I’ve spent most of my life caught up in the hustle and bustle of city life. The forest is my go-to escape when I need a break from the daily grind. I love being alone in nature, soaking in its vastness, and just unwinding with the great outdoors. Building on my growing interests, I’ve been elevating my passion by documenting it through photography.
What motivates my choice to photograph this scene?
What am I seeking to express through this image?
Is there a story being conveyed?
These are the thoughts that linger in my mind while I’m photographing a moment.
Figure 1 Heron with a fresh catch
This is an image of a heron with its meal, captured during sunset. This photograph illustrates the ordinary yet essential activity of self-feeding, highlighting the heron’s daily routine to sustain itself.
I enjoy capturing such moments, and also portraits of animals, birds, and insects, but a question persistently echoes in my mind: What more can I do to elevate this image? This curiosity has fueled extensive learning and exploration. Delving into various photographic techniques — long exposures, infrared, UV, double exposure, Intentional Camera Movement (ICM), high key, low key, and flash photography — has become a daily pursuit. With the wealth of resources available online, including insightful video tutorials and well-crafted blogs from talented artists, acquiring new skills has become remarkably accessible. We, as learners, are fortunate to live in an era where knowledge is abundant, and it is up to us to absorb and apply it effectively.
The image below depicts a pair of sarus cranes, one of the tallest flying birds in the world. Like many other bird species, sarus cranes are known for their lifelong monogamous bonds. The death of one partner is believed to cause the other to mourn deeply, sometimes to the point of death. This profound symbol of love inspires me to express their enduring connection in unique ways, capturing their eternal togetherness through my lens.
This is an attempt to show that hidden love using ICM. This photograph was captured using a 500mm lens on a crop sensor camera, which required some experimentation to achieve the desired level of motion blur.
Figure 2 Sarus crane
I have a profound appreciation for images that embrace blur or a touch of abstraction. These images transcend mere visual impact or capturing a fleeting moment; they are about conveying emotions. I find it particularly compelling when my photographs evoke a dialogue — while I may not be deeply versed in philosophical discourse, this is the sentiment I experience when I view a photograph.
During the last Christmas break, I had the opportunity to visit a pristine lake nearby, surrounded by trees that serve as a haven for numerous birds. The lake is frequented by pelicans, storks, and kingfishers. I visited the lake every evening to observe the birds as they went about their routines, preparing for nightfall.
After experimenting with several backlit images of pelicans making their way to their nests, I realized that a simple backlit shot might not fully convey the essence of the scene. The image needed to capture the broader narrative of the birds’ transition into the evening.
Lying flat on the ground, I ensured the golden light fell exactly where I intended. I then waited for pelicans to appear in the frame, manually set the focus, and blurred the scene with a wide aperture to achieve smooth, circular bokeh.
Figure 3 Pelicans
One of my favorite subjects to photograph is spiders. My journey into macro photography began with a fascination for capturing these intriguing creatures — perhaps fueled by my childhood admiration for Spider-Man or the spiders themselves. I am continually amazed by their significant role in nature and their unique behaviors.
A prime example is the web weaving spider, which plays a crucial role in pest control. Its web is meticulously crafted to ensnare and hold insects such as flies, mosquitoes, and moths — common pests. Below is an image that captures the metallic hues of the web in a blurred composition.
Figure 4 Tent-web spider (image rotated)
These hues are produced by the diffraction of sunlight falling off at a certain angle. To achieve a blurry and hazy effect, I used a vintage lens with minor adjustments in the optics, resulting in a dreamy, ethereal image.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, I delved into photographing deep-sky objects and studying astronomical phenomena. My initial foray into this field was capturing the Andromeda Galaxy. This experience shifted my perspective, leading me to explore macro photography with a fresh outlook. Here, I present an attempt to showcase my point of view of an orb weaver spider’s web, which resembles the Andromeda Galaxy.
Figure 5 Orb weaver spider
To make this image, I used in-camera multiple exposures to first capture the spider and the bokeh at different aperture values using a vintage lens.
Spider webs are remarkably diverse, showcasing a captivating variety of structures that are intricately adapted to each spider’s ecological role and hunting strategy. Much like the images above, where different types of bokeh offer unique perspectives, I have experimented extensively with various lenses to create distinctive bokeh effects and viewpoints.
