Sarawak trip September 2012


nice style on this shoot, i suppose you are not using flash just natural light...
how about tripod?
 

I use the tripod if necessary. As I always first look for the background and after that I compose the picture I usualy have to make the pose like advanced yoga tutor :-) This is the reason why I choose EOS 5D MIII and actually EOS 6D (exceptional high iso results) and stabilized macro lens to be able shoot with hand holding camera.
 

You moved the animals around for the shots?
 

I usualy take pictures without moving the animals. In some cases I need cooperation of insects and try to stop them if run away by some attraction. In most cases I try to find good background first and then find the right angle with between animal and background.
 

Sulasula said:
Many thanks, Melvyn! Your pictures are very impressive for me, I am happy you like those few of mine. :-)
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I love ALL OF THEM! and thank you for sharing your techniques :)
 

Nice macro shoots. Like all of them. Are the snakes poisonous? Looks quite dangerous.
 

Sulasula said:
I usualy take pictures without moving the animals. In some cases I need cooperation of insects and try to stop them if run away by some attraction. In most cases I try to find good background first and then find the right angle with between animal and background.
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You have good eyes. I'm still having problem with finding good backgrounds for my shots.
 

qianhanhua said:
Nice macro shoots. Like all of them. Are the snakes poisonous? Looks quite dangerous.
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Yes, they are poisonous, but VERY patient. They are able to stay in the same branch for week or more and I never noticed effort to bite me. It is true I kept and bred lot of snakes in the past and have strongly positive relationship to the reptiles.
 

Schmike said:
You have good eyes. I'm still having problem with finding good backgrounds for my shots.
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One way is just try manualy turn the lens out of focus and take pictures of several things from around. Once you understand the effect of closer background, far distance background, background with partly sky in it, sky visible thru the leaves, "fake background" made by out of focus foreground, you will have much easier position in real photography, as you can imagine what cause particular light and background conditions.

As a leader of photography courses, I always try to explain my students the background is for me as necessary as the main object itself. If I am not able to find expected background I rather stop taking the pictures and just look at the animal behavior. One gets lot of informations for cases when conditions for photorgaphy are better. I use something like "80:20 rule". I don't make the pictures of 80% things I see. After returning home I delete another 80% of pictures I took and the rest is the basement for pictures I decide to edit in Lightroom (usualy 20% of them). It helps me keep my mind and hard disk clear. After 5 years of traveling to the tropics I am hardly able to fill 500GB hard disk. :-)
 

Thanks for the detailed explanation. I will try it out in my next shot. A good background can tell more than the subject itself. It will also make the subject stand out more in the shot.
 

Great series, first is very fantastic composition. Beautiful subjet
 

great series with beautiful compositions! thanks for sharing!
 

I went to your website and i was :o.
Your use of background and bokeh is amazing!
 

How do you keep your gears from getting fungus since you have to stay in a very humid place? Can share with us? Thanks
 

Many thanks for nice comments! Really appreciate! :embrass:

Regarding to the last question: "How do you keep your gears from getting fungus since you have to stay in a very humid place? Can share with us? Thanks"

I usualy use two ways to keep my gear dry and avoid fungus. First of all I choose good accomodation as a basement. When I started travel around the world I usually found 10 USD accommodation as too expensive :-) In these days I choose good basement first. Not necessary with AirCon (sometimes worse than fan), but good fan and permanent electricity included. If not used, I keep my photo bag open, help my gear "breath". Another way is avoiding really bad conditions. Heavy rain can be good for adding something special to the picture but is also bad for my DSLR nad lenses. If I have some object I want to photograph during the rain, I use food plastic foil to cover camera body and lens together. After that I make few holes to have accessible main buttons. After photo session I remove the foil as soon as possible and at the basement I leave gear in range of fan for at least 20-30 minutes to keep it as dry as possible. Not 100% no fungus certainty, of course :-) Well, this is my way ... nothing special :-)
 

Thanks for your tip & reply. Appreciate that.
 

I believe your pixs has changed my view of macro shoot and I like it. Now is to see if I could train myself to "see" the background before pressing the shutter.
 

teokf: many thanks!

14. There is on of my favourite Bornean stick insect, male of Haaniella grayii few moments before dusk

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#15 Weaver Ants, Sarawak, Borneo - "Land Ahead!" :-)

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Impressive! If ever you come to Singapore I'd like to join and learn from you :)
 

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