MYN – Stygian Shadowdragon exuvia

A Stygian Shadowdragon dragonfly (Neurocordulia yamaskanensis) exuvia was collected by Freda van den Broek on 10 June 2019 along the St. Croix River in Interstate Park, Polk County, Wisconsin USA.

Stygian is the only species of Neurocordulia (Shadowdragons) within range of Wisconsin.

10 JUN 2019 | Polk County, WI | Stygian Shadowdragon (exuvia)

Notice the interesting crenulations on the labium (face mask) of the exuvia, including bundles of bristles (setae) along the margins of the palpal lobes.

Tech Tips

This subject was photographed against a pure white background (255, 255, 255) using the “Meet Your Neighbours” (MYN) technique.

I set the Laowa 25mm Ultra Macro lens for 2.5x magnification and an aperture of f/5.6, then took some test shots of the subject. Next I shot 23 photos for a focus-stacked composite image showing the face-head-dorsal view of this specimen.

Finally I shot a few photos at f/16, focused manually on the face mask. At the time of this writing, it was too late to create the focus stack so here’s one of the shots at f/16. An aperture of either f/5.6 or f/8 is the “sweet spot” for this lens, according to video reviews I watched. The net result — some image sharpness was sacrificed in favor of more depth of field.

Copyright © 2020 Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.

MYN – Zygoptera exuvia (ventral-lateral view)

A Zygoptera exuvia (species unknown) was collected on 21 May 2019 alongside a small pond at an undisclosed location in Prince William County, Virginia USA.

This individual is a member of Family Lestidae (Spreadwings), as indicated by the unique shape of its prementum — it reminds me of a rattle (musical instrument).

The rudimentary ovipositor that is faintly visible on the ventral side of abdominal segment nine (S9) indicates this specimen is a female.

21 MAY 2019 | Zygoptera exuvia (ventral–lateral view) | female

My what long antennae you have, Grandma! The better to sense you, my dear.

Related Resources

• How to Identify Damselfly Exuviae to Family
• Sexing odonate exuviae (Zygoptera)

Tech Tips

This subject was photographed against a pure white background (255, 255, 255) using the “Meet Your Neighbours” (MYN) technique.

Three photos were used to create a composite image: one photo focused on the head; another focused on the wing pads; and a third focused on abdominal segment six (S6).

Copyright © 2020 Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.

My MYN technique studio macro photography rig

The following annotated photos show the current iteration of my “Meet Your Neighbours” (MYN) technique studio macro photography rig, set up at BoG Photo Studio, Fairfax County, Virginia USA.

This rig represents the culmination of continuous experimentation spanning several months — it works well most of the time but not always. Some of the gear shown in the photos is nice but not essential. Start small and add items as necessary.

An equipment list and legend follows the photo set.

My MYN macro photography rig, front view.

Notice the orientation of the clear plastic stage relative to the white plastic background, optimized for best exposure of both the white background and the subject.

My MYN macro photography rig, side view.

Most of the essential gear is shown in the following photo. However you set up the rig, all you really need is a translucent white background, some sort of clear plastic stage, one or more radio-controlled external flash units (with light diffusers), and a camera, of course. I’m guessing many photographers will have most of the necessary equipment on-hand already.

Close-up of clear plastic stage and white plastic background.

In this case, the subject is a Common Green Darner dragonfly (Anax junius) exuvia collected by Mike Powell, my good friend and photowalking buddy.

