The Art of Wide-Angle Macro Photography by Shawn Miller

Posted on December 20, 2014 by Admin11

Wide-angle macro photography is popular with wildlife photographers. The technique allows the photographer to document the animal in its natural habitat and show the full scene it lives in. The photographs have great impact and deliver a bug eye perspective using a wide angle lens. I generally use off-camera flash with a custom soft box to make these photographs. Lately, I have been testing a variety of on-camera flashes to achieve a different perspective. One of the biggest challenges is lighting the subject evenly with soft diffused lighting.

The most popular lenses used for wide angle macro photography ( WAM )

Tokina fisheye 10-17mm f3.5-4.5
Nikon fisheye 10.5mm f2.8
Sigma fisheye 15mm f2.8 E
Venus Laowa 15mm f4 – (Manual focus only)

The Tokina 10-17mm Fisheye is my favorite lens in my bag and has been my go-to lens for the project “Crabs with Beach Trash Homes”

Tokina fisheye lens

Below are some of my favorite wide-angle macro images photographed in Okinawa-Japan.

Fighting pose – Preying mantis, IPhone 6s © Shawn Miller

Hermit crabs of Okinawa © Shawn Miller

Geograpsus grayi with eggs © Shawn Miller

Ishikawa’s Frog – The most beautiful frog in Japan © Shawn Miller

Horn-eyed ghost crab at sunset -Nikon 10.5mm © Shawn Miller

Herping in the yanbaru forest © Shawn Miller

Crabs with trash homes – Sesoko © Shawn Miller

Golden habu on a fence © Shawn Miller

Ghost crab – Nagahama beach © Shawn Miller

Pryer’s keelback feeding on a white jawed frog © Shawn Miller

Baby loggerhead leaving the nest © Shawn Miller

Invasive insects – Coconut rhinoceros beetle © Shawn Miller

Blue rock-thrush with wings spread © Shawn Miller

Princess habu -Yanbaru © Shawn Miller

Kuroiwa’s ground gecko crossing the road © Shawn Miller

Okinawan green tree frog © Shawn Miller

Giant stag Beetle (Dorcus titanus) -Ie Island © Shawn Miller

Okinawa tip-nosed frog ( Rana narina ) © Shawn Miller

Hermit crab at sunset © Shawn Miller

Land crab crossing the road at night © Shawn Miller

Hermit crabs with beach trash homes © Shawn Miller

On the move- Black-breasted leaf turtle © Shawn Miller

Asian long-horned beetle © Shawn Miller

Crabs with trash homes-Yomitan © Shawn Miller

Road dweller- Namie’s frog- Stella 2000 © Shawn Miller

Praying mantis @Hedo Point

zanpa lighthouse and hermit crabs

If you would like to learn more about this technique I recommend Wide-Angle Macro: The Essential Guide by Clay Bolt and Paul Harcourt Davies https://www.e-junkie.com/shop/product/482943.php

Ryukyu black-breasted leaf turtle, Yanbaru forest

Posted on November 10, 2014 by Admin11

The Ryukyu black-breasted leaf turtle (Geoemyda japonica) is an endangered species found in Northern Okinawa. This turtle is decreasing in numbers due to poaching, deforestation and roadkill. The turtle is highly valued in the pet trade market and needs to be protected. It has been designated as a National Natural Monument of Japan and is currently on the IUCN red species list as endangered.

Scientific name: Geoemyda japonica (Fan, 1931)
Distribution: Okinawajima
Habitat: Leaf littered wetland forests
Diet: Worms, snails, insects, crustaceans, and fruit
Average Size: 140mm- 160mm

The Ryukyu black-breasted leaf turtle in its natural habitat.

Black-breasted leaf turtle – up close

Ryukyu black-breasted leaf turtle (Geoemyda japonica)

Black-breasted leaf turtle – up close

The endangered turtle was featured on the cover of science workbooks. These workbooks are used for the junior high public school system in Okinawa, Japan.

Science workbooks

This leaf turtle was not painted red or yellow. I photographed it using specialized blue lights and filters. The shell fluoresced bright yellow and the algae grow fluoresced bright red.

Leaf turtle fluorescence

Ryukyu Leaf turtle fluorescence

Take a close look, yes those are tortoise ticks. Photographed August 9th, 2014. I have been finding more turtles infested with ticks.

Yanbaru forest Ticks on the Black-breasted leaf turtle

Ryukyu black-breasted leaf turtle infested with ticks

Tortoise ticks of Yanbaru

I usually find the Ryukyu black-breasted leaf turtle crossing the road at night or early in the morning.

Ryukyu black-breasted leaf turtle (Geoemyda japonica)

Ryukyu black-breasted leaf turtle (Geoemyda japonica)

All the roads in northern Okinawa have specialized wildlife steps for the animals that get trapped in the drainage ditch. These steps allow the turtles and other animals to crawl out safely using the steps.

Wildlife steps

Watch your speed and pay close attention to crossing wildlife.

Wildlife crossing warning signs

watch out for crossing turtles -Kunigami village

The truth is I have seen more of these turtles dead than alive. Watch your speed!

Black-breasted leaf turtle – up close

Roadkill

My Mission: To Document and Preserve the Wildlife of the Ryukyu Islands

This site is also designed to help people identify the beautiful animals of Okinawa, basically to serve as an online nature reference guide. If you would like to make a contribution to support my mission, please click on the donation link paypal.me/maketheswitch4nature

Your donations will help worldwide conservation initiatives as well as bring solutions to the worldwide pollution issues on our beautiful shorelines. Thank you for your support. Shawn M Miller.

