MYN – Clubtail exuvia (species unknown)

An Anisoptera exuvia was collected by Freda van den Broek on 10 June 2019 along the Red Cedar River in Barron County, Wisconsin USA.

This specimen is definitely a member of Family Gomphidae (Clubtails), possibly Midland Clubtail (Gomphurus fraternus).

10 JUN 2019 | Barron County, WI | Anisoptera exuvia (dorsal–lateral)

Tech Tips

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

During this photo shoot, I tested the Flash Diffuser Light Softbox by Altura Photo (6″ x 5″) for the first time. This relatively inexpensive softbox ($12.99) is highly recommended by Allan Walls, an excellent photographer who specializes in macro photography. I must admit I was more than a little skeptical but the diffuser seems to work as advertised and is a remarkable bargain, unlike my expensive Lastolite softbox flash modifiers (8.5” x 8.5” square).

The 1:1 rule-of-thumb is used to determine how close/far to position a flash unit from the subject. The diagonal distance across the face of a softbox should be the distance to the subject [or less] for soft wrap-around light. Actually, the distance should be as close as possible without the softbox showing in the photo frame. Greater distances will result in a contrasty look.

For example, my new Altura softbox is a 6” x 5” rectangle (7.8” diagonally) so it should be positioned ~8″ or less from the subject. Buyer beware: This distance is OK for macro photography but not OK for most other types of photography.

Related Resources

• Flash Diffuser Light Softbox by Altura Photo
• Allan Walls Photography
• Allan Walls Photography channel on YouTube – a treasure trove of excellent instructional videos

Copyright © 2020 Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.

Tags: BoG Photo Studio, Family Gomphidae (Clubtails), gear talk, Meet Your Neighbours, studio photography