Equipment List (Legend)

1. light stand (Promaster Deluxe Light Stand LS-2n)
2. white plastic background
3. clear plastic stage [part of a repurposed sandwich box from a delicatessen]
4. Godox TT685F (fill flash, stage right)
5. Canon 580EX II Speedlite (fill flash, stage left) fitted with a “Vello Bounce Dome (Diffuser) for Canon 580EX II Flash”
6. Godox X1R-C
7. Lastolite Ezybox Speed-lite 2
8. Tether Tools articulating arm [A large articulating arm is useful but DO NOT BUY Tether Tools articulating arms — they’re OVERPRICED and either work poorly (like this one) or not at all (like a smaller one shown in one of my YouTube videos)! Articulating arms and clamps made by Manfrotto are the best albeit expensive; arms and clamps made by SmallRig are a close second at a modest price point.]
9. Westcott Reflector Arm Extreme
10. Godox TT685C (backlight)

Everything is mounted on a Promaster Deluxe Light Stand LS-2n using the following Manfrotto articulating arms and clamps (and more).

• (2) Manfrotto 2909 Super Clamp
• Manfrotto 244 Micro Friction Arm – Length: 5.9″ (15 cm)
• Manfrotto 244 Micro Friction Arm Kit (includes mini-clamp used to hold background/stage) – Length: 5.9″ (15 cm)
• SmallRig Super Clamp with 1/4″-20 and 3/8″-16 Threads (Pair)

A collection of articulating arms and clamps makes it easier to position everything exactly where it needs to be, enabling quick and easy set-up, repositioning, and break-down.

Related Resources

• MYN – Hagenius brevistylus exuvia (dorsal), a blog post by Walter Sanford [see sections entitled “Tech Tips” and “Practical Tips for the MYN Technique”]
• The Field Studio: How to Create Perfect Portraits on White, by Niall Benvie, co-founder of the “Meet Your Neighbours” project [2020 update of 2013 edition]

Copyright © 2020 Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.

Laowa 25mm Ultra Macro (Canon mount)

Canon EF & RF, Nikon F & Z, Pentax K & Sony FE mounts are available. Source Credit: Laowa 25mm f/2.8 2.5-5X Ultra Macro, Venus Optics.

I bought the Canon mount plus the Canon EF lens to Fujifilm X mount camera adapter for use with my Canon EOS 5D Mark II DSLR and Fujifilm X-Series mirrorless digital cameras.

My Canon 5DM2 features a “full-frame” digital sensor; both my Fujifilm X-T1 and X-T3 cameras feature an APS-C digital sensor.

The following photo is an un-cropped, full size image from the full-frame digital sensor in my Canon 5DM2. Notice how much smaller the subject appears to be in this photo, in contrast with one of the un-cropped, full size images of the same specimen taken with my Fujifilm X-T1.

25mm (2.5x magnification) | ISO 100 | f/8 | 1/200 s | 0 ev

The Fujifilm X-T1 has a crop factor of 1.5x. In addition, the Canon-to-Fujifilm adapter (~1.25″ thick) increases magnification like the net effect of adding one or more extension tubes between the lens and focal plane of the digital image sensor.

Editor’s Note: I was wrong. There I said it. For details, see the “Post Update” below.

The same photo was rotated slightly and cropped for better composition. Pretty good for a one-off shot at an aperture of f/8! Or was it f/5.6? I can’t remember and the EXIF info says f/0 because there aren’t any electronic contacts between the lens and camera body, so no help there.

25mm (2.5x magnification) | ISO 100 | f/8 | 1/200 s | 0 ev

Related Resources

• Laowa 25mm f/2.8 2.5-5X Ultra Macro [blog post by Walter Sanford]
• More Laowa 25mm Ultra Macro [blog post by Walter Sanford]
• Comparitive dimensions of sensor sizes
• Have you ever wondered…? [focal plane mark, Fujifilm X-T1 and Canon 5DM2]

Post Update

Just because something looks like a duck and seems to act like a duck doesn’t mean it’s a duck. And so it is with the Canon EF lens to Fujifilm X mount camera adapter made by Laowa — although it looks like an extension tube, it isn’t. Why was I deceived by its appearance? Because I didn’t understand something called “flange focal distance.”

For an interchangeable lens camera, the flange focal distance (FFD) … of a lens mount system is the distance from the mounting flange (the interlocking metal rings on the camera and the rear of the lens) to the film or image sensor plane. This value is different for different camera systems. Source Credit: Flange focal distance. Wikipedia.

