Under-Bark Harvestman Revisited

e6filmuser

When I found one of these previously I had the setup extended for much smaller subjects. Not knowing how long the subject would remain still, I did what I could with that setting. Having looked again under bark chunks on the ground in my garden, I found a group of three Opiliones, apparently of the same species as my earlier session. These also stayed in position. One of them was ideally accessible form a number of angles.

This time I used f16, or thereabouts (no click stops and smaller apertures not numbered).

EM-1, extension, Leitz Photar 50mm, two flash TTL RC, hand-held with support from substrate for front hand.

Additional sharpening of the second image, to show the spines on the legs, gives an unattractive effect on the OOF back ground but I thought it worthwhile for this image.

Harold

Lord Vetinari

Wonderful stuff Harold
Brian V.

e6filmuser

Lord Vetinari wrote: »

Wonderful stuff Harold
Brian V.

Thanks, Brian.

The advantage of bark inhabitants as subjects is that detached chunks of the substrate can be carried to a more comfortable place for the photography. In this case it was a decrepit but usable pub-type bench. I was able to sit in comfort, position my free-standing fill flash to best effect, and then rest my lens-supporting hand on the bench or the bench-supported bark. The bench receiving sunlight at that time of day also helps enormously with locating, framing and focusing. This last issue was not critical for the harvestman but was for springtails (more to come) and mites (in progress).

Harold

Stumblebum

Last one is super close up!

e6filmuser

Stumblebum wrote: »

Last one is super close up!

Thanks. The shooting magnification was the same. I just cropped a bit more off that one.

Harold