Brian Loflin - Natural Science Photography

Portrait vs. Story Shots

bkloflin — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 23:13:15 +0000

Many times we see published images of absolutely gorgeous subjects- plant, animal and mineral. When we examine the photography it is flawless. It has perfect exposure, great focus, amazing detail, appropriate depth of field and just the right light. Silently, we wish we had taken that shot. Like the roadrunner below.

Both images: Nikon D2Xs, Nikkor 600mm F 4.0 telephoto, Gitzo tripod.

But then we think what is the subject doing? Posing for the camera! How clever. Must have been a set-up shot. And many are. That’s not all bad by any stretch of the imagination. Photographers need to use every tool of the trade to produce excellent images.

But then something else falls into place. Call it luck or serendipity, I don’t care. Our subject does something besides pose. I like to call it natural AND being prepared. We are patient, we persevere and are prepared for that moment. It just happens. Maybe not always, and not for long. And when it does, BANG, we got it!

I shot 52 images over 14 minutes of this bird from a blind in South Texas. Of all the frames of the roadrunner I shot, only two had something going on. I have many nice portraits- and some crazy poses. The light was nice, the weather great and the subject cooperative. But just for a moment, the bird spied the wasp and ate it in an instant. Then it left. That was all, but those two frames made a better story. I believe even much better than the full body portrait above. Judge for yourself. So- my suggestion is to keep your eye to the camera and be prepared. Don’t tire of waiting. The magic just may happen for you, too!

It’s Snowing! (Somewhere)

bkloflin — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 04:59:21 +0000

Austin, Texas is not known to be the snow capital of North America. And it’s not even the rain city. With the long drought recently broken by nice rains, we have begun to accumulate a little of the much-needed moisture for our spring wildflower germination. If it keeps up into January and some in February it should be a nice year.

While watching some of the snows in New Mexico, and the Northern Plains, I was reminded of a great photo day in the mountains west of Denver in February several years ago.

I thought I would resurrect one of those images to post here.

Nikon D2Xs, Nikkor 80-200mm F2.8 D AF zoom lens, Gitzo tripod.

While this image is not of grand mountains nor famous skiers, it evokes a sense of place for me as it was taken at at a favorite old haunt at Guanella Pass just west of Georgetown, CO.

I enjoy the composition leading upward and to the right from the rock anchoring the lower left corner. Except for the spot of color on that rock, this image could easily be mistaken for a black and white. It is important with images like this to nail the exposure. The blacks need to be good and dark with detail remaining and the white highlights pure, but with detail and texture of the snow remaining.

From a traditionalist standpoint the composition works well with the Golden Rectangle (or Fibonacci Spiral) superimposed on it (black) and the Rule of Thirds grid (red). But those are rules.

I say rules are simply guidelines to coach our eye for compositions that work. Must we follow rules? Well, of course not! We have to feel the composition, and when it feels right, voila! Some say that rules are made to be broken. When? There must be another rule for that.

But that’s another story. If it feels good, save it. Print it.

Texas Cacti

bkloflin — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 05:58:51 +0000

Many of my readers believe that Arizona or maybe New Mexico are the Southwestern states with the most abundance of cacti. This is perhaps because of the large land mass covered by the Sonoran, Chihuahuan and Mojave Deserts.

It is actually not surprising to discover that Texas has a great number of cacti species as well. More than 150 species have been documented in Texas from dime-sized button cacti to seven-foot tall barrel cacti. A large portion of the Chihuahuan Desert that covers Texas west of the Pecos River and the geographic proximity of Mexico with its vast semi-arid and semi-tropical flora augments these cacti numbers. This number is also showing diversification due to the science now available allowing greater differentiation in plant species.

To get an in-depth look at cacti in Texas, you may want to review our recent book Texas Cacti, published by Texas A&M University Press.

Lace cactus, Echinocereus richenbachii,Nikon D2Xs, 200mm f 4.0 Micro Nikkor, SB-800 flash on Gitzo tripod.