Slow Down! – Let’s Protect The Okinawa Rail

Posted on August 26, 2014 by Admin11

The Okinawa rail is a flightless bird found in northern Okinawa. It is a protected species and declared a living natural treasure. It is currently listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as an endangered species. In 2012 populations of this endemic bird were estimated at 1500 by the Environment Ministry. As of October 2016 populations have declined to 480 mature individuals according to IUCN assessment.

Scientific name: Hypotaenidia okinawae

Common Name: Okinawa Rail

Distribution: Northern Okinawa

Habitat: Forests

Diet: Small insects, worms, snails and fruit.

Average Size: 31cm

Threats: Habitat loss and the threat of Jungle crows and mongoose.

The Okinawan rail © Shawn Miller

The rail is often found feeding on the side of the road. It feeds on worms, snails, and insects.

Okinawa rail posing ( Hypotaenidia okinawae) © Shawn Miller

When defending its territory, the rail will become aggressive and flare its wings.

Angry Bird- Okinawa rail © Shawn Miller

If you are lucky you can catch the Okinawa rail feeding on the fruit of the cherry tree.

Okinawa rail feeding ( Hypotaenidia okinawae) © Shawn Miller

They roost high above the ground to avoid predators like the habu snake.

Okinawa rail roosting ( Hypotaenidia okinawae) © Shawn Miller

In 2014 I stumbled upon Scientists handling an adult Okinawa rail in the wild.

Okinawa rail © Shawn Miller

Awareness signs are posted along the main roads in northern Okinawa for their protection. I think they should also include speed bumps in the designated crossing areas for the rails.

The speed limit is only 40km/h so watch your speed for the protection of the wildlife. The rails are often seen feeding on the side of the road.

I have observed these birds crossing the road on many occasions. They have no problems crossing when people are driving the speed limit. Speeding decreases your reaction time, slow down and pay attention to all crossing wildlife.

An Okinawa rail that was killed by a speeding motor vehicle on Route 2 in northern Okinawa.

What to do if you find an injured rail.

People often ask me what is the purpose of conservation photography? Having the ability to affect some form of positive change in the environment and make a global difference with the photographs. Hopefully, the images will inspire people to care more about nature and make a positive difference in the environment.

My Mission: To Document and Preserve the Wildlife of the Ryukyu Islands

Your donations will help worldwide conservation initiatives as well as bring solutions to the worldwide pollution issues on our beautiful shorelines. Thank you for your support. Shawn M Miller.

Fluoro-diving in Okinawa, Japan -Underwater Fluorescence by Shawn Miller

Posted on June 29, 2014 by Admin11

The Light & Motion Sola NightSea blue light will enhance your night diving experience like nothing before. It Is an underwater blue light that allows you to see fluorescence. The NightSea blue LEDs cause proteins and minerals to fluoresce brightly underwater. If you want to photograph fluorescence you will need a yellow barrier filter over your camera lens. The barrier filter will block the reflected excitation of light and transmit the fluorescence to deliver a psychedelic experience.

Underwater fluorescence by Shawn Miller

Below is a photograph of my underwater rig. This is the setup I use to capture the underwater fluorescence in Okinawa. I am currently using one Light & Motion Sola Nightsea and one GoBe nightsea blue light.

Below is a photograph of the Light & Motion Sola NightSea Underwater blue light photographed in the studio. I wanted to capture the blue light rays coming out of the light. No previous photos displayed this and I had to do it.

Some cases the fluorescence is so strong it can be photographed during the day without any specialized lights or filters. This red heart coral was photographed at a depth of Seventy-five feet.

In 2017, Some of my fluorescence enhancement photographs were published in Blue Planet 11.

Underwater fluorescence – Shawn Miller featured Blue planet 11

Most of the marine life will fluoresce a beautiful green. I photographed this sea anemone in a submarine cave at Maeda Point, Okinawa. (Nightdive)

Sea anemone (Dofleinia armata) Okinawa- Japan

Corals that fluoresce orange are much harder to find here in Okinawa. (Nightdive)

Corals that fluoresce red are scarce in Okinawan waters. (Nightdive)

Bio fluorescense - Coral of Okinawa, Japan

I decided to experiment using the nightsea and custom filters over my strobes to give it an original look. I call this technique fluoro blending.(Nightdive)

Anemone hermit crab (Dardanus pedunculatus)

More fluoro blending using the nightsea and custom filters. (Nightdive)

Large mouth triplefin (Ucla xenogrammus) on coral

I had this eel in my aquarium for a long time and had no idea it fluoresced until I exposed it to the Sola NightSea light.

The NightSea also provides a beautiful background color to complement the marine subject. This technique is becoming very popular in Japan.(Nightdive)

Glowing hydroids were recently discovered in 2015 by marine researchers in the Red Sea. I photographed these fluorescing hydroids in Okinawa-Japan.

Vexillum exasperatum with glowing hydroids

If you would like to know more about the Light & Motion Sola series visit. https://www.lightandmotion.com/choose-your-light/sola

All underwater images were photographed using an Ikelite underwater housing. Check out my previous post on why I use an Ikelite Underwater housing.

Have a Psychedelic day!

Okinawa Nature Photography

沖縄自然写真 By Shawn Miller

Category Archives: Nature therapy

The Art of Wide-Angle Macro Photography by Shawn Miller

Ryukyu black-breasted leaf turtle, Yanbaru forest

Slow Down! – Let’s Protect The Okinawa Rail

Fluoro-diving in Okinawa, Japan -Underwater Fluorescence by Shawn Miller