Greetings everyone, and welcome to September!

The August competition, with the theme of “Microhabitats” is over and the Judging will be getting under way later today. This was a challenging competition, which normally means we are going to choose something a little more straightforward for the next month. But not this time. This month the competition is, if anything, a little more challenging.

The theme of “Action” is deceptively simple and I think this concept is going to be sufficiently tricky to justify my taking this post to explain what the judges will be looking for. As always, we will be looking for technically successful images, with interesting compositions, a message or story, an expression of the photographer’s aesthetic, and good adherence to the theme. It is this last criterion that may trip some contestants up.

The idea behind “Action” is that the photographer will capture the subject in a way emphasizes the impression that the subject was captured “in the act” of doing something. This is subtly different than capturing a subject in motion, though that could certainly be part of the story. As we say in the science world, depicting motion may bencessary, but not sufficient to capture the essence of an action.

I know that this may be a rather subjective difference, so I thought I would show you a few examples of “action” images and compare them with with examples that would be less thematic in this contest. To be clear, you can depict action very convincingly with a non-living subject (a dead wasp, or a water droplet for example) in much the same way that you can capture a living, moving subject that fails to capture the idea of “Action” completely.

Before I forget, the subject you photograph must be shot at half life-size or greater - a requirement that further complicates the task. So, let’s take a look at a couple of examples. Probably the most direct way imply an action is by having a subject captured in flight. In this example we see a hover fly in flight - clearly an action shot of the insect, and a perfectly acceptable entry to this contest.

But is there any way that this image could be modified to augment the story to capture not just the motion of flight but also to give the subject a degree of agency - something that would give the viewer a little more information, something that could flesh out the story behind this photograph. Simply adding the apparent target of the hover fly’s attentions, a mere glimpse of the milkweed, can add enough context to hint at why the hover fly is in motion. Either of these entries would qualify, but the second would more fully fit the “Action” theme.

Another example of a clear action is this honey bee coming in to land in search of nectar. This bee is in the act of feeding and the image is an action shot.

This is an example of how a preserved specimen may be photographed to capture the essence of an action, even though the little bee quite incapable of any action. The image is reasonably good, a successful studio stack, within the required magnification window, and the subject appears to be flying purposefully towards something just out of the frame, and this could be enough to convince the judge that this is a depiction of an action.

But this orchid bee from South America, also a preserved specimen, not only suggests purposeful flight, but also offers a subtle clue to the bigger story. Look closely and you will see the bee’s enormously long proboscis is deployed and follows the contour of the abdomen to be seen between the bee’s hind appendages and disappearing under the right wing. This bee is shown doing the only thing that it will do during it’s short and frantic adult life - racing from orchid to orchid in search of nectar while accidentally filling the hollowed out chambers of each femur with the orchid’s aromatic oils. This bee is being shown in the act of mating! Before you complain that the judge wouldn’t know any of that, let me remind you that you have the freedom to name your submission. A title like “Mating Orchid Bee” would be more than enough to send us off in search of more information.

A less complicated entry might depict a subject in the act of feeding, like this skipper,

or defending a nest, like this trap-jaw ant.

Here is an example of a subject that is very much alive and involved in a number of actions, but that does not offer a hint of what they may be and could easily be a preserved specimen posed on a leaf. While this is also a perfectly acceptable image of a drone fly, it would not be likely to get a high score for thematic compliance.

One simple way to evaluate your image before submitting it is to complete this sentence… “This image shows the subject in the act of ___________”. It would also be a good idea to check that the action you are depicting is something that your subject could reasonably be expected to do.

I hope you have fun with this one!

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I should tell you about what is coming up this week.

Tuesday’s livestream was already researched and written before I realized that we were at the end of August and that there would be a competition to judge. So I am going to move the planned stream, “Planning for Spontaneity” to a future spot and I am going to use the Macro Talk slot for the August competition, “Microhabitats”. I love this competition because it is always inspiring, surprising, and very humbling. It is a great honor and distinct pleasure for me to go through your entries and give you my honest reaction to each during a livestream. So that is what we will do on Tuesday evening at 8PM. https://youtube.com/live/Z6_YEXlnywU?feature=share

On Thursday we are going to kick off a three part deep dive into the mysterious world of coin photography. I have planned to do three presentations, starting with a close look at the fundamentals of coin imaging, with emphasis on how this discipline differs from what we might typically do. We will talk about the types of coins and their photographic characteristics, the equipment preferred by coin photographers, and the key concepts for lighting coins. By the end of Thursday’s discussion you will understand why coin photography is unique and what equipment you would need to get started.

The second episode, in a couple of weeks will break down the typical technical workflow and delve into the specific challenges of coin photography. This will be the “how”, that follows on from the “why” covered in the first chapter.

The final chapter will be an examination of the advanced and specialized techniques used by coin photographers and will cover special imaging techniques, creative approaches, the presentation and use of coin images, and a look at some of the future developments anticipated in this field.

I anticipate this being a fun series with some new information, novel concepts, and a little good-natured ribbing of the neurosurgeons of macro photography.

Saturday, at 10AM until 11:30AM, Bud and I will host AfterStack 30 - a post-production roundtable for macro photographers. This week we will be taking viewer images and brainstorming alternative post-production techniques to get the very best final result. If you are ready to up your editing game, join us on Saturday. It is completely free, always fun, and the fastest way to improve the quality of your macro images. Your invitation to the meeting is right here - Allan Walls is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Allan Walls’ AfterStack with Bud Perrott - Episode 30

Time: Sep 6, 2025 10:00 AM Central Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6916802815?pwd=TS9tZi9ZL1NXeVUvOUF4eTg5YjdlZz09&omn=86593221260

Meeting ID: 691 680 2815

Passcode: 678122

Join instructions

https://us02web.zoom.us/meetings/86593221260/invitations?signature=qckZig_YX835cHJcG4HzZrvUFxOHLKWmmnSC8pMsh3I

A reminder that Crystal Art with Harold Hall is right around the corner - September 12 at 2PM - and now is the time to start thinking about the pictures you would like to bring for discussion It would help Harold and I enormously if you were to submit any images early so that we can look at them and get the meeting going organized accordingly. You can bring images you want help with, images you love and what us to see, images that demonstrate a new compound or technique, or anything else. The purpose of the group is to compare notes, talk about successes and failures, get new ideas, and most importantly of all, to show new crystal photographers the ropes and help them progress swiftly. Our sessions are completely free and the group is as friendly, helpful, and supportive as you will find anywhere. Give us a try - you won’t regret it!

Here is the invitation to the first formal Crystal Art meeting - Allan Walls is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Crystal Art with Harold Hall

Time: Sep 12, 2025 02:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6916802815?pwd=TS9tZi9ZL1NXeVUvOUF4eTg5YjdlZz09&omn=837419042

Meeting ID: 691 680 2815

Passcode: 678122

Join instructions

https://us02web.zoom.us/meetings/83741904293/invitations?signature=mzLewHjxR9J2iWrYlWZ6ET6B3_7r-cytzWVdiqGVTZw

The Google Drive folder that I have set up for you to drop your photos can be found right here - https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1ngiRDNHPdoGkx2fcOqedd3EDn_TZjVF3?usp=drive_link

That is all I have for you this week! See you on Tuesday!

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Allan Walls Photography, LLC

205-515-3494

Fairhope, Alabama

contact@allanwallsphotography.com