerge will be better/quick solution

it is not difficult to shoot macro for pano/merger and I did a sharing once @ here. but today let me share little more on which option I use in CS..... here are the step

i. shoot with same magnification and need some cross area
   - shoot more so you can stack
   - incase miss out some portion

ii. use CS photomerge option














iii. use auto ... most of the time













iv. choose the pictures you wish to merge















v. it is done .....for few sec/min












vi. and crop away what ever area you fill you don't want or if you want the area but not able to cover (those white area) ..then you can use "clone" option to recover it.

or just crop as













then caterpillar is done ....

Monday, August 9, 2010

New Found - beautiful Caterpillar

finally another wish list clear .. one of the most beautiful caterpillar (even not the picture, and this found at night and it stand at real ugly leaf :D )

... Malay Viscount Caterpillar ...

and thanks Jason Loo (who found it) and Andy Paul for the ID ... thanks .. and I really enjoy to shoot with you all .. learn a lot and happy ..............

ID still on progress of verify .. but is between T. iapis or T. pelea







... a not so easy head shot ...

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Other - Do You need a "Good Eye" to shoot Macro ?

there are some bugs really good in Camouflage... you will never notice them if you not really spend some effort to look for it ... but not all of them are difficult to spot and below are some my found which I feel ...we need good patience and "eye" to look for it ....
1. always stick on tree body
not easy to spot it ...

2. leaf look alike ...
Leaf Mimic Grasshopper - female

3. very small insect always hide on tree body which same color
Weevil in Love -2

4. always on the rock .. same color :D
I need a kiss ..

5. this is one real tough one . small and 95% same color with the tree ...and seldom move
a shy and cute tiny Jumping Spider

6. not really toght but not easy too
anyone want to guest how big is this guy ?

7. so far .. this is most difficult to spot spider .. I keep look for it within the same tree ...
... can u spot me ??? ...

8. this mantis love to go into plant with color with white .. and patient need to spot it ..
... delicious drumstick ...

9. if this guy drop into the leaf area .. don;t think we can easy to find it
25.1 Leaf Insect
 

Friday, June 18, 2010

Other - it had been long I didn't get a shot that I am happy with

It had been long I didn't get a satisfy MACRO shot ... I shared a post before "How I shoot MACRO - Compo, Angle ..." ... I would not be satisfy just to get a "technically" good picture which with good focus, clarity, BG, DOF but without any action or pose ... I will call those shots as "science book"/record shots...

e.g.
... another Giraffe Weevil ...

- this shot is technically good in term of light (flash), DOF and think the angle is pretty good to show this bug characteristic in single frame.
even-though these few shots were not easy ... (discuss here before ) but it still call as "science book"/record shots (as it is good to show people how this bug look like)


And I was trying my luck to wait for it for some action shots (mating or flying), and I was lucky it is almost ready to fly and I managed to capture few focus shot with BG.... and I think this could be most satisfy shot up to now for year 2010....

an non crop picture

... I want to fly ...


more beetle from liewwk Nature Collection click here

Thursday, June 17, 2010

New Found - A Hairy Jumping Spider

I am happy to find a new jumping spider (a hairy one) and it is from the tree trunk instead leaf as common jumping spider do. this one instead is very beautiful and move non- stop ....

... a beautiful Jumping Spider ...


a closer view ... and you can see how hairy it is
... it's always good to look close 37 - Jumping Spider ...


and see it use it's hand to rub it's eye/face .. make this funny animation

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4021/4709171966_6d8cd7c831_o.gif

more spider collection click here

other - a not so easy closeup

... another Giraffe Weevil ...


I am shooting for Macro for ~2.5 years now and few bugs I still having problem to shoot their close-up (face in close without cropping) and share in my flickr @ It's always good to look close xx

2 of my wish to shoot their face are Tiger Beetle and Giraffe Weevil

both this bug very shy, not easy to get close and I managed to get close to one the giraffe weevil (wild) and shoot 4:1 without any crop .. one of my happiest capture in 2010 even not a best picture ... but I am happy to have it get close ..

