***UPDATE 9/7/2012***

I just wanted to check in on Critters and Cameras Eve. I went down to the park today, and it was a fairly lovely day. Unfortunately, tomorrow’s forecast is a little iffy. As of now (~4:30pm on Friday), the National Weather Service says there is a 40% chance of “Strong Scattered Storms” rolling into North Adams around 4pm. Which should give us just enough time to shoot for our lives and get safely home! Well, hopefully. Or even better, the storms miss us altogether. We will play it by ear, but right now things look okay. If anything changes I will post info here. Either way, I look forward to meeting some macro enthusiasts (sooner or later)!

PLEASE NOTE: I wanted to mention while at the park today, I saw quite a few interesting bugs, and a fairly diverse range. Unfortunately one bug I did see (or rather heard) too often was the mosquito. I went a little later in the day so they might have been a little stronger in numbers, but the park is damp in many spots (and that’s often where the good bugs are!) so the mosquitoes must be reckoned with. I advise anyone attending the program to take precautions. Long sleeves and pants generally do the trick for me, but I don’t think a little bug spray will ward off all the critters. :)

************************

On Saturday September 8th, at Natural Bridge State Park in North Adams, MA, I will give a short introductory talk on nature macro photography (with an emphasis on bugs) (of course). I will touch on what macro photography is exactly, some of the main challenges, and some tips on shooting bugs. I will prepare a “Bug Hunt” list, and hopefully we can locate a variety of subjects for participants to shoot. I’ll spend the remainder of the time answering any questions and giving any assistance.

The program is put on in conjunction with the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR). It is free to the public although there is a $2.00 parking fee; free to ParkPass holders — which I highly recommend if you like to hit the state parks! You should bring a digital camera to participate; the camera doesn’t have to be fancy, but a dedicated macro feature will be probably make it more useful for our purposes (this is usually denoted by the little flower icon). I am going to try to find some live subjects (i.e. prisoners!) to ensure we have something good to shoot, although captivating captives not withstanding, I think we’ll have plenty to shoot. All photographs in this post were taken at Natural Bridge! Please email or call me for more info. (Formal sign up is not necessary; but if you want to let me know you are coming, that’s cool for me!) I hope to see you at the park! (More photos after the break.)

Katydid nymph above. Tattered Luna moth below…

Geometrid caterpillars (with a beetle hiding under the green one!)…

A thick-headed fly (you have to love bug names almost as much as the bugs themselves sometimes!)…

This is a marsh fly comparison to show the perils of shallow depth of field…

It’s not always bugs and roses. Sometimes it’s bugs and spittle! Spittle bubbles from a spittle bug…

A shiny Hymenoptera Coleoptera insect, of Genus Ripiphorus (thanks to Stephen in the comments!), illustrating the challenge of glare and the need to diffuse light…