-Whell-, Thank you! And seeing the fight live was even more spectacular - you could hear the loud cracking sound from the "horns" squeezing each other.
Jakov Trembovolsky (Jak Trum), If I describe everything in detail, it would be a book :-). In short: What's convenient about shooting: 1) The beetles pay virtually no attention to the photographer 2) The beetles are relatively large (8-10 cm), so the shooting scale is relatively small (1:2-1:3), and you can get a fairly wide depth of field with a standard aperture (as here - up to 11) 3) The battle itself takes place throughout the entire tree, i.e., 5-6 pairs of beetles fighting - there's plenty to choose from and no need to climb the tree 4) Of all insects, stag beetles are among the most spectacular (their horns alone are worth it) 5) In everyday life, they are slow creatures that won't run (or fly) away from the photographer. What's inconvenient about shooting: 1) Beetles don't like the sun and live deep in the forest, where it's always dark - it's difficult to shoot dynamic scenes in natural light (you need a flash). 2) Most of the time, stag beetles are clumsy, phlegmatic creatures, sitting lazily in trees. Even if they sit in a group, they are in no hurry to enter into a fight. For fans of staged (studio) photography - if you catch the beetles yourself and try to set them against each other, they will simply hastily crawl away. Some, however, manage to imitate beetle fights by simply placing one beetle in the antlers of another - this is immediately noticeable by the weak-willed pose. 3) Only occasionally can you catch beetles fighting - when they unexpectedly gather on one tree and arrange knightly tournaments. The source of this unexpected fervor is instincts and fermented oak sap. 4) During the fight Beetles constantly move around the tree, constantly changing poses and angles. 5) Spectacular leaps (often seen in photographs) are quite rare—usually, the beetle is simply trying to dislodge its competitor from the trunk. To do this, it simply tries to tear its competitor's legs off the trunk, especially since it needs enough strength until evening. Regarding shooting technique: to fit both beetles within the depth of field, I closed the aperture to 11 to "freeze" the movement. I shot with flash and 1/200. To avoid dark "gaps" in the background, I set the ISO to 400. All that's required is being in the right place at the right time (the lifespan of an adult stag beetle is 2-3 weeks).
In everyday life, they are slow-moving creatures that won't run (fly) away from the photographer.
The fight itself takes place throughout the entire tree, i.e., 5-6 pairs of beetles fighting—there's plenty to choose from and no need to climb the tree.
The source of this unexpected enthusiasm is instinct and fermented oak sap.
For those who enjoy staged (studio) photography—if you catch the beetles yourself and try to set them against each other, they'll simply crawl away.
Alexander_Zubritsky,
Alexander, thank you. I enjoyed reading it. And I'm a seasoned reader. ))
Yakov Trembovolsky (Jak Trum), Yakov, even simply observing this unique natural phenomenon (not to mention filming it) gives you such an emotional boost that you'll be speaking in more than just prose and poetry. Just five minutes into filming, you're so excited you don't even notice the scorching heat in the forest or the mosquito bites.
Are there any other technical details or history behind the photo?
If I describe everything in detail, it would be a book :-).
In short:
What's convenient about shooting: 1) The beetles pay virtually no attention to the photographer 2) The beetles are relatively large (8-10 cm), so the shooting scale is relatively small (1:2-1:3), and you can get a fairly wide depth of field with a standard aperture (as here - up to 11) 3) The battle itself takes place throughout the entire tree, i.e., 5-6 pairs of beetles fighting - there's plenty to choose from and no need to climb the tree 4) Of all insects, stag beetles are among the most spectacular (their horns alone are worth it) 5) In everyday life, they are slow creatures that won't run (or fly) away from the photographer.
What's inconvenient about shooting: 1) Beetles don't like the sun and live deep in the forest, where it's always dark - it's difficult to shoot dynamic scenes in natural light (you need a flash). 2) Most of the time, stag beetles are clumsy, phlegmatic creatures, sitting lazily in trees. Even if they sit in a group, they are in no hurry to enter into a fight. For fans of staged (studio) photography - if you catch the beetles yourself and try to set them against each other, they will simply hastily crawl away. Some, however, manage to imitate beetle fights by simply placing one beetle in the antlers of another - this is immediately noticeable by the weak-willed pose. 3) Only occasionally can you catch beetles fighting - when they unexpectedly gather on one tree and arrange knightly tournaments. The source of this unexpected fervor is instincts and fermented oak sap. 4) During the fight Beetles constantly move around the tree, constantly changing poses and angles. 5) Spectacular leaps (often seen in photographs) are quite rare—usually, the beetle is simply trying to dislodge its competitor from the trunk. To do this, it simply tries to tear its competitor's legs off the trunk, especially since it needs enough strength until evening.
Regarding shooting technique: to fit both beetles within the depth of field, I closed the aperture to 11 to "freeze" the movement. I shot with flash and 1/200. To avoid dark "gaps" in the background, I set the ISO to 400. All that's required is being in the right place at the right time (the lifespan of an adult stag beetle is 2-3 weeks).
Alexander, thank you. I enjoyed reading it.
Photography story-
Yakov, even simply observing this unique natural phenomenon (not to mention filming it) gives you such an emotional boost that you'll be speaking in more than just prose and poetry. Just five minutes into filming, you're so excited you don't even notice the scorching heat in the forest or the mosquito bites.