Macro Diffuser Prototype for the Mirrorless System

Ever since I posted an article on my lighting and diffusion techniques for the mirrorless system, there have been many requests for a step-by-step tutorial on how i make my diffuser.  I wasn't able to fulfil these requests immediately simply because I didn't want to rush the process - I have actually been working on a better diffuser and I really wanted to test it out first before sharing the "goodies" on the internet. I have been tinkering with various diffusion materials as well as diffuser designs over the past few weeks and I think I might finally have my first prototype ready.

Camera Body: Olympus OM-D EM1
Lenses: M.Zuiko 60mm macro lens with a Raynox dcr-250 attached
Flash-Unit: Olympus fl-14 flash
Diffuser: Prototype A

For more on these equipments, click here.

Here are some sample photos. Le me know what you think! * Please click to Enlarge*

A Classic Cosmophasis species - Tiny, Sparkly and absolutely fabulous! Legspan around 1cm or 10mm.

A very hard subject to photograph considering how tiny and sparkly it is. I am glad that my new diffuser was able to capture the details!

A tiny Thread Legged bug (Emisinae), a subfamily of the assassin bug that has raptorial legs like a mantis, found living 20 metres underground in an abandoned World War One Bunker!

 I only managed 2 hasty shots of this beautiful jumper because we had to leave the location immediately due to bad weather. Turns out that both photos came out rather OK! 

I am not too sure of the ID although I am pretty sure it is a gravid female!

Can you tell what this is?

It is a nymph of an assassin bug (Reduviidae) that has coated itself in mud and sand, presumably as a form of camouflage! It was really going after the Derelict-look.

Now this is an interesting one. You have probably seen or heard about Rhinoceros and Rhinoceros Beetles but have you seen a Rhinoceros Spider? This is a male Thorelliola ensifera  (<5mm or 0.5cm),  commonly known as the Rhino Garden Jumper, that has a pair of tightly held horns on its clypeus. I have seen many photographs of this spider but very few that actually showcase this unique physical trait that lends it its name. See if you can spot the horn!

It was so tiny that i didn't know that it was actually feeding! I couldn't see the prey item in the viewfinder at all prior to reviewing on my my Macbook.

A mite-infested Big-Jawed spider (Tetragnatha sp).

It was hiding underneath a metal pipe which was right next to a heavily flooded monsoon drain.

Okay, not my best backlighting shot but it does show the 'insides' of this leaf-mimicking katydid nymph, Chondroderella cf. borneensis (1.5cm or 15mm). Kinda look like a shrimp, a leaf shrimp! For my tutorial on backlighting macro, please click here.

Beautiful bug with incredibly intricate markings on its back.

Possibly a beetle larva? Less than 5mm in length. It looks like a tiny brain.

I am pretty pleased with the catchlight on this diffuser given that this beetle is really tiny!

 Another Assassin bug (Reduviidae) with a striking coloration - To Hell with camouflage!

If avocado have legs.

A tiny cricket nymph (2mm) that made this algae-covered signboard its home. It looked like a speck of white dust with the naked eye but under a macro lens, it completely transformed into a gorgeous princess.. ( I am assuming its a she!)

One of my favourite subjects to photograph besides spiders, and definitely one of the hardest, due to its size and light-reflective nature. I really liked the soft catchlight on this ant (Camponotus sp.)!

I bumped up the exposure compensation on this Diptera since it was hiding quite deep in the foliage.

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In conclusion, I definitely think that there is an improvement from my last diffuser. It probably needs a little fine-tuning but so far I am very happy with the results. Stay tuned for an in-depth tutorial, coming soon!

The Best of Pulau Ubin - Part 1

We only had 2 days to explore the island so we wasted no time in getting ourselves out there into the jungle, right after establishing our base camp. We travelled by van and foot to the different parts of the island to locate and photograph invertebrates that are known to be found only in that specific ecosystem. We already knew what we wanted to find and so it was just a matter of searching at the right location after narrowing them down, based on leads found on available literature. Take this juvenile Eight-spotted crab spider (Platythomisus octomaculatus) for example:

1. Apparently, this species of Thomisidae is very rare on both the mainland and its surrounding offshore islands. It took us 15-20 minutes to find our first specimen that night, which was not too bad. This young specimen obviously has a lot of growing up to do - It is missing the black marking on parts of its legs and cephalothorax. We are happy to report that a healthy population of them was observed within just a 100-meter stretch that we surveyed. Due to its rarity, we decided to photograph only one specimen and left the rest undisturbed. After all, we only wanted a record shot of it and nothing else.

2. Noticed that there are only 7 spots on its back. Where is the 8th spot?

3. It is on the underbelly of the spider!

4. Experimented quite a lot with backlighting that day.

5.  We made our way to the western part of the island to check out a part of the forest that is said to have a very healthy population of stick-insects. We found this Sparassidae close to an abandoned rubber plantation.

6. Close-up of this unidentified huntsman.

7. It has a leg span of about 2 inches with very beautiful greyish tone throughout its body.

8. Side view of this very attractive huntsman spider.

9. Just a picture of a twig?

10. Oh, wait.

11. Close-up of a "living twig"

12. We were looking at some ants when this little fella caught our attention.

13. Look at all the stuff on its back! There must be a practical reason for this hoarding behaviour.

 14. Top view of this industrious Geometridae.

15. Fangs of the Nephila sp., a very common orb-weaver on that island.

16. We found this tiny Orbweaver with an interesting web structural design.

17. Of course, the night wouldn't be complete without a scorpion. Many scorpions to be precise.

18. Another scorpion shot with backlighting.

19. Very shy Elephant weevil. We only managed a shot before it decided to play dead and rolled itself to safety. 

20. Leaf-mimicking flatid planthopper.

21. Another tiny Geometridae found hanging on a strand of silk.

22. It is surprisingly beautiful.

23. My "best" shot of the night, taken with a new raynox lens. This midge is only slightly bigger than the full-stop at the end of this sentence (1mm). Who would have thought that something so small could be this beautiful?

24. It was an extremely challenging to shoot because it was constantly swaying on the web. Here you can see me using the set-up with a DIY reflector to photograph this Midge.

Stay tuned for Part 2!