Canon Elan IIe,
tripod
380EX flash off-camera
for partial sidelighting
Sigma 105
EX Macro w/ 36mm extension tube
Fuji Provia 100F
f16 at 1/125
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Canon Elan IIe,
tripod |
| Missed Opportunities | ||
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Awwww, isn't it adorable? That's such a cuddly, shy look; belongs on a greeting card.
Okay, probably not -- I don't think crabs are considered prime subjects for such. But this one really is shy, and that's part of the story.
One day, I noticed this one peeking out of the shell it uses as a hiding spot when danger threatens (like some big guy with a camera looming over the tank). I liked the image, and set up the tripod to capture it, but spooked the crab back into hiding while doing so. I knew I just had to be patient and the crab would reappear, so I left it alone for a few minutes and went out of the room.
When I returned shortly thereafter, there was a new addition to the tank, seen here -- have you spotted it already? Just below and to the right of the crab is what appears to be another pale brown crab, but instead it's the old shell of my photo subject. Crabs periodically molt out of their shells similar to snakes shedding their skin -- they split it open up the middle of the back, and slide out of it backwards, leaving it complete. What's left is a fragile translucent replica of the crab.
I was beside myself when I saw this, though. This would have been a great sequence to capture on film, and my subject chose the time that I was out of the room to perform the entire feat directly in front of my unattended camera.
Seem like a petty thing to be frustrated over? Perhaps it is, but to a nature photographer, photo sequences of natural behavior are a prize that can be hard to get. Most people don't even know that crabs molt out of their old shells, and I personally have never seen any photos of this, anywhere. Could have been a real addition to the stock. So I guess I'll just have to keep watching...
By the way, my little friend here is just a little larger than your thumbnail -- the entire shell in the photo is about 5 cm. And if you've already seen the page about the Triffids, you'll notice there are at least three visible in this photo (corner of the shell at lower left, top of the shell, and in the background at upper right). They're all over the place.
