The guy with a butterfly net - catching, prepping, and shooting fresh insects
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- Опубликовано: 14 окт 2024
- Pretty much what it says on the box... this video is for everyone who wanted proof that I actually do catch bugs in a butterfly net, in public. Focusing on really tiny critters, this video shows how I use a sweep net to gather tiny insects, how I sort them out to decide what gets photographed fresh (and what can wait), and how I use a reversed normal prime lens to photograph them. Lots of pretty pictures in this one - stay to the end for three of my favorite photographs from last week.
And a teaser... how to make your bug net is coming up next. Me and a sewing machine... oh yeah!
There's a nest nearby. The bird is trying to draw your attention as you were too close to the nest for him. It's a common behaviour for them to act wounded and draw you away.
Played for a fool, by a wee bird! He needs to cut out the pretend broken wing act before someone with a bigger butterfly net "rescues" him and drops him off at the vet. He was still there when I went by yesterday. I'll find a new patch of grass.
@@AllanWallsPhotography Yes, it's an odd behaviour but they are really committed to it. I was out doing bird photography once and was just walking back to my truck when I came upon a killdeer exhibiting that behaviour just ahead of me. He kept it up for at least 500 feet. I think he must have thought he had me completely fooled. I thought he's not going to stop so I took a hard right and walked quite a way before he thought I was no longer a threat and flew back to the nesting area. Made the walk back a lot longer with a heavy lens and tripod. The little troublemaker!
So complete, so detailed. Excellent! Quite entertaining too! Thanks!
Great video Allen, thank you. I like the fact that you are so non assuming, and not condescending. You don’t pretend you know what you don’t know, and always learning. I enjoy learning with you.
Thanks Richard. You nailed it... the joy in doing this comes from the learning and sharing. We're all in this together.
Your videos are becoming my prime time TV. Fascinating to watch how you do this stuff, usually I am out photographing wildlife, but currently in lockdown that’s not happening. This morning I am going to hunt through my compost heap for my insects 🦟. I will tell my psychiatrist at my regular session.
If you do tell your psychiatrist, which I strongly advise against, please do not bring up my name. It might get back to mine, and I agreed not to entice people to play in the compost heap.
Allan Walls Photography It’s a deal, I dread that straitjacket now. I did get a nice woodlouse to focus stack though in my beginners wary.
I saw a comment down below about this being "unethical". I don't think I would go so far as to call it unethical. However there is a level of joy in photographing these tiny creatures alive in their natural habitat that catching and killing them could never give me. Obviously a 10x + Magnification is impossible to do outside a studio setting with a live subject. 4:1 is the largest I have managed out in the field and that is tough to do.
I’m actually looking forward to the net making video tomorrow, watching your videos during lockdown i’ve made such improvements in the last two weeks alone, so pleased to have found your channel.
Thanks! Should have it done today!
Fantastic video. I’ve been watching lots of your older videos and now on to the more recent ones, and they keep getting better and better. I love seeing someone grow into their channel.
Thank you! I really appreciate the kind words!
What a perfect video to bring out now! I'm just getting my macro "studio" set up in the basement, and insects are one of the things I want to photograph. That it's so easy to catch so many so fast that's just insane! Thank you. :-)
Thanks, Yorbjørn. Be sure to watch the net-building video!
I'm sitting here waiting for it, while also waiting for FedEx to deliver my new Nikon PB-6 bellows. :-P
Keep the videos coming, please! Enjoyed it.
Thanks Mark - will do!
Great Instructions, this video answered all my question. Thanks again Allan
The Plover is trying to distract you, and it's working. There is something, a nest maybe, that she is protecting. Notice that she can fly, and she alternates which wing is lame. Pretty effective.
That's what Robbie said as well. Does everyone in the world know about this avian trickery, except me?!
@@AllanWallsPhotography If you check my Insta you'll see I do a lot of bird photography and that's the only reason I know about this.
Allan Walls Photography “Punked by a Plover”. Sounds like good tutorial fodder.
Hey Allan, love your videos, all of them. I feel like you are my brother from another mother. Keep them coming. My Nikon 10x objective is on its way I can't wait for your video on how to use it. Regards, Robert
Hi Robert... should be out this week!
That was great, Allan. It would be nice to see how you use that net in a populated area with lots of children around. lol. The detail that you put into the collection and sorting is impressive. Looking forward to more. I hope you are continuing to stay safe and healthy. Take care.
Hey Stephen. I did that once, and I have never experienced humiliation like that, before or since. A few of the children were actually hooting and weeping with delight. I thought that might have been what the plover was doing.
