Ant-Mimic Spider fight for a “girl”

I witness a ant-mimic male guide or seem protect the female .. I was observe it (~10-15min) hope for something interesting happen among the male A (with tag) and female

but suddenly another male (Male B) turn up and try to fight with the male (it happen so fast (<1-2s) and they end up at this position …

after the Male A got kill, male B look at the female for a while outside the web … but the female just run away …. (even before I can try to give her a close up shot)

Ant-mimic spider fight for female

some of my Ant-mimic spider collection

http://liewwkphoto.com/blog/?p=326

 

and was with my update lighting setup

http://liewwkphoto.com/blog/?p=102

New Collection – the Ant-mimic Jumping spider

I was there (drive ~20km) for a robberfly which I met one day before (and I don;t have my macro gears with me)…

but accidentally found this Ant-mimic for me .. never see this type … and not only new found but I witness an amazing moment … the both male fight for something !!!!!… (will share the other picture to show what it fight for later … need to little stack work on that)

... Ant-mimic jumping spider ...

and the moment they fight …

... fight for ? | Ant-mimic jumping spider ...

not a most beautiful ant-mimic that I saw before but this is a beautiful one too …

few types of Ant-mimic collection

1. An ant mimic spider of the genus myrmarachne that mimic Tetraponera rufonigra ant

Ant-mimic - Male myrmarachne

2. … Ant-mimic crab | Amyciaea lineatipes having prey …

Amyciaea lineatipes

3. Ant-mimic jumping spider | 蟻蛛 (male)

Ant-mimic jumping spider | 蟻蛛 (male)

4. very common black myrmarachne

myrmarachne

Spider collection by liewwk

Spiders COllection

 

 

How I PP MACRO pictures – making gif animation

Every macro shot that I shoot, I trying my best to get few focus shot to increase my MACRO picture DOF which previously discuss how I stack it @ How I increase MACRO DOF . Because of that, I always shoot few shots before I stop and while I am shooting I will not leave the insect but keep monitor them… some time, they will so some action which may attract me to capture the action to make it as an animation to show …

And one of very early day share

another Tiger beetle

How Young Tiger performance
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2750/4066074743_9d5ab59482_o.gif

How mature Tiger performance
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2779/4066071239_5f6aaf5a87_o.gif

and … this is 😀
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2427/4066076445_03b911fc6b_o.gif

Let me share how I make my gif file… there are many software can make that but I use only Photoshop to create the animation gif file …

1. load the file into stack

2. if you doing this with full size it need a lot of memory to work on .. so normally resize before load into single stack. it will align the pictures …

3. crop the main object so all the picture in same size and same location

4. from the left panel (layer) save file by file with the new orientation and size

5. after save all the file , load it again into a stack

6. click on Windows –> Animation

7. from the animation window, choose all the files, or re-order the files. highlight all then choose the time for each picture to appear

8. save as web, choose gif file … then the gif file animation is ready

and my final result

How I shoot MACRO – CROP to change Depth of Field (DOF)

think DOF is one important part we need to understand if we serious in MACRO photography … it is just as important as we need to know about light ….

an Old share How I Shoot MACRO – What Depth of Field (DOF) you have while shooting MACRO (I will migrate it ASAP….)

I am not want to discuss further on what is DOF, what DOF we have while we do MACRO … but I am sharing how do we increase DOF, as below

i. choose best angle to have more visible DOF
ii. using Post Processing – Stack – also discussed previously
iii. shoot smaller magnification and crop (if you want to know how smaller magnification affect the DOF please refer above link)

I have a same spider but slight change of angle but different magnification as shown below

@1:1 magnification

@2:1 magnification



I simply crop the 1:1 picture to magnification close to ~2:1

and let’s me share further magnification and further crop picture below to show what’s the different of DOF

@biggest magnification with full 21 mega pixels.

@crop from ~2:1 picture …lost ~50% of the resolution but check out the DOF it have more than the biggest magnification one

@crop from ~1:1 picture …lost >75% of the resolution but check out the DOF it have more than the biggest magnification one

##########################################################################

so if you do not mind lost the resolution which you may not want to print yours’ picture big …. crop to get bigger magnification also another choice for you .. but if you prefer to have max resolution to have your picture to be print big or sale …. use the stack method … (for the stack … you may also use 3rd party software e.g. CombineZM …..

and for me … I seldom crop my MACRO or Landscape picture >20% … the crop normally is plan while I shoot so it can be off center or not too tight into single frame …..

a most difficult MACRO PP ever for me ….

I was planning to participate a local reserve jungle competition last weekend and decided to make my sensor clean before I proceed … I had my class on last monday and decided to send in Wed and that time my sensor have <30 sensor spots …. as blow

before cleaning

and some how I make a big mistake, I didn;t verify the cleaning done by the Canon service center after the session … and I went out outing next day morning from 8am –> 1am (fri) … managed to have some great find and shots for the long hours outing …

but after I uploaded to my workstation to view my result .. I found so many dusts in my pictures and it was started early morning of Thu (my 1st shots of the Thu ……. ) and I check back my last shot of Monday (<30 spots) … WOW mean the dusts develop while I sent for cleaning !!!!! (all my gears will be into dry box without leave open without lenses so far)……

So what Happen ?????

I went back Canon the next few hours .. and ask for why ? and I am disappointed with the service and they told me I can’t make complaint at the service center and need to write a email for that !!!!!!!!!!!!!

and I ask for re-clean for sure .. but then it took 4 round waiting to get my sensors clean and still more spots before I sent in Wed condition !!!!!!! make it short what happen

– before went Canon

– 1st round , they pass back the camera with ~100 spots with a line effect ….

after 10 minutes … waiting

– water spots …

– bubble effect ????????

I lost my patient and ask the technician out … and ask him .. are you make joke on me ? as the sensor never clean or even clean not you give me free bubble effect

then he went for another cleaning ………and this time ~30min again

the sensor is clean .. but then the watermark still there !!!!!!!!

I make some noise again .. and this time the technician told me I need to leave my camera in the service center because they need to check … I told them the water mark mostly their cleaning “effect” ask them re-clean the spots should go away instead open up my 5d …

ok …. finally another round of waiting , the water marks gone ….. and the technician come and told me it is because of my lens !!!!!!!!!! and I told him, before I send in here I shoot with the same len and it do not have any spots and I have the picture as prove !!!!! then he keep quiet and sound like it still cause by my len ……………..

I immediate draft a complaint letter to Canon Malaysia .. but they only response me on today and claim they will investigate …………

I think it is good to share this experience to all so to make them give us more professional service in future …

end up ……………….. I spend hour to clone one of the picture dusts slowly and apply it to all other pictures I shoot ………(man … ~200-300 spots… it is real kill) … and even after the clone every pictures still need to verify further ……………………….