Images, Lunacies and Musings

So there I am, setting up an Infrared shot by the river at Great Falls Park when I hear a rustling sound. Very faint, but there’s definitely a rustle in the dead leaves that litter the floor.
At this point, it’s already close to 1000, so the park is a bit more lively than when I arrived, but I’m a long way up the Heritage Trail and I had seen very few people to that point. The few I had seen, however, all had their dogs with them, mostly labs. And those puppies were happy… Running around the river bank, getting wet, barking at the Canadian Geese that were flying by; we were ALL having a great time.

Now setting up the IR takes a bit of time.
There’s the tripod to set up on the really wet and muddy ground. I’m trying to build myself a base while using the least amount of things possible, so I don’t disturb the natural environment, which takes a little longer than simply getting rocks from the trail and dropping them on the river bank.
There’s the light meter measurements to make sure the image is properly exposed.
I need to compose the shot before putting the filter in.
I need to figure out a way to block the sun from the lens without having that show on the frame.
Then there’s the 16 second exposure for the actual shot.
And throughout that process, the rustling is still going on, really close to me.

Finally, while the shot was actually happening, I start looking for the source of the noise. Pretty easy to find, because at this point it’s right below my feet. So I find an insect. No big deal, I’m in the middle of the woods.
Following my mantra of not messing up with nature, I hear the shutter clicking and use my makeshift canopy to check the histogram.

Picture properly exposed, rustling still going on.
Take out IR filter, walk to my backpack (safely set on dry ground, about 15 feet away).
Come back to take down my setup, my friend is still there.
Could he be waiting for me to shoot him? Nah, that’s crazy talk…
So I take the camera from the tripod, sling it over my shoulder and start taking down the tripod so I can keep going.
The insect is still hanging around my feet.
Careful not to step on it, I take out the tripod, take it to my backpack.
Looking back, the insect is still there.
Ok, damn it, I’ll take a picture of you. Put on the macro, walk back, he’s still there, moving very little, just hanging out.
I take one picture, around 3:1 magnification. He doesn’t move.
Bend down some more, move to 2:1. Still nothing.
Ok, move even closer, get to 1:1 (which means my face is 31cm from the insect). He’s still there.
Take the shot at 1:1, check the histogram, good exposure, I’m happy.
Insect still there, as if looking at me.

At this point, I’m afraid he’s dead and rustling because of the wind (which had picked up a moment earlier).
So I bend down, fill the frame with him, take another shot at 1:1 and then hit the “display” button and set the camera in front of him with his picture showing.
After a few seconds, he flies away.

I guess he liked the picture, since I didn’t get stung.…

(ps: if anyone knows what kind of insect this is, I’m curious)