FossilsCloseup of a Fossil

Usually when I go on photo adventures I have to put a little work into it.  I usually go on a hike that can be between 5 and 12 miles.  I put on my 40+ lbs of gear and huff it through the hills looking for flowers, insects and the occasional animal.  But most of the time its a Landscape photo or two. On my last adventure my goal was to shoot a specific wildflower that bloomed this time of the year.  Needless to say it was a bust.  The hills have been very dry and no flowers. But, I did find a large stretch of exposed earth that was full of fossils. The strip of soil was obviously different.  It was chalky off white, and full of fossilized clams, oysters and other small shells. I spent hours climbing the hillside going through rocks and dirt.
 

Ocean FishCloseup of an Ocean Fish

When you are at the Zoo or Aquarium have you noticed when you take pictures of the animals or fish behind glass you get some glare and/or reflections and even have focus issues. Well here's an easy trick. Take the end of your lens and put it right on the glass.  No more glare or reflections and focusing is a snap.  The glass acts as an extension of your lens.  Be sure to take off the lens hood first.
 

Desert TarantulaExtreme Closeup of a Desert Tarantula

Spiders are amazing but are extremely freaky shooting up close with a macro lens.  I have done many shots of garden, hopping, and a few tropical spiders in a jungle, and none of them were moving.  While hiking in the local mountains I came across a Tarantula cruising along the trail.  I thought that was the coolest thing ever.  Now, how do I shoot a large black Tarantula without touching it or even getting close to it.  Well how about a forked stick, a rubber band, and a UV lens filter.  Every Time I got in front of the large hairy monster, I noticed he would rear up on his back legs and show me his fangs.  After a few practice runs with my new fashioned tool I was able to pause the spider long enough with my fancy tool to get a macro shot.
 

Diamondback RattlesnakeCloseup of a Juvenile Diamondback Rattlesnake

While hiking in the mountains above Los Angeles taking shots of wild flowers with my macro lens I noticed a baby Diamondback Rattlesnake coiled up near some rocks.  I was traveling light and only had the one macro lens (60mm f/ 2.8) which was useless at the distance I was from the snake.  So I inched forward to the point of about 6 feet away from the snake.  He wasnt moving so I figured what the hell, I crouched down then laid down in the dirt.  Stretched out now, my camera was about three feet from the 12 inch rattlesnake.  He was still not moving.  I must have shot a few hundred photos hoping to get this little guy in focus, no luck.  So I inched forward about six inches more and my “pucker factor” kicked in, so I stopped and tried again.  Still no luck.  With my camera resting on the dirt I just laid there, low and behold the snake started to move. TOWARDS THE LENS….  I froze, with my finger on the shutter release.  The little rattlesnake calmly posed a few inches from my lens.
 

Tree FrogCosta Rican Tree Frog on a lighted leaf at night

Shooting night time creators like frogs and insects can be challenging at best.  While in Costa Rica I had the opportunity to do a jungle night hike and came across many night time creators, but the problem was getting the right shot.  Either I couldn't get set up fast enough or the creators wouldn't stay still. So what I ended up doing was set up my tripod and camera to point at a specific leaf.  Then I set up a flashlight to point on the underside of that leaf.  I was then able to just sit there and wait.  Turns out that light attracted all kinds of insects and those insects then attracted a Tree Frog. Voila
 

Green GrasshopperGreen Grasshopper jumping on an isolated white background

It is very difficult to have the insects stay still for your photo. A helpful tip is to place your subject in a plastic container and place them in the fridge for a few minutes.  It will slow them down enough for you to pose them for your photo.  It will also slow flying insects down enough for you to get ready for them to take off to add a little action to your photo.  Some insects like scorpions and grasshoppers take a little more time in the fridge to slow down.
 

Robber Fly and its PreyRobber Fly and its Prey isolated on a white background

A Plain flat white paper plate.  Yes, a paper plate. If you're out and about looking to take photos of insects, flowers, or even some small reptiles a white paper plate helps for an isolated white background.  You can also use it to redirect some light on your subject.  For the paper plate make sure it has a matte finish to prevent unwanted glare.  In this photo I used the paper plate as a background and light reflector to shoot this Assassin fly with its meal..