... it's always good to look close 36 - Giraffe Weevil ...

more beetle from liewwk flickr click here

Monday, May 17, 2010

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
2010 May - Macro New Lighting Setup

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
... Termite 白蟻 ...

ii. a wasp just woke up
... how I brush my teeth ...

more will be coming ....

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Colorful world ...

I didn't realize that I shoot so beautiful series recently ... but I am happy that while I try to view back my MACRO collection from my web site http://www.liewwkphoto.com/gallery2.htm

sometimes I feel macro photography not just details, sharpness & magnification which can easy achieve after lighting is correct setup .... with little practice .

But the opportunity to get the better composition is a challenge to MACRO (bug) shooter as we can't control the bug like other ... we can control the how, where they stand .... and how;s the dews fall on their body and we just hope for more luck ...(even I know some situation some photographer will make fake dew .. by spread the water on bug body , make BG but put some leaf behind... but these are not easy too who can make sure after water spread the bug won't flew off ???? So I always respect those shoot with good composition with good details and magnification ....)

here are some colorful pictures (last few object that I post...)

light Yellow












Pink












Yellow













Blue


















Green

Monday, April 12, 2010

How I shoot MACRO - Add on Dews ....

I always admire LordV or Brian to shoot dews ... or look at his dews work @http://www.flickr.com/photos/lordv/sets/72057594101162264/

but I don;t have patient just do dews on un-move plant.. flowers ... so I always want to do it on bug/insect ....

last year, with help of my gang Kurt/Orionmystery (another great macro shooter I know...) I managed to shoot 1st bug with dews diffraction with Kurt help (he hold the flowers behind the bug for me and I shoot it with high magnification (~2-3:1) so I got
14.1 Plant Bug ... ~3.5:1

and I am waiting for raining season after the shot to make more dews shot ... after months wait, finally bugs are back to my in law garden and rain is almost drop down every evening ... so I managed to have many chance to shoot what I wish to do ....

and below are some pictures I shoot for last 2 weeks

1. a bore one without bug ...
when I free and and boring....

2. found a ladybird in the morning and a large dew on it's body and I make shot with right hand press shutter (camera mount on tripod) and the other hand hold the flower behind the ladybird
"lady" like pink ...

3. and the ladybird moving around so I still able to shoot few more shots before it flew off
"lady" like pink -2 ...

4. one week later ... heavy rain while I go back to my in law house . before the rain stop , I went out to try my luck and luck is with me ...found few bee and one with dewsssssss, I use one hand wto press shutter while the camera mount on tripod .. then the other hand hold the flower
Cuckoo Bee ... still sleeping after rain

*** all pictures focus stacked with few pictures .. no add on , with max ~10% crop ...

Friday, March 12, 2010

New Found - A Katydid ???

it look like katydid but 1st time it seeing it have the scary mouth and face ....

and it bite so while shoot close have to take note on it mouth and teeth :D

and managed to choose few shots to represent working faces by day :D

Monday - hmmm .. what should I do now .. which one to start???
Katydid - Mon face

Tuesday - all the hands, legs also need to be work .. aikss so many work
Katydid - Tue/Wed face

Wednesday / Thursday - Tired, mood down ...
Katydid - Wed/Thu face

Friday - Party time :D yeah .. yeah .. TGIF
Katydid - Fri face

Happy Friday .. special to those feel happy that TGIF :D

Thursday, March 11, 2010

New Found - Leaf Mimic Grasshopper

Leaf Mimic Grasshopper
genus is Systella sp., a short-horned grasshopper (Caelifera) in the family Trigonopterygidae

happy to found this bug 2 weeks ago but then see it again last week while I brought my daughter to see some moth @ Berjaya Resort (Bukit Tinggi) locate at Pahang, Malaysia.