I will add some additional images from the book in later posts.

Nesting Eagles

bkloflin — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 14:50:41 +0000

Winter is the time for Bald eagles to begin nesting in central Texas. While eagles are not as numerous in our area as they are in northern or western states, we still have a few. There are are several somewhat dependable spots in the Texas Hill Country west of Austin where pairs can be found nesting in the winter.

One such spot is in an old pecan tree measured at 135 yards from a state highway overlooking the Llano River. Excellent viewing of the eagles doing their thing is possible from this location until mid-February. And with the right equipment, many nice images are to be made of the eagles in flight, returning to the nest with fish and feeding their young.

Both images: Nikon D2Xs, Nikkor 600mm f 4.0 super telephoto, Gitzo Studex tripod and bean bag lens weight. (Nikon 1.5X tele-converter -top image.)

Required equipment for bird photography at this distance includes a very long super telephoto lens in the 500 to 600mm focal length range and a sturdy tripod. Vibrations at this level of magnification can be very detrimental to image quality and should be eliminated as far a possible. Good long lens technique helps as well. Images should be made with mirror lock-up and shutter speeds set to levels that can further minimize vibrations from the camera’s mechanics. An additional aid is the use of a weight bag on the lens to dampen vibrations. And the heaviest tripod practical.

With a lot of patience and perseverance, many good images may be made of the daily activities and behavior of the Bald Eagle, our national symbol.

South Texas Birds, part two-

bkloflin — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 16:12:26 +0000

Shooting was excellent in the morning blind. But, as the sun moved across the sky the light angle required a move to a second prepared blind which had a better sun angle. It is always nice to have birds more front-lit than from other directions, even though it may seem more creative. The compositional possibilities are improved with sun on the front side.

Here are a couple more of my favorites:

While certainly not unique to south Texas this Northern Cardinal made a nice image while taking a drink from the water feature at the blind. The Crested Caracara, below, is now a somewhat common sighting in the Rio Grand Valley. An opportunist, they will feed like vultures on carrion and other fare. They are rather difficult to approach, but from a blind it is possible to get frame-filling images.

Both images: Nikon D2Xs, 600mm f4 Nikkor super telephoto, Gitzo tripod with Kirk Cobra head.

South Texas Birds

bkloflin — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 06:41:13 +0000

Last month I took a trip to far south Texas, the Rio Grande Valley. Because of its proximity to Mexico and the semi-tropical climate, many different bird species may be photographed that are not found even here in central Texas. And some are found there that are not encountered elsewhere in the United States.

I had the pleasure of photographing on a ranch near McAllen that has been provided with blinds in some of the best birding habitat in the region.

Preparations were made the day before, including setting up attractive perches in the best light, placing feed in strategic spots and assuring the water features were clean and full.

As expected, the next morning was clear, cool and perfect for photographing from a blind. The action started almost immediately after getting cameras, and other equipment set up and settling down quietly. The action continued from sun-up until dark.

Here are a couple of the shots from the morning.

Top image: Green Jay, a very colorful and somewhat noisy bird indigenous to scrub habitats. Lower: Greater Roadrunner, somewhat common in the arid lands of the Southwest.

Both images: Nikon D2Xs, Nikkor 600mm f 4.o super telephoto, Gitzo tripod with Kirk Cobra head, SB-800 Speedlight with Better Beamer teleflash.

I will publish additional images from this exciting shoot shortly. The ranch is abundant with photographic subjects, the facilities are excellent and the hospitality is perfect. I am currently planning to host a bird photography workshop on this property in the Spring of 2012.

Winner of Carroll Abbott Award

bkloflin — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 14:54:38 +0000

Shirley and I were thrilled to recently receive the Carroll Abbott Award from the Native Plant Society of Texas for our book Grasses of the Texas Hill Country. Named for the founder of the Native Plant Society of Texas, this award is presented annually for the best writings about native Texas plants in a popular vein. (Non-scientific.)

