Post Your Slugs

[James G]

Christina, don't know if this will help but the raw shot was taken at about 0.8m from the subject using a Canon 7D and a Canon 100mm F2.8 Macro lens (F8,1/100, ISO200). I also used AI focus because the shot was hand held.
And you are correct, Janet is pretty tolerant really. So much so, she pointed out a couple of Bloody Nosed Beetles' copulating, and kept curious tourists with even more curious dogs at bay, while I was flat on my belly in the middle of a public footpath, getting the shot.

Every photographer needs a very good assistant from time to time!

[paulm]

struggling to find any slugs around here. plenty of snails but no slugs. if i remember correctly isn't it something to do with the ground and you'll very rarely find slugs and snails together?

[Brownbear]

James,

Thank you for the info... I used a good nikkor macro lens, manual mode F7-F9, SS 640-1000, iso 360 to 800... Surprisingly the SS of 1000 is the sharpest shot so it was needed. I started by trying to use a tripod but found it impossible to use, so I too lay flat on my belly to the amusement of the spectators... I had some photos that I posted earlier, then deleted because they did not turn out great, but I truly think they show the potential of slug photos (if only I had managed to do it right) so I will post them in the slug thread. They have motion blur in them and too many highlights caused by the slimy coating reflections in the bright sun.

James, that is a terrific beetle shot and Janet sounds like a true gem

Paul, I found my slug in the forest amongst a bunch of leaves near a tree ... Ive been looking for a slug for two months... I suspect that they will be easier to find after a heavy rainfall. I don't know if slugs and snails share the same habitat or not..

[Brownbear]

Here are the slug shots I deleted earlier...

I decided to share after all because this is a learning forum and I think these images show the potential to capture a nice looking photo of a slug...

I lay down on the ground to blur the background.. Switched between Aperture priority and Manual (Manual worked best because a SS of 640-1000 was needed), F6-F9, matrix metering and an iso of 360-640. Unfortunately most of my shots have motion blur and/or inadequate DOF...

I used my best editing skills to fix in LR which involved sharpening, a lot (100-120 with an unsharp mask), increasing clarity, decreasing highlights, and adjusting exposure up and down.

This shot shows why I thought I had established eye contact (the eyes are actually on the tops of the tentacles)




Somehow I blurred the slugs back end away




The shot with not enough DOF and crazy highlights, but note how I well captured the slime...




Severe crop of another shot to show motion blur and the eye on the top of the tentacle





PS Bruce, you were right one of the slugs tentacles seems to be partly missing..

Anyway, I will definitely be trying this again when I find another slug but that might take at least two months, so here's hoping others will add some slug images to this thread..

[Cantab]

Christina, your comments clearly show that slug photography is one of the most challenging types of photography: rapid subject movement, DOF, sometimes low light, perhaps creating a portrait studio as you did, lying in the mud, coping with reflective surfaces (slime)....

[Brownbear]

Yes, indeed and it was you who put the idea in my head... Now it is your turn, to post a slug photo.

Christina, your comments clearly show that slug photography is one of the most challenging types of photography: rapid subject movement, DOF, sometimes low light, perhaps creating a portrait studio as you did, lying in the mud, coping with reflective surfaces (slime)....

[jamn4ex]

lol These are some great and interesting photos... I will keep an eye out for slugs in the future