Field Cross-eye Stereo Pair of Damselfly

[Harold Gough]

Many blue damselflies were taking up the heat of the sun in my garden this morning.

When they do this they tend to face away from the sun. This has an advantage and a disadvantage. It means that you don't cast your shadow over them when taking portraits. However, the head tends to be poorly lit. This later factor required some digital fill light.

Shot with my Kiron 105mm macro at f11 and ISO 800, hand-held.



[Edit] I didn't want to crop and cause problems with registering the stereo effect. However, having processed the uncropped images to make a stereo pair, I have now gone ahead:



[Edit ends]

Harold

[ChrisR]

A reflector should help, otherwise flash to fill some detail and give some sharpness?

[Harold Gough]

A reflector should help, otherwise flash to fill some detail and give some sharpness?

Chris,

Technically, I agree. However, a reflector only helps (much) if it reflects directly towards the subject and adjusting the angle (possibly necessary for every damsel, as they face only approximately away from the sun) would almost certainly put the subject to flight, annoying for single frames, disaster for stereo. (I was wearing a white shirt. ).

Flash means I have to take my VF-2 off the hotshoe and focusing would then be much more difficult. If I miss focus* with daylight I can reshoot, possibly several times, but I can't see damselflies tolerating that with flash

I probably ought to use higher ISOs more often.

* The wind was gusty and the sun kept hiding behind small, fast-moving clouds. So even if I got focus spot on, it wouldn't be so for long and I had to watch for frequently-changing light.

Essentially, a first attempt gave reasonably good results.

Later on this morning, I have been trying similar shots with a Large Red Damselfly. The wind has been even more troublesome, together with its choice of very mobile leaves as perches, such that stereo pairs have evaded me but individual frames look quite good.

Harold

[Harold Gough]

Chris,

I was out again, trying to photograph more insects, when I realised a basic error in my agreement.

For stereo images, the lighting must be consistent from one frame of a pair to the next. Having mentioned the sun/overcast inconsistency I should have ruled out on-camera flash for an even more important reasion. The direction of light must be consistent in relation to the subject, not to the camera. Otherwise shadows will be ghosted in the stereo pair. This would also apply to a reflector.

Harold

[ChrisR]

You'd find that Fill light helps, without producing any new shadows.

And of course I did not suggest putting flash on the camera.

[Harold Gough]

You'd find that Fill light helps, without producing any new shadows.
And of course I did not suggest putting flash on the camera.

Noted. There is no alternative to putting the hotshoe out of action for the VF-2, when using flash, on or off the camera. The prospect of putting the flash where its position is fixed for two angles of view, if that is what you are saying, is not good, as I can only see walking around with a tripod or monopod to carry the flash and setting that in place, and setting the very varied height, is activity which would risk putting the damsels to flight. I already make far more stalking approaches than I take pictures, the mature males being very nervous. Perhaps a realistic option for more sedentary insects.

If you could see how I have to creep around/between huge rhubarb leaves and other fruit bushes to get into position...!

Actually, fill flash, as opposed to my current practice of using the fill flash electronics to use full flash, is something I want to do so I am in favour in principle. It is not an option with my film cameras.

Harold

[ChrisR]

I hope you manage to work yourself out a way to improve the current method which evidently, and as you say, suffers significantly due to the lighting.
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