The Native Plant Society of Texas promotes research, conservation and utilization of native plants and plant habitats of Texas through education, outreach and example. NPSOT is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with over 30 local chapters around Texas.

Grasses of the Texas Hill Country was our first photographic field guide published by Texas A&M University Press. We have also recently published Texas Cacti and just completed Texas Wildflower Vistas and Hidden Treasures, both by the A&M Press.

Achieving correct exposure

bkloflin — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 15:56:21 +0000

I have four friends who own professional photography labs. They are all unanimous in stating the single greatest problem experienced in their labs is poor exposure. And of course, they are expected to fix this basic photographer’s error.

So I wanted to take a moment to review exposure and what to look for in good exposure.

As we understand, good exposure holds detail in the darker or shadow end of the scale and in the lightest or highlight end of the scale as well. What this achieves is a well-balanced image without plugged shadows and blown-out highlights.

We must remember two things. First, exposure is dependent upon light intensity, the reflectance of the subject and to a certain degree, the color of the subject. And secondly, exposure measurement systems, whether hand held meters or those in the camera, attempt to make the average of any scene mid-tone.

So, the perfect solution is to measure a mid-tone photographic gray card in the light of our scene. Theory is that if mid-tone gray is accurate, all other tones will fall into their appropriate place on our histogram. Perfect! But in practical applications, we cannot always add a gray card in our scene and fiddle with exposure. Our flea will have flown and be long gone by that time!

So now what? First let’s be sure our camera is exposing properly. I am surprised that of my students, most of their cameras (75%) do not expose accurately.

To find out where your camera exposes, shoot a photographic standard gray card in even light. Fill the frame with the card. Review the histogram. It should have a single spike directly in the middle of the tone range. If not, the camera over- or under-exposes by a certain degree. Adjust the exposure compensation until the spike is centered. This is your default error. Use that compensation in your subsequent photography and you will be more accurate.

The image below is a well-exposed gray card and its histogram. You can see the single spike in the center of the tone range. This is ideal.

Let’s look at a more difficult pair of images.

In the top image below, a common facial tissue is photographed with diffused lighting using my camera’s exposure error default. (Plus 2/3 F stop.) And knowing the tissue is lighter than mid tone in reflectance, I also opened up another 2/3 stop. This was done to place the values of the tissue correctly in the highlight side of the histogram. (Not a mid-tone gray tissue.)

Then I added the stink bug, a dark gray insect with lots of detail. With the previous corrections, this insect and the tissue on the background photographed with appropriate tone values for all components of the image.

Nikon D2Xs, Micro Nikkor 200 mm F 4.0 macro lens. SB-800 with diffuser panel.

Now the key is to standardize your own system. Know where your camera exposes. Make appropriate corrections to this built-in error. Use the default corrections when you shoot and be aware of the reflectance of the subject, making appropriate adjustments where required. All cameras and metering systems are different. And remember that metering modes, like 3D-Matrix or Evaluative, meter differently than spot or center weighted.

Why are macro lenses in many focal lengths?

bkloflin — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 22:16:01 +0000

My students ask me two questions when it comes to macro lenses. Why are there so many focal lengths to pick from? And, which lens do I buy?

Let’s start with the first, and the easiest question, remembering characteristics of a lens. Lenses affect angle of view, image size, perspective and in some applications, depth of field. You will remember, as the focal length gets longer, the image size increases and the angle of view decreases at any given distance. So, if you keep image size constant, you may do so from a greater distance with a longer focal length. So what does that give us?

Increased working distance!

Increased working distance is important for a variety of reasons. One, we can avoid making a shadow on our subject. We have more room for light, especially from flash. We may stay outside of the threat distance of our subject. And finally, we can actually avoid getting bit or stung by dangerous or poisonous subjects.

The image below illustrates three Micro Nikkors: the 60 mm, 105 mm and the 200 mm. There are others from Nikon, Canon and many other manufacturers. But let’s just compare the specifications of these lenses just to get some perspective of capability.

Bracted gay feather, Liatris bracteata, Micro Nikkor 200 mm F 4.0 macro lens.

