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
Leave a Reply