For example, the FFD for Canon EF-mount is 44 mm and the FFD for Fujifilm X-mount is 17.7 mm. In order to make a Canon EF lens perform properly on a Fujifilm X-series camera body, an adapter must move the Canon lens 26.3 mm farther from the digital sensor. (44 mm – 17.7 mm = 26.3 mm)

Not surprisingly, when I measured the thickness of my Canon EF lens to Fujifilm X mount camera adapter it turns out to be close to 26 mm. The net result is the 17.7 mm FFD of my Fujifilm X-T3 combines with the 26.3 mm thickness of the Laowa adapter, resulting in an FFD of 44 mm — exactly the right FFD for the Canon lens to work properly on a Fujiflm X-series camera body!

It’s worth noting that “apparent magnification” is still a real thing when a camera lens designed for a “full-frame” camera is mounted on a camera with an APS-C size sensor. The image formed by the lens is exactly the same size regardless of the size of the digital sensor used to record the image, but a smaller part of the image is “seen” by an APS-C sensor than a full-frame sensor, resulting in the misperception that the image is magnified.

I hope this sets the record straight. Sincere apologies for any confusion I might have caused — I never heard of “flange focal distance” before I wrote this blog post!

Copyright © 2020 Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.

More Laowa 25mm Ultra Macro

The Laowa 25mm Ultra Macro lens is challenging to focus in low light — commentary common to all of the videos I cited in my last blog post (see “Related Resources”) that is consistent with my limited experience using the lens.

As an aid to focusing the camera on the subject, I added a Sunpak LED-160 Video Light to my “Meet Your Neighbours” technique studio photography rig. The bright continuous LED light enabled me to see the red focus peaking displayed by my camera for the first time!

25mm (2.5x magnification) | ISO 200 | f/5.6 | 1/180 s | 0 ev

Both photos featured in this post are “one-offs,” that is, not composite images. Although the depth of field is so shallow that a lot of the subject is out of focus, one look at these photos and I can tell the Laowa lens will work well for creating focus stacks.

25mm (2.5x magnification) | ISO 200 | f/8 | 1/180 s | 0 ev

Both photos are uncropped, full size images from an APS-C digital camera sensor. An aperture of either f/5.6 or f/8 is the “sweet spot” for this lens, according to the video reviews I watched.

The Backstory

The subject is a Common Green Darner dragonfly (Anax junius) exuvia collected by Mike Powell, my good friend and photowalking buddy. Although the exact date and location are unknown, we know the specimen was collected sometime during 2019 somewhere in Northern Virginia.

Copyright © 2020 Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.

Laowa 25mm f/2.8 2.5-5X Ultra Macro

The following photograph is among the first set of shots taken using my new Laowa 25mm f/2.8 2.5-5X Ultra Macro lens mounted on my Fujifilm X-T1 APS-C digital camera using the Laowa Lens Mount Adapter (Canon EF – Fuji X).

25mm (2.5x magnification) | ISO 200 | f/5.6 | 1/15 s | 0 ev

The lens is all manual all the time, so it doesn’t really matter that the adapter features no electronic contacts for the lens to communicate with the camera. The lens doesn’t have a focus ring — the user sets the aperture and magnification on the lens and moves the camera/lens rig back-and-forth until focus is achieved.

Among my first impressions, the lens is a “light hog” meaning it requires light and a lot of it for good exposure! Depth of field is extremely shallow, as expected. “One-off” photos like this one are a little disappointing — for best results this lens should be used to create focus stacked composite images.

By now you may be wondering “Why did you buy this Laowa lens?” The two-part answer is simple and straightforward: 1) For the modest price-point of approximately $400 I have a lens that increases the magnification possible using my Fujifilm cameras by a factor of five. 2) I bought the Laowa lens with a Canon mount, so it can be used with either my Canon- or Fujifilm camera bodies. The Laowa Ultra Macro lens/X-T1 kit is significantly smaller and lighter than my Canon MP-E 65mm macro lens/Canon EOS 5D Mark II.

