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Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Matt's Macro Rig

Sharing another full flash macro rig. This time it's from Matt (MVers on Flickr). He uses Sigma 150mm and 48mm of tubes plus 1.4X TC.

More macro rigs here.

Sigma 150, 48mm of extension tubes, 1.4x teleconverter, 580EX II and big DIY Diffuser.
macro rig 5743602773_f90ddbfeaf_b

There is an adjustable panel for you to control the amount of light diffusion to suit different subject. Great idea, right?
macro rig 5744479843_b1011e078e_b flash diffusion 5744483155_7f73831cb8_b

You can control the light angle too: left, top, right.
DIY Diffuser 5433867533_c98c5f32e5_o

Now a few sample shots from Matt's macro rig:

Jagged ambush bug (Phymata) with prey
ambush bug with prey 5966209388_f5a024f345_b

Calico Pennant (Celithemis elisa) (Female)
macro flash diffusion 5962822408_10002c9ffe_b

Hanging-thief [Diogmites misellus]
5953457376_838d6a64d4_b

Salamander
salamander 5695153058_4b948ff057_b

Jumping spider Phidippus
5815438675_622966d668_b

More macro rigs here.




Friday, July 8, 2011

Maliau Basin - Part II

Maliau Basin trip report, Part II. You can find Part I here.

Violin Beetle



Jewel beetle, Catoxantha opulenta
jewel beetle IMG_7512 copy

Dead leaf mantis, Deroplatys truncata
dead leaf mantis deroplatys truncata IMG_6101 copy

Fishfly -  Neochauliodes borneensis (van der Weele, 1909), belonging to the subfamily Chauliodinae of family Corydalidae. Male adults.
fishfly or lacewing IMG_6550 merged copy

Mating pair of green lantern bugs, Pyrops shiinaorum shiinaorum
mating pair of green lantern bug Pyrops shiinaorum shiinaorum IMG_6748 copy

Green lantern bug, Pyrops shiinaorum shiinaorum
green lantern bug Pyrops shiinaorum shiinaorum IMG_6797 copy

Lantern bug, Pyrops sultana
white lantern bug Pyrops sultana IMG_7325 copy



Handsome longhorn beetle, Cyriopalus pascoei, Thomson, 1878, male.
longhorn beetle male Cyriopalus pascoei IMG_7326 copy

longhorn beetle Cyriopalus pascoei IMG_7332 copy


Handsome rhinoceros beetle, Chalcosoma mollenkampi.
male rhinoceros beetle Chalcosoma mollenkampi IMG_6585 copy

Rhino beetle, Chalcosoma atlas
IMG_7350 copy


Gonocephalus borneensis or G. liogaster?
gonocephalus liogaster or borneensis IMG_6313 copy

Frog, Staurois natator, Black spotted rock frog
frogIMG_6915 copy

Owlfly
owlfly IMG_7152 copy

owlfly IMG_7137 copy

Stag beetle
stag beetle IMG_6846 copy

A lovely white beetle
white beetle IMG_7020b copy

Euchomenella sp- Malaysian Long Neck Mantis, Giraffe Mantis
Euchomenella sp- Malaysian Long Neck Mantis, Giraffe Mantis IMG_7586 copy



Saturday, July 2, 2011

Maliau Basin

Maliau Basin or also Maliau Basin Conservation Area, is a region in Sabah, Malaysia, which represents a geological catchment surrounding the Maliau River. Located around the center of Sabah in the Sandakan Division, it was designated as a conservation area by the Sabah Foundation (Yayasan Sabah) in 1981. Later in 1997 the Sabah State Assembly gazetted the Basin as a Protection Forest Reserve (Class I) with a total area of 588 square kilometres. The region also features Mount Lotung (1667 metres), Maliau Falls, and Lake Linumunsut. Efforts are underway to nominate the area as a World Heritage Site.[1]  (From Wikipedia)

Both Maliau Basin and Danum Valley are managed by Yayasan Sabah (Sabah Foundation). You can find more information and contact numbers here. Previous blogs on my Danum Valley trip is here and here.

Again, we flew AirAsia from Kuala Lumpur to Tawau. Our 9D/8N stay with full board in Maliau Basin, twin sharing, cost around RM1200 (USD 400) for Malaysian, and RM2730 (USD 900 for non Malaysian).

A little bit on the cost breakdown: 4WD transportation from Tawau to Maliau Basin Conservation Area (MBCA) is RM650 for two ways for 4 passengers. Full meals is RM65 for Malaysian and RM150 for non Malaysian. Twin sharing rest house is RM80/night for Malaysian and RM220 for non Malaysian. Entrance fee RM30 for Malaysian and RM50 for non Malaysian.

4WD for transportation from Tawau airport - Maliau Basin return R0011953 copy
4WD from Tawau airport to Maliau Basin (return), RM650/round trip. The journey from airport to Maliau Basin takes around 5 hours.

make your own drink R0012055 copy typical lunch and dinner at maliau basin R0012056 copy
Left: tea/coffee/milo - self service
Right: Typical lunch/dinner, rice with 3 or 4 dishes. For breakfast, it's normally fried noodle or nasi lemak, and bread with butter and jam, and cereal with milk.

R0012005 copy kapur and keruing rest house at maliau basin R0011984 copy
Left: Rest area next to the dining hall (on the right) and deck on the left with forest view.
Right: Rest house with boardwalk

misty forest in the morning, maliau basin R0012520 copy beautiful sunset in maliau basin R0012450 copy
Left: misty forest in the morning.             Right: sunset

R0012140 copy R0012529 copy
More misty forest in the morning. I got up at 5:40am almost every single day to shoot these:D

hanging bridge spanning across Sungai Maliau R0012072 copy
The hanging bridge spanning across Sungai Maliau


maliau skybridge canopy walk R0012080 copy
Once you cross the river, the Maliau Skybridge (canopy walk) awaits you!

moon moth luna moth R0012388 copy
A moon moth, Actias maenas, that visited us one night.

wild boar at maliau basin R0011995 copy
Many wild boars there too, day and night.

maliau basin staff with an injured hawk cuckoo R0012535 copy
A staff holding an injured Moustached Hawk-Cuckoo he found

malayan civet Viverra tangalunga that visited at night IMG_7450 copy
Malayan civet, Viverra tangalunga that visited us at night.

brown wood owl Strix leptogrammica IMG_7003 copy
Residential Brown wood owl, Strix leptogrammica. It's there every night!

bird of prey hawk eagle IMG_6415 copy
Jerdon's Baza (?)

Stay tuned for part II with mainly macro images: violin beetle, dead leaf mantis (Deroplatys truncata), jewel beetle, owlfly and more!

Edit: Part II posted. It's here.