My Least Favorite Shoot EVER!!

Arizona Bark Scorpions...Though it is extremely rare for death to occur from a sting it's the only species in the USA that can kill humans.
Was for a client so had to do it!

5D mk3 100mm f2.8 Macro with 25mm tube and MR-14 ring flash
All are stacks from 4-10 images processed in PhotoAcute 3
The scorpions were all alive and rather cooperative!

I'd take a scorpion over people any day

Cool captures!

Love scorpions; great shots!

Great shots.

great ones!

Beautiful creature, and excellent photography! I too love scorpions.

Scorps have a bad reputation, but from my limited experience, they are not aggressive at all. I currently keep African Emperors (one adult pair, and their offspring), and a Striped Bark Scorpion (Texas native). I don't play around with the Bark Scorpion, but the Emperors are easy to handle. The only time I've seen what I would consider aggression was from the female when her young were still on her back.

I will admit that I have not been tagged by any type of scorpion as of yet. Once it happens, my opinions could be swayed.

Just curious, and if you aren't able to share that's perfectly OK, but what is your client's intent with the photos?

Regards,
-Brandon

great stacks

mcmurray wrote in post #15904706
Beautiful creature, and excellent photography! I too love scorpions.

Scorps have a bad reputation, but from my limited experience, they are not aggressive at all. I currently keep African Emperors (one adult pair, and their offspring), and a Striped Bark Scorpion (Texas native). I don't play around with the Bark Scorpion, but the Emperors are easy to handle. The only time I've seen what I would consider aggression was from the female when her young were still on her back.

I will admit that I have not been tagged by any type of scorpion as of yet. Once it happens, my opinions could be swayed.

Just curious, and if you aren't able to share that's perfectly OK, but what is your client's intent with the photos?

Regards,
-Brandon

My client is a parenting magazine that is doing a video and print article on scorpions in conjunction with the poison control center. We shot the interviews last month and knew b-roll and good photos would take time. The pieces are for the June issue. Basically, there is an issue with the AZ bark scorpion as ours is the only one that can kill in the USA. It is also the most common (as evidenced by me catching 9 and killing 6 more in my back yard over the course of 3 days!) Thing is deaths are extremely rare and the public needs to be made aware that very few stings even require going to the emergency room and can be dealt with at home with the guidance of the poison control center or other trained professionals. So the story is debunking some myths and giving useful info on how to deal with stings and what to do to try to lessen the scorpion population.

I think very few people get to see scorpions close up so the pics and video I took should give people the opportunity to observe them safely. I agree that they are not aggressive unless provoked. I am by no means an expert handler...in fact this was my first time catching them. Having observed and handled them, they are less scary. I dread the first time someone in my house gets stung though!

Thanks for the comments everyone! I'm new to the stacking techniques but until monsoon season arrives bringing some of my other favorite things to photograph (storms & lightning) I think I'll be doing more macro!

Wow, thank you for the detailed reply. I definitely think the client will be proud of the images. Sounds like an interesting project.

Regards,
-Brandon

Nice shots