I’m looking forward to further testing of the Laowa lens in the studio as well as in the field.

Related Resources (subject)

• MYN – Anisoptera exuvia (species unknown). [Face-head-dorsal view of the same specimen featured in this blog post.]
• MYN – Anisoptera exuvia (dorsal view). [Dorsal view of the same specimen featured in this blog post.]

Tech Tips

This subject was photographed against a pure white background (255, 255, 255) using the “Meet Your Neighbours” (MYN) technique.

The power ratios for an array of four external flash units were as follows: Group A = 1/2 +0.3 (primary backlight); Group B = off (secondary backlight); Group C = 1/32 (subject, stage right); Group D = 1/32 (subject, stage left).

Related Resources (Laowa 25mm Ultra Macro lens)

• High Magnification Macro Photography w/ the Laowa 25mm 2.5-5x, by Thomas Shahan (11:09)
• Laowa 25mm f/2.8 2.5-5x Ultra Macro Lens Review with Sample Photos, by Micael Widell (8:06)
• Laowa 25mm f/2.8 Ultra Macro 5x lens review, by Camerahoarder (8:40)

Copyright © 2020 Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.

MYN – Anisoptera exuvia (dorsal view)

An Anisoptera exuvia (species unknown) was collected by Mike Powell, my good friend and photowalking buddy. Although the exact date and location are unknown, we know the specimen was collected sometime during 2019 somewhere in Northern Virginia.

The specimen is definitely a dragonfly, probably from either Family Corduliidae (Emeralds) or Family Libellulidae (Skimmers), as indicated by its mask-like labium and thin antennae. Notice the row of mid-dorsal hooks located along several abdominal segments.

2019 | Anisoptera exuvia (dorsal view)

Related Resource: MYN – Anisoptera exuvia (species unknown). [Face-head-dorsal view of the same specimen featured in this blog post.]

Tech Tips

This subject was photographed against a pure white background (255, 255, 255) using the “Meet Your Neighbours” (MYN) technique.

Three photos were used to create a composite image: one photo focused on the head; another focused on the mid-abdomen; and a third focused on abdominal segment 10 (S10).

For what it’s worth, the following camera settings were used to shoot all three photos: 100mm; ISO 100; f/8; 1/200 s; 0 ev. The power ratios for an array of four external flash units were as follows: Group A = 1/2 +0.3 (primary backlight); Group B = off (secondary backlight); Group C = 1/4 (subject, stage right); Group D = 1/16 (subject, handheld stage left).

Copyright © 2020 Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.

MYN – Anisoptera exuvia (species unknown)

An Anisoptera exuvia (species unknown) was collected by Mike Powell, my good friend and photowalking buddy. Although the exact date and location are unknown, we know the specimen was collected sometime during 2019 somewhere in Northern Virginia.

The specimen is definitely a dragonfly, probably from either Family Corduliidae (Emeralds) or Family Libellulidae (Skimmers), as indicated by its mask-like labium and thin antennae.

2019 | Anisoptera exuvia (face-head-dorsal)

Related Resource: MYN – Anisoptera exuvia (dorsal view). [Dorsal view of the same specimen featured in this blog post.]

Tech Tips

This subject was photographed against a pure white background (255, 255, 255) using the “Meet Your Neighbours” (MYN) technique.

Three photos were used to create a composite image: two photos focused on the head; and another photo focused on the prementum. I must say I’m fairly pleased by the way the final image turned out, best appreciated by viewing the full-size version of the composite.

My Canon EOS 5D Mark II is a full-frame DSLR digital camera. RAW images are 5616 × 3744 pixels. The dimensions of the composite image are 5385 × 3657 pixels, that is, slightly smaller than full-frame. It’s usually necessary to crop composite images, at least a little, because the individual photos used to create the composite don’t align perfectly, even when the camera is mounted on a tripod (as it was in this case).

