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Thread: Kalahari scorpion

  1. #1
    Vincent Grafhorst
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    Default Kalahari scorpion

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    Scorpion (Parabuthus stridulus). These guys are only one of the reasons why you should always have your tent zipped up when camping in the kalahari.:D

    This image is a result of team work, my little brother-in-law was lighting the scorpion with a torch from behind to get a shadow of the tail. I was forced to shoot handheld and unfortunately had to increase the ISO to 1600 to get an acceptable SS.

    I know it is evident that it was made at night with the help of a torch and as a result does not look natural, yet I like it. Please let me know what you think.

    Image made last December in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve, Botswana

    Camera Model Canon EOS 40D
    Shooting Mode Aperture-Priority AE
    Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/125
    Av( Aperture Value ) 8.0
    Metering Mode Evaluative Metering
    Exposure Compensation -1
    ISO Speed 1600
    Lens EF100mm f/2.8 Macro USM
    Focal Length 100.0 mm
    Image Size 3888x2592, cropp is app. 80% of original
    Image Quality RAW
    Flash Off
    White Balance Mode Color Temperature(5200K)
    AF Mode One-Shot AF

    Vincent Grafhorst
    www.khwaiphotography.com

  2. #2
    Tony Kirkby
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    I should probably say it has too many shadows isn't sharp enough etc but I like the sinister feeling it conveys. Nice shot.

  3. #3
    Robert O'Toole
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    The strong lighting works for me with this image, its does look sinister doesnt it. DOF is difficult on a subject like this, I think the face, eyes, and stinger look sharp enough. If the claws were sharper we would lose on the face and stinger.
    I like it.

    Robert

  4. #4
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    I like the lighting a lot, maybe you could try working on the white blance so it doesn'y look so warm, but overall, I love it! Congratulations.

  5. #5
    BPN Member Don Lacy's Avatar
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    He does look deadly, given the circumstances I think this turn out well.
    Don Lacy
    You don't take a photograph, you make it - Ansel Adams
    There are no rules for good photographs, there are only good photographs - Ansel Adams
    http://www.witnessnature.net/
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  6. #6
    Mike Moats
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    Hey Vincent, very cool pose and good DOF. I agree with Ramon on the warm look. Well done.

  7. #7
    Bob Reimer
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    Nice scorpion! I wonder if it would be worth checking the colour temperature of your torch with a grey card to see if you could get a more accurate colour balance? Have you tried a UV torch? It might be scary how many of the fluorescing little critters you find :)

  8. #8
    Vincent Grafhorst
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    Hi Bob, it is definitely on my to do list to photograph these critters with UV light. Have you done so? You must have many scorpions around there in the deserts of the Emirates!

  9. #9
    Bob Reimer
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    Yes, I've tried it ... Here it is: http://www.birdphotographers.net/for...ead.php?t=3293

    There are some new LED UV flashlights available that look very useful: They're on my shopping list for when I'm back in North America this summer.

  10. #10
    Jonathan Michael Ashton
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    Great image, hope you don't mind I tried adjusting the colours in colour balance and it made an enormous difference, I have removed the image from my PC.
    Jon

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