scorpion under uv
an afghan scorpion exposed to uv black light
an afghan scorpion exposed to uv black light
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May, 2013Views
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Behind The Lens
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the shot was taken in Afghanistan whilst on deployment, and is of a deathstalker scorpion, one of the most venomous species on the planet. when exposed to uv blacklight, scorpions fluoresce due to special substances in their exoskelatons which react to the uv. It's truly a natural wonder and one of the coolest things you'll see!Time
As you can imagine, military and civilian personnel are restricted to activities whilst on deployment, so being interested in the natural world and the wildlife around such hostile places, i was always eager to grab a camera or smart phone and venture out in the darkness in search of the more elusive wildlife active more so during the night in a bid to escape the harmful sun. this is one of my favourite shots and was taken on an iPhone as it was the only camera i had on me when i came across it! around 2am would have been the time!Lighting
As cool as the photo looks it all natural. i turned the flash off on the iPhone 4s and got dangerously close, within striking range! and took the shot, the only lighting is from the uv blacklight and i had turned off all other sources of light such as headlights and torch light.Equipment
a war torn 8gb iphone 4s was the only piece of equipment i used, without flash in complete darkness, oh and a uv blacklight torch i purchased off amazon for $20.00 or so. in a war zone the less equipment the better for mobility purposes.Inspiration
i had seen countless scorpions impressively glowing under my uv torch and originally had no camera gear and bought the uv torch to double check when i went to bed there were no scorpions lurking in my bed space and shoes. it really is like picking out a needle in a haystack under normal light so the uv torch is fantastic! i instinctively took my iPhone with me one night incase i seen one and always knew that it would make an exceptional photo!Editing
i took this photo back in 2011 or 2012 and was not really into photoshop or any editing. i had a iPhone, laptop and not a clue on editing photos. But it inspired me to get into photography and this has been the photo to spark my photography hobby!In my camera bag
after 5 Tours of Afghanistan, i had the money and leave to go and buy some great gear. i upgraded my 1st ever canon 400d to a 650d, bought a 65mm manual focus macro lens and an external flash, a few tripods, spare batteries etc! and travelled a bit taking as many photos as i could, particularly creepy crawlies. however going back to the real world and university to finish my degree seen me sell all my camera gear for half the value in order to help me financially. i'm hoping to get back into it as soon as i can afford the novelty of owning such amazing equipment. i figured i can always buy another when i eventually have the money.Feedback
i've seen so many people obsessed in capturing the perfect shot, and more enhance photos, making them completely different to the original. i took 4 shots with an iPhone 4s and didn't bother editing. i checked i had a good shot before leaving the creature be, but the most important thing for me was to take in for myself what a spectacular sight it was and how lucky to witness something most people don't even know about or come across every day. I like living in the moment, and my advice would be to take it in and keep things simple!
