Photographing Glow Worms
Oct 29, 2014 04:01:46 #
I find these devilish hard to photo. When you get enough light to show body details it washes out the animal's glow. When you get a dark enough exposure to show the glow, the body details are buried in either darkness or noise. Stacking is out of the question as these little ladies (yep they're females) are active hunters and move quite a bit. The second image is a small "Ram's Horn Snail" shell with one of the glow worms feeding on the snail, their natural prey. The squares on the graph paper are 5 mm. Glow Worm (Pterotus obscuripennis) Any suggestions on improving my technique are as always appreciated.
Oct 29, 2014 04:16:28 #
I suggest that you combine your time exposure (1.6-seconds) for glow detail, with a bit of speedlight fill to barely illuminate surface detail.
Exif info of image #1:
Camera Model: Canon EOS 70D
Lens: MP-E65mm f/2.8 1-5x Macro Photo
Image Date: 2014-10-28
Focal Length: 65.0mm
Aperture: f/8.0
Exposure Time: 1.6-sec
ISO equiv: 6400
Exposure Bias: -0.67 EV
Metering Mode: Matrix
Exposure: aperture priority (semi-auto)
White Balance: Auto
Flash Fired: No
Exif info of image #1:
Camera Model: Canon EOS 70D
Lens: MP-E65mm f/2.8 1-5x Macro Photo
Image Date: 2014-10-28
Focal Length: 65.0mm
Aperture: f/8.0
Exposure Time: 1.6-sec
ISO equiv: 6400
Exposure Bias: -0.67 EV
Metering Mode: Matrix
Exposure: aperture priority (semi-auto)
White Balance: Auto
Flash Fired: No
Nov 2, 2014 07:54:32 #
lovitlots
Loc: Tottenham, Ontario, Canada
The next time you shoot 1 of these try an hdr approach. This may allow you to capture the details in the body without washing out the glow.
Nov 2, 2014 23:33:48 #
lovitlots wrote:
If they won't hold still for stacking, it's unlikely a set of bracketed shots wouldn't have the same issue: alignment of moving creature.The next time you shoot 1 of these try an hdr approach. This may allow you to capture the details in the body without washing out the glow.
Nov 3, 2014 01:19:40 #
lovitlots
Loc: Tottenham, Ontario, Canada
LoneRangeFinder wrote:
It takes a long time to shoot a stack. 3 bracketed shots, especially if the camera shoots it automatically, may be quick enough to get the desired results. Some times disturbing the animal may cause it to go still long enough to get the shots. Memory is reusable. It won't hurt to try.If they won't hold still for stacking, it's unlikely a set of bracketed shots wouldn't have the same issue: alignment of moving creature.
Nov 3, 2014 02:04:31 #
lovitlots wrote:
So far the critters go into kind of fetal position when they're jostled. They shut down light production when there's too much (actually when there's the right amount) ambient light. So, they're either moving around too fast, or they're playing possum, and they only glow when there's not enough light to take a picture! I'm still working on it, but I suspect since the nights are getting colder I may run out of time this year.It takes a long time to shoot a stack. 3 bracketed shots, especially if the camera shoots it automatically, may be quick enough to get the desired results. Some times disturbing the animal may cause it to go still long enough to get the shots. Memory is reusable. It won't hurt to try.
Nov 4, 2014 08:01:53 #
If you want to reply, then register here. Registration is free and your account is created instantly, so you can post right away.