@@AllanWallsPhotography You are a great sport, Allan.
Hey Allan, I really enjoy your videos, it gives me a lot of great ideas. Thanks for your videos. I live in the next town over, Foley. Keep up the great ideas.
Hey Joel - thank you for the kind words! I'm sure our paths will cross one of these days!
A Have learned a lot from this tutorial such as how some birds behave to protect there nest.Also how to quickly catch insects and attach them etc. Unfortunately I caught a grasshopper and to hold in position I stucked him into a sewing needle. Honestly he stood alive for three days and I felt disappointed leaving suffering to photograph him. Thanks Allan for sharing your passion dedication and knowledge.
Hi Mario, I normally wouldn't recommend this, but putting the insect in a freezer for 5 minutes will kill it right away. Just don't leave it in there for too long. Loved the image you shared on FB!
@@AllanWallsPhotography Thanks Allan for your advice a courage to continue practicing. I really love your character and how you explain.
Great video, very helpful. But, that bird played you like a violin!
Thank you for your very good tips in order to make some steps further in macrophotography. I've learned a lot from your videos. I have a technical question, if you don't mind: what substance do you use "to put them asleep" and where can I find it? ( I'm not a chemist and the english is not my native language).Thank you very much.
Hi Eduard. The chemical used to rapidly kill insects is called ethyl acetate. It is very effective and quick, and does not cause the insects to go into spasm. You may also use acetone, which is also effective but tends to evaporate very quickly. Ethyl acetate, soaked into cotton (or plaster of Paris) lasts much longer and remains effective for days without needing to "recharge" the cotton. Ethyl acetate can be purchased online in the US, but may not be available in other countries. Acetone, however, can be purchased in most hardware stores (it is a common solvent) and is the primary ingredient in many nail varnish removing products (make sure you get 100% acetone). I hope that helps!
@@AllanWallsPhotography Very helpful, thank you!
@@AllanWallsPhotography Im a Biologist, at university we used plaster of paris. A drop of ether lasted a long time. But most of the time we've been high opening our jars.. 😂
Well, all the suggestions below are good ones, if you can find the chemicals, but I prefer to use a cotton ball dipped in ethyl acetate. It is less harmful to humans that acetone, but just as effective at putting them to sleep. It is easy to find here, but I don't know if it will be where you are. Acetone (nail polish remover) would be a reasonable alternative. Be warned - this is not good with spiders - arachnids just seem to get high, go to sleep and wake up a few hours later in a really bad mood, when they will either try to attack you or just pull themselves off your pin and wander away.
Hi, just came across your channel and it is amazing, IAM going back to watch them all. Thank you for taking the time. By the way your really funny
Thanks Jordan, glad to have you onboard!
awesome tute mate!
Great videos, thanks you very much
Was going to write more or less what Robbie Keene wrote. It's a Plover playing Possum. If you were a predator after her eggs/babies, you would think she was easy prey and therefore go after her and away from her nest. Then when you are far enough away, she will make a miraculous recovery and fly away... The only egg you are getting is the one on your face ! Once again my friend, am excellent video, really useful info, put together foolproof... Cheers.
Thanks Norman... Is it just plovers, or all all birds trying to make me look like a gullible old fool on video? Hahaha... this bird had me 100% tricked, he's even better at fooling me than my kids are, and that's saying something!
@@AllanWallsPhotography There are a few birds that will use this tactic to draw you away from there nests, kids on the other hand tend to draw you in to there traps...
nice video thanks to showing and was a really interesting video.
Yes, definitely a nest with eggs nearby, probably just a scrape on that gravel. Very clever parent putting you off the scent of finding the nest!
Great video! Thank you for sharing your expertise!
Thanks for watching!
Thanks for the video. Glad to finally see you thrashing that net around. This video answered several questions I had... But here's another that came up as I was watching... Specifically, what kind of "tracing paper" do you use? Do you use a specific thickness/weight? I remember you mentioned something like "rolls of architect drafting paper" in one of your videos. The tracing paper I have is not nearly as stiff and is not that easy to work with. Your paper looks nice and thick/rigid and much better than what I've got. I need to get some paper like what you've got. (and I guess I need to get a sewing machine now too)
Hi Hill, you won't need a sewing machine - I used to make them by hand. Just a bit faster with the machine. Good point on the tracing paper - for using as diffusion material, I have a huge roll, 5' wide, of architects' drafting paper. It is a beautiful diffuser when I need a very large, soft light source (usually for product photography). But for macro use and insect prep I use Master's Touch Premium Tracing Pad (product # 1545193). You can get it at Hobby Lobby for $7.99 for 50 sheets. It is by far the best paper I have found for this kind of work. It is very heavy, at 45lb.
