Quinn - Macrophotography: capture larger-than-life photographs of natures smallest subjects

Copyright 2016 by Dennis Quinn.

All rights reserved.

All photographs by the author unless otherwise noted.

Author photograph by Nicole Cudzilo.

Published by:

Amherst Media, Inc., P.O. Box 538, Buffalo, N.Y. 14213

www.AmherstMedia.com

Publisher: Craig Alesse

Senior Editor/Production Manager: Michelle Perkins

Editors: Barbara A. Lynch-Johnt, Beth Alesse

Associate Publisher: Kate Neaverth

Acquisitions Editor: Harvey Goldstein

Editorial Assistance from: Carey A. Miller, Sally Jarzab, John S. Loder

Business Manager: Adam Richards

ISBN-13: 978-1-68203-078-3

Library of Congress Control Number: 2016931526

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopied, recorded or otherwise, without prior written consent from the publisher.

Notice of Disclaimer: The information contained in this book is based on the authors experience and opinions. The author and publisher will not be held liable for the use or misuse of the information in this book.

www.facebook.com/AmherstMediaInc

www.youtube.com/c/AmherstMedia

www.twitter.com/AmherstMedia

Table of Contents

Contents

D ennis Quinn is a Connecticut native who grew up just outside the city limits of New Haven. His interest in the natural world stems back to his early childhood days, when he spent much of his time observing wildlife in the field.

Dennis earned a Master of Arts degree from Central Connecticut State University in Ecology and Environmental Science and shortly thereafter founded an environmental consulting firm (CTHerpConsultant, LLC) that specializes in amphibian and reptile research, conservation, and preservation.

He is active in environmental education through his Adjunct Instructor position at Naugatuck Valley Community College, where he teaches General Zoology and Field Biology.

Combining his scientific career with photography, Dennis also created www.ctherpetology.com, a website that serves as a photographic atlas for the identification of Connecticuts amphibians and reptiles. Capturing images that ignited interest and questions from viewers, Dennis quickly realized the value of photography in his pursuits of conservation, and now shoots the macro-world to shed light on the astounding species diversity that surrounds our daily life.

Dennis actively displays his photographs in galleries, nature centers, and art festivals and has been published in various wildlife magazines, newspapers, educational pamphlets, and scientific documents. He is active on social media and has won image awards in online gallery contests.

Magicicada septendecim

A s its name suggests, the 17-year periodical cicada emerges only once every 17 years. Therefore, the larvae from the 2013 east coast brood, pictured here, will not emerge as adults until the year 2030.

Understanding Your Subject

A tricky insect to photograph, cicadas are predominantly fossorial. The larvae of various species spend 2 to 17 years, on average, underground feeding off the sap in plant roots.

Locating Your Subject

Locating cicadas requires some basic detective skills coupled with enduring patience. To locate a calling population, start your search with your ears and become familiar with the sounds that male cicadas make while enticing females. Once an active population is audibly identified, attempt to locate a pre-molt nymph on nearby trees and shrubs. You will likely encounter the exoskeleton remains (exuvia) of nymphs that have previously molted and since flown away. Do not handle the molting nymphs as they can be easily damaged during this fragile life-stage. Locating cicadas at night is often easier, but it poses the increased challenge of nighttime photography.

Shooting Your Subject & Photographic Process

The facing-page image was shot from a tripod with the camera positioned 2.1 feet away from the subject at a slight upward angle, allowing the sky and distant horizon to serve as the image background.

Capturing multiple individuals on a single blade of grass was important to clearly elucidate the mass emergence, which characterizes the periodical cicadas. As a biologist, I was elated to document the preflight behavior of these insectsas well as to highlight their brilliant red eyes and orange venation of their forewings. This image shows how macrophotography can easily serve the dual purpose of scientific documentation and artistic expression.