A question for all you shutterbugs

Arka · Post by **Arka** » Sun Jul 30, 2006 12:46 am

I'm not much of a photographer. But every now and then, I see something that makes me think or that just strikes my fancy.

The past few nights I've noticed a particular moth resting near my outside light. Yes, yes, I know, this is the dorkiest photo subject ever, but it's huge (about a 5-inch wingspan) and dappled green-gold.

The problem is, when I turn off the light and approach it to take a photograph, it invariably flies away.

So does anyone have any techniques or (more likely) recommend any particular filters for taking pictures in/near the glow of fluorescent lights? I know the chances that I'll get a reasonable photo out of this are slim at best, but I want to at least give it a shot.

SoDeepPolaris · Post by **SoDeepPolaris** » Sun Jul 30, 2006 1:03 am

I love Tiffen filters, and they make a Fluorescent filter for SLR's. Just get a step up or step down ring if you need it to fit a different size lens.

If you aren't taking it with an SLR (manual or digi), then, meh, why take it?

Potter · Post by **Potter** » Sun Jul 30, 2006 1:26 am

instead of overlooking the problem, save money, go buy a cheap halogen light, (burns at 3200k), set it up there for like a day until you get your picture, dont turn the light out, take the picture and now you have a nice light for whenever you need it.

Arka · Post by **Arka** » Sun Jul 30, 2006 1:36 am

SoDeepPolaris wrote:If you aren't taking it with an SLR (manual or digi), then, meh, why take it?

I told you I'm not really a photographer... I just like to take pictures. Camera snob...

But yes, it's a digital SLR camera, my first. I did a lot of soul-searching about it when I got it, since it's not image stabilized, but I haven't had any problems with that yet. I think this is because I mostly take simple one- or two- subject pictures, and nothing at great range.

Anyway, I'm looking into the Tiffen filters now. It should give you an indication of just how not-a-photographer I am that I hadn't even heard of them before.

Potter wrote:instead of overlooking the problem, save money, go buy a cheap halogen light, (burns at 3200k), set it up there for like a day until you get your picture, dont turn the light out, take the picture and now you have a nice light for whenever you need it.

...huh? How would having an even brighter light shining into my camera make matters better? Are you familiar with this thing called a flash?

Potter · Post by **Potter** » Sun Jul 30, 2006 2:11 am

............wow

learn how to setup the lighting condition, a moth picture should take 2 seconds, turn your flash off, adjust the exposure, etc

Arka · Post by **Arka** » Sun Jul 30, 2006 2:52 am

The issue is that it's a moth. The only reason it isn't physically on the light that I have is because the bulb is too narrow for it. (Like I said, it's a big critter.)

If I come up with a bigger light, the moth will be close to (or on) that light. Even in the best case scenario where the poor thing doesn't get fried, that still leaves me with a big light within a few scant inches of my subject. And that makes for an unhappy camera. It's like trying to take a picture of a solar eclipse without filters...

Edit: I did just think of a quicker tactic, though. What do moths eat? Nectar, mostly?

sam · Post by **sam** » Sun Jul 30, 2006 2:02 pm

grab a white cloth...stretch over a frame...put over light

Arka · Post by **Arka** » Sun Jul 30, 2006 4:40 pm

Could work, if I'm fast enough... but as I said, when the light goes out the moth leaves quite quickly. I'm not sure if this will apply to covering the light with something that still lets a bit of light through; I'll have to try it out tonight.