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Xylocopa micans, m, face, Charleston Co., SC_2018-08-15-13.45.56 ZS PMax UDR

The Good Carpenter Bee. This is the other species of carpenter bee that occurs in the Eastern U.S. Xylocopa micans. For some reason it thumbs its labrum at dry wood in buildings, decks, and fences (unlike its cousin X. virginica). Because it retires to natural habitats its nesting preferences are little known and yet another place where contributions by sharp-eyed naturalistas can be made.This male was photographed by Anders Croft. Bee collected by Mimi Jenkins in Watermelon fields of South Carolina

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All photographs are public domain, feel free to download and use as you wish.

 

Photography Information: Canon Mark II 5D, Zerene Stacker, Stackshot Sled, 200mm Pentax-m with Nikon 10X infinity microscope objective lens mounted on front , Twin Macro Flash in Styrofoam Cooler, F5.6, ISO 100, Shutter Speed 200

 

Love for Other Things

 

It’s easy to love a deer

But try to care about bugs and scrawny trees

Love the puddle of lukewarm water

From last week’s rain.

Leave the mountains alone for now.

Also the clear lakes surrounded by pines.

People are lined up to admire them.

Get close to the things that slide away in the dark.

Be grateful even for the boredom

That sometimes seems to involve the whole world.

Think of the frost

That will crack our bones eventually.

- Tom Hennen

 

You can also follow us on Instagram account USGSBIML Want some Useful Links to the Techniques We Use? Well now here you go Citizen:

 

Best over all technical resource for photo stacking

stackingextreme-macro.co.uk

 

Basic USGSBIML set up:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-_yvIsucOY

 

USGSBIML Photoshopping Technique: Note that we now have added using the burn tool at 50% opacity set to shadows to clean up the halos that bleed into the black background from "hot" color sections of the picture.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bdmx_8zqvN4

 

PDF of Basic USGSBIML Photography Set Up:

ftp://ftpext.usgs.gov/pub/er/md/laurel/Droege/How%20to%20Take%20MacroPhotographs%20of%20Insects%20BIML%20Lab2.pdf

 

Google Hangout Demonstration of Techniques:

plus.google.com/events/c5569losvskrv2nu606ltof8odo

or

www.youtube.com/watch?v=4c15neFttoU

 

Excellent Technical Form on Stacking:

www.photomacrography.net/

 

Contact information:

Sam Droege

sdroege@usgs.gov

301 497 5840

 

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Uploaded on March 17, 2019