All three of these full frame (FX) lenses have the capability to focus from infinity down to 1:1 or life size on the sensor. So when reproducing a life-sized image, the 60 mm lens can do so at 8.6 inches (21.8 cm), the 105 mm lens at 12.0 inches (30.5 cm) and the 200 mm lens at 19.0 inches (48.3 cm). So in practice, an image at any given size may be made from a little over twice the distance away with each of the respective longer focal lengths.

With the longer focal lengths our angle of view is proportionately reduced as well, providing an opportunity to dissect the scene to produce a more narrow slice of life. And as a bonus, the longer focal lengths tend to be able to provide a more shallow depth of field, thus softer and more pleasing backgrounds.

So, which lens do you buy? That could depend upon price. The current price listed online from Nikon is $520 for the 60 mm; $985 for the 105 mm; and $1795 for the 200 mm Micro Nikkor full frame (FX) macro lens. So, the rest of the answer depends upon whether you need the longer working distance, or if you need the wider angle of view. For many years my choice was the famous Micro Nikkor 55 mm F 3.5 macro lens. I used this exceptionally sharp, macro lens in my bag in place of a “normal” lens and could move in for real close-ups when needed. If I was doing an interview with an artist or chef for example, I could get pleasing environmental portraits and detailed close ups of their work with the same lens.

With tiny wild plant material, frogs, snakes, and scorpions the 200 mm macro lens is ideal. But sometimes, the 200 mm macro may be just too much lens. Remember, the angle of view is like a 300 mm lens on smaller, DX sensors. And its depth of field is very shallow.

If in doubt, try the mid-range lens: the AF-S VRII Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED macro lens. It is one of the better lenses around and is a most useful tool.

The details are in the lighting

bkloflin — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 15:52:14 +0000

“Beauty is in the details.” If that be true, then the beauty is revealed BY the lighting. I have always said, “You can’t get a great image without great lighting.” So here we are.

I have previously stated the characteristics of lighting include Quantity, Quality, Color, and Direction. When we consider these qualities, we normally think of subjects that are three dimensional and opaque. Like the natsuke in the previous posting.

Sometimes in nature and through our detail-revealing macro techniques, another concept is revealed. Many materials are translucent, or semi-transparent. Here, lighting can create another characteristic through the technique of trans-illumination. This can be thought of as pushing light through the subject to reveal characteristics of its inner structures.

This technique is relatively simple. It’s another form of back lighting, the lively light. Sunlight can work, but I find that a secondary light source like a dedicated flash works perfectly and with more control.

In the example photos below of a Morning glory leaf, the upper image is made in the normal manner. Lighting is only from the lens side of the leaf. This is a revealing image. We can visualize the color, texture and some of the smaller details of the leaf, including the veins.

In the second image below, the sun exposure is still there. But in addition, I have added a second light source directly behind and close to the leaf and aimed right through the leaf toward the lens. This is a dedicated SB-800 flash triggered from the camera with a dedicated SC-28 sync cable. Care must be exercised to prevent unwanted flare from the flash entering the lens. Cardboard, matte board or a variety of other materials can be used to mask off the unwanted light. The intensity of this light source must be somewhat greater than the top light source in order to punch through the leaf substance. This is dependent upon the thickness and quality of the leaf material itself.

In the new, lower image we can now visualize much more. The color and “feel” of the leaf is still there. This comes from the front light. But we can now visualize many more veins with greater clarity. And smaller structures, called stomata, or small pores on the leaf surface used for transpiration, can now be easily seen.

Nikon D2Xs, Micro Nikkor 60mm F2.8 macro lens, SB-800 Speedlight.
Image size: 1.0X.

This technique of trans-illumination is valuable in macro photography. From a diagnostic or demonstrative standpoint, this technique as an adjunct to top, or front lighting and cross lighting for texture can be a very valuable tool. But considering all the possibilities, the technique can take us to ways to reveal information not possible in other manners of traditional lighting.