Photography & Video Capturing Moments in Time

Photography & Video Objectives

Describe different ways photographs are used in science and apply photographic principles to capture information about organisms and their environment.
Describe the climate and soils of desert ecosystems, including the significance of microhabitats.
Provide examples of succulent plants, including where they store water and the leaf modifications of cacti species.

Science photos are forms of data that can reveal hidden worlds and extend the potential of human observation. Photography is used extensively in science.

Microscope Photography

Since science is based on observation and organism structures can be quite small, magnification has been key in understanding biological phenomena

Light (optical) microscope

Up to 2000x, the most commonly used microscope.

Electron microscope

Up to 10,000,000x magnification.

Special Microscopic Imagery

In addition to enhanced magnification, special techniques can illuminate features that would otherwise be undetected by the human eye.

Live-cell imaging

Repeated images are captured to watch cellular activities

Fluorescence

Special lights and filters expand the range of light used to illuminate details.

Polarization

Different light wavelengths are used to reveal otherwise unseen details.

Telescope Photographs

Observatories and space-based telescopes have extended photographs beyond the visible spectrum.

The Hubble Telescope

Super-optics: visible and some UV

The Chandra Observatory

X-ray optics: x-ray astronomy

The Webb and Spitzer Telescopes

Infrared radiation

Photo Basics

Effective photos and videos convey information and basic planning can result in quality data and stories.

This is our list: add to these based on your own experiences.

To-do in advance: Tasks to complete prior to photography and video projects

Know Your Gear

Find out what your camera can do, including exposure control, magnification, and focus. Practice rapid set-up, including setting up tripod mounts, lenses, and flashes.

Know Your Subject

research the animal you are thinking of photographing, looking for special features, good poses, and something unique. Awareness of habitat, structures and behaviors make encounters more likely and productive.

Carry Your Camera

Carry your camera with you whenever possible (battery charged, card empty). Sometimes less expensive more portable cameras are necessary to capture unexpected photos.

Alternate Activities

Some of the best animal photos take patience, waiting for the animal to arrive and strike the desired pose. Prepare alternate tasks to complete at the same time: reading, journaling, catching up on coursework.

To-do while photographing and videoing: Review this list periodically to be prepared to capture organisms in action

Pick Good Light

Dawn has the most reliable nature lighting, followed by dusk. Mid-day light can lead to overexposure which is difficult to correct. Get the light source behind you, whenever possible.

Numerous Photos

Some of the best photos are unintentional. Take numerous photos from different angles and at different settings; you can always delete later.

Different Perspectives

Treat photos like field notes, capture descriptive information, personal impressions, and multiple views (ground, eye level, overhead). Take a panoramic wide view and a narrow close view.

Different Lenses & Filters

Use different lenses and filters while taking photos and/or alter photos later on. Most devices now come with photo editing software or access to apps. Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom offer advance photo editing options.

Photography and videoing are merging now that you can catch high resolution screen grabs from a video. You can modify a smartphone to capture slow motion views not detectable with the human eye.

Desert Ecosystems

We are taking our photography skills into desert ecosystems.

This video introduces general climate characteristics of deserts.

At which latitude (north and south) would you expect to find deserts?

Besides latitude, what else can cause a desert to form?

The Sahara Desert is an example of an “arid” dry desert. Many deserts are “semi-arid” with a bit more moisture.

Rain is infrequent, and the lack of atmospheric moisture leads to extreme swings between daytime and nighttime temperatures.

High winds move the minimal topsoil primarily comprised of eroded minerals, creating unstable conditions for organisms.

The seeds that produced these desert plants landed in just the right place to germinate.

Think about what this plant has: shade from the sun, protection from the winds, dew that condenses on the rocks.

This is a microhabitat, a location within a larger ecosystem that has specific conditions.

Within a microhabitat, organisms are often in a more specific niche where they actually live.

As an analogy, your town may be the ecosystem, you may spend a lot of time in the “microhabitat” of your home, but your niche may be a favorite chair in a room.

Organisms that can move may move to different microhabitats, like a cave in a desert, or underground.

On of the most beloved of desert organisms is the meerkat of the Kalahari Desert, made famous by the movie and series “Meerkat Manor.”

If you haven’t seen it (be warned), many of the animals die in the harsh desert environment.

Meerkats are highly social and often live in underground burrows, or microhabitats, for protection. They also store food and raise their young in these shelters.

This looks cute, but these exposed meerkats are huddling together for warmth in an unexpected rain shower.

Survival of young meerkats is dependent on food and shelter.

The photo on the right is taken at a zoo where nutrition and climate are carefully controlled, resulting in a successful, but small-scale, breeding program.

Succulents

Succulent plants store water in their leaves, stems, and/or roots, enabling them to survive in dry habitats.

This video shows some of the desert succulents commonly kept as house plants.

Aloe vera is one of the best known succulents that stores moisture in its leaves. The fluid also contains chemicals used in cosmetics and to treat minor skin irritation.

The Aloe genus has species that range significantly in size like this Aloe hercules.

Euphorbia, also called “spurge,” store water in stems. The leaves are modified into thorns and a toxic sap that repel potential herbivores.

From what you learned about microhabitats on the Deserts page, why may this euphorbia seed have germinated into a plant (hint: think characteristics of its niche).

Succulents are often exposed to bright light, high winds, and extreme temperatures. In addition to “cushion” rounded shapes that reduce exposed surface area, some other structural adaptations can be observed.

Stacked leaves reduce exposure to elements.

Rosettes can funnel any available moisture to roots.

Some desert plants utilize a form of camouflage to escape detection from potential herbivores. This video shows one of the most dramatic examples: Lithops, also called “living stones.”

Video of the lithops being planted is available on this guide’s resources page.

Resources

This Bryophyllum plant can use both sexual (flowers) and asexual reproduction.

Cacti are over 1500 species of succulents that share ancestry and structural characteristics.

Most cacti have spines that are highly modified leaves. They grow out of a small padded area (white in the photo) that also sprouts flower buds.

Water is stored in the stem, the primary part of the cactus we see.

Where is photosynthesis occurring in a cactus?

Why are the spines important to the cactus?

answers:
stem, repel herbivores

Start Your 3B Media Assignment here

Photo Perspectives

In this media assignment you are taking photos of a single field site from five different perspectives. You can use a location you have used in a previous media piece or a new location.

Capture data on characteristics of the location with photos to address these five perspectives: first impression, ground view, eye-level view, overhead view (if applicable), and final impression. Add a caption to each photo explaining what you are trying to show.

These photos will tell the story of your experience at your research location in photos with captions. You can use photo editing if you like to improve qualities like brightness, sharpness, and contrast.

Upload to Canvas photos of a single field location of each of these different perspectives with captions that give a sense of:

first impression (could be a panorama or wide shot)
ground-level view (may need to get on the ground to take photo)
eye-level view (standing or chair height)
overhead view (gives an idea of weather or cover)
and final overall impression (could be a favorite photo)

Photos and their captions can be combined into a single document for ease in uploading to Canvas.

The next section introduces additional technologies, including satellite views and animal tracking.

Check your knowledge. Can you:

describe different ways photographs are used in science and apply photographic principles to capture information about organisms and their environment?
describe the climate and soils of desert ecosystems, including the significance of microhabitats?
provide examples of succulent plants, including where they store water and the leaf modifications of cacti species?

Go back to the Technology Guide Overview

Go forward to the Tracking & Satellite Page

Technology Guide Contents

Complete all four of these sections before taking the quiz and making your media piece.

Photography & Video - YOU ARE HERE