Below is an image of an orb weaver immersed in a world of bokeh. Captured on a monsoon morning with a continuous drizzle, water droplets adorned the web, making it resemble a delicate ornament. To achieve this effect, I used a wide aperture and deliberately blurred the web to create pleasing bokeh. Additionally, I illuminated the spider from behind using a torch with a gel filter. I call this the “bokehverse.”
Figure 6 Orb weaver spider with bokeh
When I look at this image, I see a blend of order within chaos. Similarly, in our own lives, if we learn to structure and address the many challenges we face, what initially seems chaotic can become more manageable.
One of the most intriguing aspects of spider behavior is their maternal care. Spiders often vigilantly guard their egg sacs to shield them from predators and environmental dangers.
This protective behavior can last for a week or more until the spiderlings emerge. The act of a mother protecting her eggs and offspring is a profound and powerful expression of care.
The image below features a Brettus cingulatus spider diligently tending to its egg clutch resting on a leaf. The spider’s stance evokes the image of a soldier standing at attention. In this context, the mother truly embodies the role of a guardian. This backlit photograph was captured with an external speedlight positioned on the ground to illuminate the leaf from below, with the shot taken using a trigger.
Figure 7 Brettus cingulatus guarding eggs
On a macro photography walk, a friend of mine noticed a web swarming with spiderlings, creating the impression of a grand assembly. The spiderlings were busy exploring the intricate web crafted by their mother. The downpour of the monsoon season added to the scene’s intensity.
Thanks to my compact gear, I managed to handle both the umbrella and the camera, and set about locating a few lone wanderers. An adventurous spiderling had ventured away from the cluster to explore the web alone. The image below showcases this brave little one, as tiny as 2 mm, as it embarks on a new journey within a world of opportunities.
Figure 8 Spiderling exploring a web
Did you know there is a separate fan base for tarantulas? Tarantulas are impressive, sizable spiders renowned for their robust, hairy exoskeletons and their distinctive defensive behaviors. These spiders inhabit a variety of environments, frequently constructing burrows for shelter. As nocturnal predators, they are most active during the night.
The photograph below depicts a striking tarantula perched on a wooden surface, waiting patiently for its prey. I had long hoped to merge macro and astrophotography into a single shot, but the right opportunity had always eluded me. Seizing this moment, I created a wide-angle macro photograph, which I have titled Starry Night.
Figure 9 Tarantula — Starry Night
We may consider ourselves significant and powerful, but gazing up at the vast expanse of the sky reveals our profound minuteness in the grand scheme of the cosmos. The immense scale of the universe serves as a humbling reminder of our relative smallness.
While I thoroughly enjoy photographing web weaving spiders due to their relatively stationary nature, which allows for experimentation with various angles and lighting, I also have a deep appreciation for capturing fast-moving subjects. Especially butterflies, moths, dragonflies, and damselflies. These insects are incredibly swift, making them challenging to track and photograph if you’re not highly focused on them.
Spotting a still butterfly during the day is nearly impossible due to their high level of activity. However, photographing these insects early in the morning or late evening offers a better chance. The image below shows a beautiful butterfly resting on a leaf. I employed ICM to achieve a dreamy perspective.
Figure 10 Butterfly ICM
We tend to hesitate when venturing into uncharted territory. However, once we take that initial step, the journey becomes more manageable and we find ourselves driven to continue forward with renewed determination. I view a flawless take-off as a powerful symbol of a promising beginning. While contemplating how to create such a striking impact, I chose to experiment with flash (using rear curtain sync) and slow shutter speeds. This approach allows for a high degree of creativity with moving subjects, enabling us to capture dynamic and visually compelling images.
Here is an image of a moth taking off. Isn’t it a great start?
Figure 11 Moth in slow shutter
As I persist in my quest to craft unconventional images, I am deeply grateful to the masters and remarkable artists who create extraordinary photo stories. Their work transports viewers to realms of imagination and provokes thought. They offer a beacon of hope, demonstrating that with continuous experimentation, one can uncover brilliance even amidst darkness.
Much like how a single firefly can illuminate the vast expanse of a forest, our limitations are only defined by the extent of our imagination. This image serves as a reminder that even the smallest source of light has the power to brighten the darkest surroundings, underscoring that our potential is limited only by the scope of our creativity and vision.
Figure 12 Firefly
This image was created using in-camera multiple exposures, combining one shot of the firefly’s flight pattern with another focused on the firefly itself.
