1. Little creature scurries along the floorboard. I notice it scurrying and call out to Jim to put a glass over it.
2. He said he'll get a paper towel. I shout, "no, no, wait!" Run to grab my camera. Need to changes lenses. "wait, wait!, don't kill it!" (said loudly)... "yet" (said under my breath)
3. Students who are over for a dinner meeting Jim is hosting wonder what is going on. One of them figures it out (he's my advisee by the way, I think to myself proudly)
4. Lens changed, head back to take photo. Oh no! Smart card is in computer. Hurry back to grab it out, rather then carefully eject. Put it in camera.
5. My advisee pulls out a little flashlight (did I mention how proud I am of him?)
6. Lying down now, almost eye to eye, I stalk said centipede. He scurries...I follow...advisee follows with light.
7. Snap about 15 shots. Trying to get eyes in focus.
8. Declare it a success.
9. Poor centipede.
Credit and thanks to my assistant (my advisee), Rick C., for his quick thinking.
@olivetreeann You cracked me up!! There was one point where it started walking toward me and I'm lying flat on my stomach looking through the macro -- all I could think of was "what if it touches me." I gasped pretty loud, enough to draw the rest of the students' attention. I'm guessing I was more entertaining to the doc students this way than when I'm teaching them!
@lisay Well...I'd like to tell you he's outside having a great life...but think of this shot more as a tribute to a life well lived, perhaps...an homage to a bug? He did get to live longer in our house than other centipedes.
I am pretty sure I am going to have a nightmare about this tonight but this is a fabulous shot. I can't believe you got close enough to capture this creature - now that's dedication to the art:-)
@vskolnik I know what you mean -- I that was the second time tonight it happened -- I went out to photograph in the garden at night and couldn't figure out why my camera was 'broken' -- duh...card in the computer. Then, 40 minutes later, I did the exact same thing around the bug.
@jyokota Well, I liked the clouds. Jim didn't like the fence. After the cloud and fence photos, I'd seen the centipede and took a photo. Then, one thing led to another I had a centipede shot to post and a flower bud! After a horribly unproductive writing day, at least I had two photos that I feel okay about!
This made me laugh!!!!!! The things we do to get a fun shot. My daughters joke about eating cold dinners because I want to take pictures. Making memories!
@jerwinkie A fav -- wow -- thanks! I usually am so squeamish about these bugs that I don't even like to have to step on one. So, I really really appreciate the fav for the effort!
@pflaume Thanks Lisa. It's fun to try to sort out the steps -- otherwise I have a tendency to just ramble on...and I do like to write when it isn't a deadline induced task!
Oh I loved reading this, Taffy - laughing and 'eeewwwwwww-ing'. That thing has way too many legs for my taste. Ick.
Great focus though - and glad your student pitched in and was such a good sport.
Hehee...one of those crazy photography moments...If you'd held back from the crazy yelling and running....you would have missed this fabulous shot. That focus is killer! (Pun intended)
Eww! Awesome shot, but eww! Any other creature, and I would have done what you did, but these guys really freak me out! I'll see one out of the corner of my eye and in the time it takes to ask myself, "did I just see what I think I saw?" it disappears!
Thank you all so much for your responses. You all made me laugh as well -- I'm glad you could see both the total 'ewww' factor and the fun of just trying to get this shot. I know if Rick hadn't been so quick, I'd never have been able to get it.
gosh! these critters move FAST! kudos to you for getting this shot at all, never mind so nicely in focus! and major kudos to your advisee for being so quick thinking and proving himself to be such an able assistant!
@northy I know if he hadn't been there, I wouldn't have gotten the shot. It took him to get the bug moving in the right direction, into my lens! @archaeofrog Very much not my normal action around the critters -- they are gross and I can't stand seeing them! @moreyoulessme Thanks Jerri! It was all very chaotic, but then the shot looks so calm. Had to try to convey what it took. @elaine55 Mostly it's the lens and then a lot of luck. I took about 15 photos and only 3 had the eyes in focus, and the other 2 had a problem with the background because it was moving on the crack between the wood floor and the baseboard so the background was distracting. Mostly luck, now that I'm explaining this! @orangecrush Thanks Jerry!
What happened to the days when we would squish any bug that moved, now they have become the stars of the show! Great shot, great story, how you managed to get it in focus I have no idea, well done all round!
Your story did make me chuckle and I could just see you grovelling on the ground trying to get the best angle and focus! Incredible result, dof is so shallow with macro photography, and you have got the exact right bits in focus... 100% Fav.
@jo13 So true, Jo -- now I look for bugs to photograph rather that wipe out (I still think I will feel angst about mosquitoes though -- rather than get too close to those! @amandal Thanks Amanda! @btorrey Brenda -- they are totally creepy -- but sorry for creeping you out! @lightchaser Thanks Alan! @jackie8 Thanks Jackie -- glad you could see the humor in the chaos! @cjphoto Thanks Chris -- love that you thought it was awesome!
Wow - that is very creepy and fascinating, and your focus is astounding!
Well done on your bravery - I think looking at this through the macro, in a vulnerable unable-to-run-away-easily position, while it's coming at you and probably looked like it was nearly on your nose, must have been terrifying! Well worth the chaos - an amazing capture!
@colie Thanks Colie -- it was really fun and I think Rick was glad to have the chance to see me in a less formal setting. @tuesdaygirl It was awful one time -- I did jump out of the way instead of getting the shot and then Rick used his foot to get the thing to move in the other direction so I could reposition. @darylo Thanks! Welcome back from the graduation events.
2. Excellent shot.
3. Brilliant student- get him on 365!
4. Ewwwww!
Oops -- doesn't start til tomorrow. Bummer!
Great focus though - and glad your student pitched in and was such a good sport.
Thank you all so much for your responses. You all made me laugh as well -- I'm glad you could see both the total 'ewww' factor and the fun of just trying to get this shot. I know if Rick hadn't been so quick, I'd never have been able to get it.
@archaeofrog Very much not my normal action around the critters -- they are gross and I can't stand seeing them!
@moreyoulessme Thanks Jerri! It was all very chaotic, but then the shot looks so calm. Had to try to convey what it took.
@elaine55 Mostly it's the lens and then a lot of luck. I took about 15 photos and only 3 had the eyes in focus, and the other 2 had a problem with the background because it was moving on the crack between the wood floor and the baseboard so the background was distracting. Mostly luck, now that I'm explaining this!
@orangecrush Thanks Jerry!
@amandal Thanks Amanda!
@btorrey Brenda -- they are totally creepy -- but sorry for creeping you out!
@lightchaser Thanks Alan!
@jackie8 Thanks Jackie -- glad you could see the humor in the chaos!
@cjphoto Thanks Chris -- love that you thought it was awesome!
Well done on your bravery - I think looking at this through the macro, in a vulnerable unable-to-run-away-easily position, while it's coming at you and probably looked like it was nearly on your nose, must have been terrifying! Well worth the chaos - an amazing capture!
@tuesdaygirl It was awful one time -- I did jump out of the way instead of getting the shot and then Rick used his foot to get the thing to move in the other direction so I could reposition.
@darylo Thanks! Welcome back from the graduation events.
http://petapixel.com/2013/05/17/focus-stacked-macro-photos-of-bugs-by-photographer-nicolas-reusens/
Have fun!