@@AllanWallsPhotography Thanks Allan. Apparently all Hobby Lobby stores are currently closed so I checked on their website and as of this reply, the tracing pads are 50% off ($5.49) for anyone that's interested. That's a decent deal other than the cost of shipping and waiting a week or two to get them.
Allan, Love Bugs were a genetic experiment that escaped from a UFL Gainesville lab back in the late 60s time frame. The have no natural predators that I know of, and have become highly invasive. I've seen them around Houston, too. They get their name because they like to mate abut 2-3 feet off the ground over cleared, level terrain (read highways) and do so in such clouds that I can remember having to stop at each and every rest area on the FL Turnpike where all traffic exited, firetrucks would blow out your radiator, and you could proceed another few miles without risk of overheating your engine. And if you get their bodies crushed on your paint (obviously, you did), they are highly corrosive.
Fascinating stuff Dale! I am not against the idea of mating 2-3 feet off the ground, but would strongly caution against doing so on I-95, at least in the Jacksonville area. I hear that I-10 may be safer.
@@AllanWallsPhotography I'm not sure that 10 is safe, but ANYTHING is safer that 95. You won't believe how many truckers refuse flat out to drive on 95.
Fooled by the bird! ;) He was trying to protect the nest. ;)
Great info. The Plover behavior has been solved, nest.
Indeed, Alan - I'll know to move on to a different spot in the future.
Don't feel bad about using a sewing machine. I spin Flax fiber into linen thread on a spinning wheel and I can sew as well. Made me a mask last week on the machine. Excellent video. Need to get those long black pins. My linen project will be making a shirt from the flax I grow in my garden. The entire process will be done by me. Grow, process, spin, weave and sew a shirt. Hospital opened for elective surgeries today. Got busy in CT. That is what I do.
Hey Pete - CT tech? Cool. I can't believe you are making your own fabric! Do you have any videos of the process? I would be fascinated to see how you do that.
@@AllanWallsPhotography Email sent. :)
Another great vlog Allan. Question - how would you go about shooting a centipede such as we get here in UK, circa 30 x 2mm ?
Good question, Richard. Usually I shoot them head on and let the far parts drop out of focus, but I have made several macro-panoramas to get the entire beast tack sharp. Lot of work, that is!
That's a killdeer pretending to be injured to draw you away from his nest
When I go into the field I wear clothes that I sprayed with (SAWYER Insect Repellent Clothing). You spray it on clothing and let it dry for 4 hours and do not apply more than once every 6 weeks. It really worked good.
I will try it! Does it stink?
@@AllanWallsPhotography No smell especially after the 4 hrs. It is great stuff.
Hi Allan. I own a Nikon D7000. Thinking about purchasing a 100mm or somewhere around that ballpark size micro lens, my budget is 500-700$. And suggestions? Thank you my friend. 🙂
Nice Video Allan, good job !!!
Thanks Gerardo!
He / she was having a dust bath-I see our native birds doing this the same as our hens and roosters. 👍😁🇦🇺🔭 Typical Plover behaviour as a ground dwelling bird. They lay their eggs in and nest on the ground. Our Plovers are three times the size. Your sewing reminds me of my days in theatre where did have a Singer Sewing machine to make Dacron artificial artery sections of the length/diameter required as an arterial replacement, along with developing the first heart/lung by-pass machine ever to be used on patients in the UK in the late 1950’s. We have come a long way since those early days
I thought everything in your neck of the woods was intent on killing and/or eating you. So, I imagine that your plovers are probably venomous, with talons and needle sharp teeth. I can assure you that nothing I make with my sewing machine would be fit for implanting in anyone's chest - we have PTFE for that!
@@AllanWallsPhotography Hello Allan, yes, our plovers do have spurs and are very protective of their young and will attack if one gets too near their nest or young. I forgot to mention the 'dstraction' methods they employ to take one away from their nest/young area. We have a wide variety of native fauna, birds etc on our natural bush 5-acre property, and I am regularly recording their activities day and night with varous cameras, amazing what one learns just by observing their behaviour. I still have a few home sewn Dacron 'arteries' in my medical museum collection (some would call me a Magpie) I call it 'History'. It is quite amazing what did work back in those early days in Leeds-a well known centre for scientific and medical/surgical inventions and breakthroughs. Keep up the excellent video productions-a great resource for those interested in macro work. Stay Safe, from 'Down Under" in Tasmania 42 South.