For what it’s worth, the following camera settings were used to shoot all three photos: 100mm; ISO 100; f/8; 1/200 s; 0 ev. The power ratios for an array of four external flash units were as follows: Group A = 1/16 (primary backlight); Group B = 1/32 (secondary backlight); Group C = 1/4 (subject, stage right); Group D = 1/8 (subject, handheld stage left).

I’m still searching for the “sweet spot” for this camera/lens combo. The white background was slightly under-exposed by approximately 1.5 stops, so I need to increase the flash power ratios for Group A and B. The subject was exposed almost perfectly, so Group C and D are close to spot on. Trial and error is the MYN way!

Copyright © 2020 Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.

MYN – Anisoptera exuvia (species unknown)

An Anisoptera exuvia (species unknown) was collected near a small pond at Occoquan Regional Park (ORP), Fairfax County, Virginia USA.

This individual probably is a member of the Family Libellulidae (Skimmers), as indicated by its anal pyramid. The small pond where the specimen was collected is perfect habitat for skimmers.

01 JUN 2019 | ORP | Anisoptera exuvia (dorsal–lateral view)

Related Resource: Another unknown species of odonate exuvia – a blog post by Walter Sanford featuring a “one-off” photo (that is, not a composite image) of the same specimen.

Tech Tips

This subject was photographed against a pure white background (255, 255, 255) using the “Meet Your Neighbours” (MYN) technique.

Two photos were used to create a composite image: one photo focused on the head; and another photo focused on abdominal segments seven (S7) through nine (S9).

My Canon EOS 5D Mark II is a full-frame DSLR digital camera. RAW images are 5616 × 3744 pixels. The dimensions of the composite image are 5589 × 3743 pixels, that is, essentially full-frame. It’s usually necessary to crop composite images, at least a little, because the individual photos used to create the composite don’t align perfectly, even when the camera is mounted on a tripod (as it was in this case).

For what it’s worth, the following camera settings were used to shoot both photos: 100mm; ISO 100; f/8; 1/200 s; 0 ev. I need to tweak the settings a little in order to find the “sweet spot” for this camera/lens combo: the white background was slightly over-exposed; and the subject was slightly under-exposed. Of course that means I need to tweak the flash power for the backlights and add one or more additional external flash units for more fill flash. Overall, I’m fairly satisfied with the results of my first attempt using the MYN technique with this camera rig.

Copyright © 2020 Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.

MYN – Eastern Amberwing exuvia (anal pyramid)

An Eastern Amberwing dragonfly (Perithemis tenera) exuvia was collected by Joe Johnston on 07 August 2019 along Aquia Creek at Channel Marker No. 34, Stafford County, Virginia USA.

The specimen is probably from either Family Corduliidae (Emeralds) or Family Libellulidae (Skimmers).

The rule of thumb for differentiating Corduliidae exuviae from Libellulidae is as follows: It’s probably Corduliidae if the cerci are at least half as long as the paraprocts; it’s probably Libellulidae if the cerci are less than half the length of the paraprocts.

65mm (3x magnification) | ISO 100 | f/8 | 1/200 s | 0 ev

Look closely at the full-size version of the preceding photo, showing a close-up of the anal pyramid at 3x magnification. Notice the cerci are approximately half as long as the epiproct and slightly less than half the length of the paraprocts. It’s a close call, but the latter field mark indicates Family Libellulidae (Skimmers).

A step-by-step identification guide (to the species level) will be published in a follow-up post. Stay tuned!

Related Resources

• MYN – Dragonfly exuvia (unknown species) [featuring face-head-dorsal and lateral views of the specimen]
• MYN – Unkown dragonfly exuvia (redux) [featuring dorsal and ventral views of the specimen]
• Perithemis tenera exuvia

Copyright © 2020 Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.