High-speed macro photography

[Paul Shields]

...that's what I'm not good at. However, I can trap a snail like the best of them, so here's one I prepared earlier this evening just before he legged it away. Taken with an E-1 with my vintage Zuiko 50mm macro. I held a light in my left hand to illuminate the victim, and a white roll of kitchen paper in the other hand to reflect some light back (in case you're wondering how I managed to click the shutter, the shots were taken on a 2 sec timer, as snails are actually quite slow).

One day I'll work out how you guys can capture a dragonfly or hummingbird in flight, but in the meantime this is as good as it gets for me.

1. Blowing bubbles of defiance in my face. Snails know no fear.



2. About to leap off the wall into the night. Once they're gone, they're gone...

[ellette]

ROTFL. Umm, I'm afraid to tell you but I think your post made the pictures even more exciting and enjoyable than the subject did.

A couple days ago my eldest and I just spent about 15 minutes playing with a couple of snails that had been hiding in my lettuce I'm letting go to seed. Couldn't let my youngest get his hands on them. You know how people always ask "who was the person who was so starving they thought THAT would be good to eat (about things like snails, frog legs, and other nasty things). Well, I think people who ask questions like that never have had a small boy who even considers a nice dirty rock something nifty to suck on. I'm afraid that any snail he got his hands on would either be squished...in a "hmm, wonder what happens if I poke him really hard" sort of way (he's not mean, he's only a year and a half and doesn't understand that you have to be nice to EVERYTHING yet), or it might be an appetizer.

I think you did a great job on the lighting, especially in the first picture, wish he hadn't been hiding his "face" in it.

I just saw one of the most disgusting things the other night. I went to the back door to let our dogs in for bed, and ON the door, hanging from a thick strand of slime about 5 inches long and about a foot off the ground were two slugs. I'm assuming they were mating from the looks of it, I didn't ask. Whatever they were doing shouldn't have been done in polite society, and certainly not on my door!

Sara

[Paul Shields]

Thanks for the feedback Sara!

I'm going to work on capturing some more. I think a black background would help, and some more diffuse lighting. It's a cop out compared to some subjects, but I find them quite interesting...

[Mr. Pickles]

Really good job, considering the blazing speed of these animals, creatures, crustaceons, reptiles, whatever.

Ohh, watch of for the second one if he ever comes back. He has horns you know.

[nwheal]

Hi Paul

I think they are great shots... I thnk the lighting on the first shot really set the snail off nicely...

You will have to explain you panning tech in more detail.... (he he)..

Great shots.