Hi Allan, A pity I no longer have access to a scanning electron microscope, we could put a whole new meaning to 'macro' photography, really fascinating moving to the next level. I took all this equipment for granted, which was in my photographic plates and cut film days, where one did not take images at the rate we do today in the digital age. I was born too early-I would like another 10-year stint with the modern equipment now available where I used to work/play.
so where do you pin them, if the under frame is the most interesting?
top of the thorax or abdomen between the wings at the centerline? Generally I'm most interesting in the eyes of head but you never know what you can find
It is a case by case decision that depends entirely on what I am trying to emphasize in the image. Typically the ventral mid-thorax is my starting point, but if that isn't going to work for the shot I have in mind, I'll consider the abdominal segment, often choosing to pin the lateral abdomen (away from the camera, of course).
Thanks Allan for your excellent videos which have taught me a lot, i have been into close up and Macro for many years but extreme macro not so long, i am struggling to get the nice diffused pictures you get especially in the eyes and are using flash guns with various diffusion, and my main lens is the Canon MPE-65 on a Olympus EM1X body would it be possible for me to send you my set ups and some pictures and you give me some advice please, it really would be appreciated
Hi Philip - that is a particularly difficult lens to work with. I am in the process of getting my hands on one to do a tutorial that will cover the lens and the lighting setups you could use. If you still need help after watching the video, just let me know!
@@AllanWallsPhotography Thank you very much Allan and i look forward to another excellent video, i have watched most of your videos and have learnt such a lot and i keep practising and watching them again and its improved no end, regards Phil. from Dover Kent in the UK
Great vlog Allan. Hope you're doing well. I have a question. How big was the photo stack on the last image?
Hi Greg, It was 87 images at 50um per slice (I think!)
@@AllanWallsPhotography Thanks for that Allan. Great shot.
What about Ticks? Do you ever get any one you when you are trampling around the high brush or have you photographed any? I have a huge fear of those little buggers for some reason.
Hi Alan - nice video. Was that a 50 mm nikon reverse mounted. What was the magnification? Thanks, Scott
Hi Scott. Yes, it was a Nikon 50mm f/1.8D - the one with the manual aperture ring. I would have to go back and look at my extension, but at about 150mm from the sensor, it should have been getting close to 3:1.
Great video 🌹🌹, what ethyl acetate do??
It kills insects.
Hi Alan, you briefly mentioned your skills of hand sewing so just wondering what you did. Surgeon maybe? Good video btw
Plovers nest in open gravelly areas right on the ground. This behavior is common as they try to lure you away from the nest. If you had looked closely you would have found two or three eggs that blend very well with the gravel. The nest is simply a depression in the ground, very shallow. When you see this, tread carefully!
Thanks Russell - I have learned so much from this incident - I can assure you, I will steer clear of the area from now on!
Cold you say again what it is that is in the tube inside the container (the container with the blue lid)? Thanks!
It is a glass vial. They come in every imaginable size - I think this is where I bought mine... www.premiumvials.com/240-pk-glass-pre-roll-tubes-with-black-child-resistant-caps-20x110-mm-for--packaging/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwtLT1BRD9ARIsAMH3BtW6i18EUldr8SPcqksXQMQQj9YQxW_yF9y4p45KSVwyF_YN7HJXvUoaAsiwEALw_wcB
@@AllanWallsPhotography LOL! Thanks for that info, but what I was asking was what is the stuff that you put on the cotton that is inside the tube that kills the bugs? Thanks!
@@kevintewksbury5670 Hey Kevin - So I'm supposed to read ALL the words in the question? Good to know! Sorry about that... it is ethyl acetate. A readily available solvent that quickly sedates and then dispatches the bugs. You can find it online - it comes as "insect killing fluid" for $10 for a couple of ounces, and as ethyl acetate, for $20 for a liter. I suggest you get the latter, as the killing jar fluid is absurdly overpriced. Acetone also works, but is more volatile and evaporates away too quickly to be reliable in the field. I get mine here... www.eio.com/products/mg-chemicals-9620-945ml-ethyl-acetate?variant=15313540907074&BuildingConsumables&gclid=Cj0KCQjw17n1BRDEARIsAFDHFezy4hZBs_6Vw38J9L-zchXmzTFxaAAVsaNvTRjRIUpr_Reb_wwJm3saAkwREALw_wcB
Where can I buy such a grid?
Your Plover has a nest of 4 eggs and doing its best to keep you away from the eggs. They lay eggs in the open among the small rocks. Be careful you don't step on them. They lay out the eggs in perfect order with the large ends out and tiny ends in. Difficult to see.