this is a leaf like insect not easy to spot, and it jump not far as long as do not let it jump back to the area close it color else have to spend time to find it. and it is not really move or shy to human so can use tripod for this guy :D

1. male
Leaf Mimic Grasshopper - male

2. female
Leaf Mimic Grasshopper - female

3. late for the mating session .. but this is just before they split
Leaf Mimic Grasshopper mating

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

New Found - Long-Horned Beetle in Love

After 2 years ++ in MACRO photography, this is my first time see a pair of Long-Horned Beetle mating in real life instead of pictures. it is wonderful found, and was should be one of my best found for 2010 .. so let's share it with pictures ... and HD Movie

1. keep moving around so I got green BG
long-horned beetle in love - 2

2. and also brown BG
long-horned beetle in love - 1

and a HD movie show how they never give up ... (@almost end of the movie)

Monday, March 1, 2010

New Founds - Rhinoceros beetle

this is not new to me but happy to share it with you all as this seem to be rare after years ...

while I was young I can see this beetle quite often even in the town (I stay in Kuala Lumpur since young) but nowadays, we are not easy to smell this beetle even went into jungle ....

few characteristic
i. seldom move and like to climb stick
ii. female without horn
iii. take note of it legs as it will hurt you if it trying to hold your hand :D
4. so far I found @highland ... Genting Highland, Berjaya Resort (Bukit Tinggi) and Lukut Palm Oil Plantation

have been long never meet a "Rhino"

larger view http://www.liewwkphoto.com/image-viewer.htm?Fgallery2-23

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

How I Shoot MACRO - Reflector is important gear

have prepare this 2009 but not able to finish the pictures process and writing ..but just have to finish it as I have too many thing pending in my "working hadisc" ...

I use to brought a reflector and my gang or some friend will ask .. why you bring such big diffuser for macro outing .. and we are not shooting portrait .. but :D actually I need it for my "model" (MACRO bug, insect .....)

there are situations we can't solve the environment impact to our picture/video ... and we can't control the bug/insects and environment .. so how ?

one of the situation that I want to discuss here is "harsh light on the reflective bugs body". some bugs e.g. ladybird, ants, beetle... etc bodies tend to reflect easily no matter we use flash or not (even use Natural light/fill flash if any light fall on their body... the light will just reflect badly and show in our picture ...)

e.g. of this wasp, it stand on a place where light is strong hit on it's head and without using any additional gear ... this will be our output
How I shoot MACRO : we do use reflector too

how I resolve this ? if the environment and bug not allow me to get closer then I have no choice PP the reflective part will be the only solution for me and I share it before
MACRO PP - Clone Reflective Body

but if the wasp allow me to go closer with additional Reflector and put in front of the light source to the main object then I can easily get picture with same distance , same setting, ... without any PP

How I shoot MACRO : we do use reflector too

too bad no one with me .. I use tripod and release cable one hand and the other for reflector .... no one snap picture for me on actual field work .. but next time if I shoot with my gang ... then I will share some picture here


*** both picture shoot without crop, different F number, fill flash (same power) and while raw-->Jpeg only increase contrast, resize

Friday, February 12, 2010

New Found - Flower Mantis (update)

it was a mistake ... I thought of I found a Orchid Mantis but it is not after verification with mantidboy From Flickr (he know alot about mantis) .. this is a

family Hymenopidae
Creobotra sp

even ... not a Orchid Mantis .. but I am still happy with this new found too

a old picture shoot Jul 2008 (
Mantis 3:1

how it look close ... (PP to make it little mystery feel)
Anyone know my name ???


and it was camera shy ....
bit shy ...

and after few shot .. it start willing to look at my camera and I am getting closer and closer

my name is "Orchid Mantis"

(for larger view please visit www.liewwkphoto.com for the macro session or http://www.liewwkphoto.com/gallery2.htm )
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