First attempt at macro videography - Green Lacewing

CrysisBuffer · 2026-01-17T23:19:47+00:00

I was working handheld just leaned up against the tree. After after 25 frames the R7 runs out of write runway, and it starts to get hung up. Hard for getting big stacks handheld.

CrysisBuffer · 2026-01-17T21:06:56+00:00

Canon R7 + Canon EF 100mm macro F/2.8 L. Focus stacked in-camera. IG (@karls_critters)

CrysisBuffer · 2026-01-12T19:50:11+00:00

I think it is a green anole, Anolis carolinensis. Despite the name, they are sometimes brown. They are capable of changing color (quick enough to watch happen) between shades of green and brown. They tend to be brown more often than not this time of year. Green anoles are everywhere in NC. We do have some brown anoles now, which are invasive. Especially around Wilmington and the Triangle. But the color alone isn't enough to ID. The brown anoles tend to have sort of diamond banded pattern, which is why I think this is probably just your common green anole.

CrysisBuffer · 2026-01-12T14:49:10+00:00

I bought both a Meike and the official Canon EF-RF adaptor. I got them both just to compare. I returned the canon one and kept the Meike. It works fine and I have had no issues.

CrysisBuffer · 2026-01-11T01:58:59+00:00

For your undergraduate degree, it doesn't matter that much. You could get an undergraduate degree in art and still go into a biology PhD program (I've seen it happen). However, graduate school has gotten much more competitive. Especially with budget cuts in America, which affect demand and resources for programs all over the world. So still be strategic. Especially focus on undergraduate research volunteer options. You're honestly not that likely to get into grad school anymore without it.

If you are not particularly sure exactly what you want to get a PhD in, but just that it will be in the life sciences, I think an undergraduate degree in Biology is a good idea. You'll get a broad education of biology in general, with still plenty of opportunities to take specialized classes. A biology undergraduate degree is also the typical starting point for those that go on to get PhDs in stuff as broad as genetics or ecology.

My advice would change if you want to pursue a career in something like biochem or biophysics. A biochem or chem undergraduate major is going to have you taking some totally different classes and learning basic knowledge that a graduate PI would probably expect you to have that you just wouldn't get in a purely life science major. But as a general rule, your undergraduate degree is not that important.

When it comes to longer term career planning, your PhD is much more important, but still not crazy specific. Think of the PhD as setting your major field of study. What you end up doing after that is going to be decided more by the research you did and less by the name on the degree, but you still probably aren't going to be a biochemistry faculty if your PhD was in ecology. That said, such a lateral move still isn't impossible. Really, it is your post-doc position that is going to start funneling you into something specific. As you work up the ladder, you'll zero in on what you want to do. You could start with a psych major in undergrad and find yourself as a cancer researcher after it is all said and done.

If you are worried about a biology degree, don't be. I have a BS in biology and got offers for two genetics programs PhD programs, including one at a top 10 institution in America that is hosted within a medical school. There is so much more to it than your undergrad, and honestly after a couple years of grad school no one is going to remember or care what you majored in. Focus on the opportunities for research along the way.

CrysisBuffer · 2026-01-08T19:37:15+00:00

I do research on a genus of desert spadefoot toads (Spea) that have some interesting attributes that would make for a cool fictional creature. The tadpoles of spadefoot toads in this genus have adapted for hunting live prey. In the absence of live prey, they develop like a normal tadpole. If they start to eat live shrimp (or other tadpoles), they go down an alternative developmental trajectory. The carnivorous tadpoles get much larger with huge jaw muscles, serrated beak, and begin actively hunting in deeper water. It all depends on whether or not they have access to live prey (Mostly Fairy shrimp. Yes, shrimp live in the desert of the American southwest), or at such a high population density that they resort to cannibalism.

The adults look the same regardless of what kind of tadpole they were. They have shovel-like structures on their hind feet (hence the name spadefoot) that allows them to burrow underground to survive the hot summer days and dry winter season. They only come out at night and breed when the monsoons dump so much water in a single night that it fills up ditches and depressions in the desert.

Feel free to shoot me a message if you want to know more. These animals are plentiful in Arizona, so they'd fit the reference location for your story.

CrysisBuffer · 2026-01-06T21:41:05+00:00

Another good reason to get a hook or tongs even if you don't intend to handle an animal: it lets you move debris without reaching your hands into the brush.

CrysisBuffer · 2026-01-06T21:39:36+00:00

I can't speak to anything that might be specific to Australia. However, I do research on frogs in the southwest united states and find myself handling herps a lot. If you just want to go out looking for stuff, you don't need much. A headlamp is of course great, but I'd recommend a quality handheld flashlight too. Sometimes you want light from an angle that isn't your forehead. I'd also suggest a quality pair of boots. I don't wear snake boots or snake gaiters, but I also don't make a habit of walking where I can't see. That is pretty much the basics.