Hi Pete, since learning all this, I plan to move to a different area at the first sign of a frightened plover. I didn't mention this, but that little bird was loud! Quite an unmistakeable sound. Live and learn.
A lot of different species of bird use that strategy: Pretending to be wounded and easy to catch to lure you away from it's nest.
Thanks Lau! He certainly had me fooled!
6:05 Passing motorist. Oh look, George, I told you that empty building was an asylum..look they have their first patient...
Hahaha - happens all the time - you get used to it!
Could you advise me what is the arm that holds the insect pls?
Hi Celina... it consists of an articulating arm with two small super clamps - one on each end. One clamp is attached to the focusing rail and the other holds an Exact knife handle. The knife handle is the perfect size and shape to hold a size "0" insect pin. In the next video I will show the device in more detail and I'll provide some links for the various parts. Thanks!
Allan the little plover is trying to lead you away from its nest
He succeeded! Thanks William!
Robbie is right
she is trying to get you away from the nest.
it acts like it's hurt to have you follow it
Where on earth is your accent from? Sometimes you sound English, like really posh Geordie, and sometimes like a posh Australian?
Hi Andy. I know it's confusing... born in Liverpool, grew up in Sussex, entire family is from Scotland, and I've been living in the southern US for several decades. I have no idea what my accent is anymore.
Watch your big feet the bird has a nest nearby and is decoying you away.
hate the idea of killing just to photograph.
I don't like killing insects for making photos. They also deserve to live, just like wolfs or whales.
Then you are free not to kill them. I take no pleasure in it, but it is a necessary step in preparing the kind of high definition images that I produce. What I do in raising awareness of the tiny insects that I work with is a significant net benefit to the same species that are sacrificed, in that it help educate the public about the importance of these barely visible organisms, and about their precarious existence. Humanely killing a few dozen flies that are too small for you to see is an exceptionally small price to pay - you kill more bugs by eating a vegetable that has been treated with pesticides, or taking a shower, or driving a car for one mile.
@@AllanWallsPhotography You still kill living creatures for money. And I want to say - it is not ok.
Even if you do it in the name of science, it is still killing. There are ways to do detail and sharp images without killing, but they are hard
And - don't you eat vegetables? don't use car? never taking shower? How do you balance this killings?
Kill deer bird
Acting like it is wounded, so the predators will following it thinking it is a East meal, and the predator Is distracted her eggs/babies are safe.
Catch and kill insects just to be able to photograph them? Really? It's truly a sad thing to do as well as absolutely unethical.
Hi, thanks for you comment, but I respectfully disagree with your opinion that this is unethical. Creating highly detailed photographic records of this type is of significant value to those seeking to learn about the anatomy, morphology, species variation, range, adaptations, and countless other details about these amazing creatures. For some, these images are also prized as culturally important pieces of art. In both respects, the sacrifice of a few insects is a necessary condition for an overwhelmingly constructive outcome. The benefits to our species far outweigh the infinitesimal impact on insect populations, and as such, what we do is demonstrably ethical.
Hi, Alan thanks for your reply.
I'm sorry but for this kind of thing, there are scientific papers. None of the things you talked about can be learned simply by catching random bugs to take pictures of them. (and I know what I'm talking about being a biologist). moreover, some species of insects are very delicate and with few specimens and killing, someone can have serious consequences. As for being works of art, I still have to disagree. killing to take a picture is not art. it's just killing.
I don't want to fight, but we clearly think oppositely.
@@jackvulpes Hello! I appreciate the care you have for even the little insects. As another biologist with training in entomology, I would have to disagree with the idea that anatomy and physiology, morphology, and adaptations of most insects and the minute arthropods could be learned by professionals or enthusiasts without the selective killing and preserving of the specimens. Take for instance Arthur Evans' incredible work "Beetles of Eastern North America" in which he describes and catalogs over 1,400 species of beetle with photographs. On page 36 of that book he writes, "Only by having them in hand will you have the opportunity to critically examine the physical features necessary to facilitate accurate species identification and develop an understanding of their evolutionary relationships and classification..." It is truly unfortunate that some insects must be killed to be thoroughly studied. Fortunately they are rather prolific and with ethical collecting as Allan has done i.e., using established methods to take only what can be used and not over-harvesting, they will be around for longer than we will.
I don't expect to change your mind, but do hope you will come to realize that he is following well-established practices for the study and preservation insect species.
Thanks, and I hope you have a good day.
you talk tơo much
Sir, I have great respect for your work. But killing an animal for our photos stands as the opposite of our admiration for nature, it´s very egoistic, forbidden in most countries and at least KILLING.