Spiders and Damselflies at Sunset 2

Another clear sunset so out round the lake this time using a ring flash to illuminate the foreground - Common Blue Damselflies and the Long-jawed spider.

Fungi Survey at Paxton Pits

The last wildlife monthly survey of the year at Paxton concentrates on fungi and we were fortunate to have a fine day and plenty of species last Saturday. The first image of a troop of Mycena (?) toadstools sums up the magic of the morning (second image with flash to light the stems). Puff balls, Shaggy Pholiota, Dead Man's Fingers, Beefsteak bracket, three types of Inkcaps and another Mycena species complete the images displayed here though we found many many more species and are hoping to identify a few more.

Workshop on Flash Techniques

Yesterday evening, Toft Photogroup and CCC had a photography evening in Toft Churchyard practising various flash and night photography techniques.  Zoe came along with her black and irridescent angel wings and white fans and feathers. The three church images are comparable exposures - first with the security lights on, then unlit and finally lit by light painting with a handheld flash gun. The first and second images of Zoe are single flashes while the third and fourth images are long exposures with several flashes during the exposure. 

Experimenting with Lighting

You can tell we are back in lockdown when I start looking for photographic projects. I decided to photograph vegetables with chiaroscuro lighting using off-camera flash diffused through tissue paper. The first six are my favourites.

Playing with Lighting Fungi at Wandlebury

Despite all the rain, fungi were in pretty short supply at Wandlebury but I found a few to practise different lighting set ups (flash, gels and continuous LED). The minute spider was obviously attracted  (or disturbed) by the underneath lighting and got in on the act. The gills of a large bracket on a beech tree reminded me of the fan vaulting in King's college Chapel but so much more intricate.

Progress (?) on Capturing Insects in Flight

I am still perservering with capturing the many hovering insects in the garden at the moment. The Bee flies are the easiest to photograph as they are inquisitive and will come progressively closer. These are taken at 1/1000th second for the first three images 1/4000th for the next four with the last one at 1/250th; all with flash (separate flash gun on camera). The shutterspeed is not making that difference - more the angle at which the wings are caught as they are relatively slower as they rotate past the midpoint and at the extreme points of the figure of eight.