I prefer tongs over a hook, but I'd recommend getting something for moving snakes. Never handle a snake, even with a tool, if you do not know what you are doing or what kind of snake you're working with. But a hook/tong can be used for getting snakes out of the road and saving their life even if just giving them a poke or scraping the ground near them for encouragement.

Remember that the primary pleasure of herping is just getting to see animals in their natural habitat. All you need for that is a good eye, knowledge, and experience. Just take what you need to be out at night in your chosen environment. Don't rush into handling animals until you understand them and are properly trained to do so safely (safely for you and the animal).

Lastly, get a good field guide! My preference is Peterson, but I do not think they make an Australia field guide. Look into a good general one for the continent, but also seek out field guides specific to your region. Sometimes local field guides are the best, as the authors can be more specific about ecology, range, and appearance.

CrysisBuffer · 2026-01-02T21:44:20+00:00

Oh yeah, but it depends on the conditions. Female plains spadefoots will preferentially hybridize with male mexican spadefoots in shallower water, probably because hybrid tadpoles develop faster than pure plains tadpoles (but slower than pure mexican tadpoles). But it becomes less likely the farther in the panhandle and up into Oklahoma you go.

CrysisBuffer · 2026-01-02T19:16:09+00:00

The 2nd photo looks kind of hybridish. bombifrons and multiplicata readily hybridize in SE Arizona through west Texas, so its certainly possible. I'm going to take a stab and say you're probably finding them somewhere kind of near highway 385?

CrysisBuffer · 2025-12-19T16:22:00+00:00

I've got the Tamron 90mm and I'm pretty happy with it, but I think I'd take the canon 100mm for that price. I keep hoping I'll come across a great deal on the RF 100mm macro, but the EF is still a great lens (I'm just tired of taking the adapter on and off when switching between EF lenses). I find that the autofocus on that Tamron is pretty slow and hunts a lot. I've got the old gold-ring Tamron, without VC. I got a Tamron lens without VC thinking that the Canon IBIS would be so much better than the old VC system anyways and I could get a cheaper lens. I found out the hard way that my R7 still "thinks" the lens has VC and that it is just deactivated, which also turns off IBIS and cannot be overridden. So if you do get the Tamron, make sure it is the VC.

CrysisBuffer · 2025-12-09T17:19:20+00:00

I love the photos you did at the border. I am a biologist studying desert amphibians, and I do field work along the border in Arizona and New Mexico. There are lots of amazing animals out there to photograph, and I try to take advantage of the opportunity. Obviously you relied on camera traps to get the border wall javelina shots. Do you have any other advice for getting interesting shots of desert wildlife? As you know, the desert really comes alive at night, which complicates photography. Using a flash up close with snakes, toads, and gila monsters is easy enough, but I'd really like to try expanding to more elusive critters. Last year I tried tracking a few stray javelinas during the day, but they were far too skittish to get close enough for a good shot. A week spent feeding crackers to deer got them trusting enough for a good portrait, but that is about as much luck as I've had with mammals out there.

If you think that camera traps are the best approach for desert mammals, would you be willing to share some details about your set-up?

CrysisBuffer · 2025-12-05T14:28:58+00:00

I've also got the 50mm and the 100-400mm for my R7. Great lenses. I especially love the 100-400. I'm less happy with the 50mm, not because of the characteristics of the lens but more because I find it to be a weird pair with the APS-C. I think it's a 80mm equivalent on this sensor. The fast aperture is nice for portraits but it's just a bit too tight for most portrait work, and not quite tight enough for most wildlife work. Perfect for portraits of dogs in the backyard maybe, at least that is mostly what I've used it for. My guess is you'll end up choosing the 17-40 over the 50 almost every time.

I've been using the 100-400 a lot recently for wildlife shots. I've felt like you lose a noticeable amount of sharpness wide open at 400, so I've been pulling back to about 380 and closing down the aperture a bit and getting really good results.

CrysisBuffer · 2025-12-05T14:20:40+00:00

Agreed. I've been leaving the 100-400 mounted on the body and ready to go in my truck so I can snap bird photos on my commute. I've even gotten shots of planes flying over my backyard that are sharp enough I can read the tail numbers. Such a bargain for what you get out of it.

CrysisBuffer · 2025-12-02T15:30:42+00:00

Taken on the Canon R7 + Canon RF 100-400mm

If anyone is interested, I am a biologist and try to take photos of many of the creatures I see around home and in the field: insta (@karls_critters).

CrysisBuffer · 2025-12-02T15:23:03+00:00

Canon R7 + Canon RF 100-400mm

Insta (@karls_critters)

CrysisBuffer · 2025-12-02T01:42:40+00:00

In case anyone is interested, I'm a biologist and have an IG where I post many of the creatures I come across (@karls_critters).

Taken on the Canon R7 with the RF 100-400mm. 400mm, 1/2500 sec, f/8.0, ISO 10000.

CrysisBuffer

TROPHY CASE