Imagine this:
You spy a grasshopper on a limb in your yard. Its eyes are shiny, antennae quivering, the barbs on the legs looking hairy and curious.
You had no idea that a grasshopper could be so complex, so beautiful. And you want to take a picture of it.
But how to get one that shows the astounding details?
Enter this weekend's "Hot Techniques for Cool Photos," an hourlong talk on getting those amazing shots. It's part of the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum's Summer Saturday Evenings.
"In about 50 minutes, we'll touch on a lot of different subjects," explains photography instructor Jay Pierstorff, who leads the class with ASDM photographer Rhonda Spencer. Both Pierstorff and Spencer teach classes at the museum's Art Institute, where more-detailed classes begin in September.
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Spencer specializes in photos of bugs and, says Pierstorff, "She does some amazing things with those." The detailed pictures of small insects or other objects are called "macrophotography," he says. Spencer will talk about how it's done.
But if bugs aren't your thing, check out the class anyway. "We'll talk about ways to improve photos of people, some new techniques that have come up in the last few years; polarizing filters, and composition," says Pierstorff.
And don't worry if you just have a little ol' point-and-shoot camera. "Attendees will have all different skill levels and equipment," said Pierstorff.
The talk is included in the price of admission to the museum.
If bats are more to your liking, you can skip the photography talk and attend one that's a primer on the flying mammals, or another on bat acoustics.
And to top it all, you've gotten into the museum in the less-crowded and much-cooler evening hours for a bargain price.
If you go
• What: Talks on photography and bats at Summer Saturday Evenings at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum.
• Where: Desert Museum, 2021 N. Kinney Road.
• Admission: $7 after 4 p.m. (some animal exhibits close at sunset, but most will be available for viewing). $3 for children 6-12.
• Information: 883-2702
• When: 7-9 p.m. Saturday.
• Talks:
- All About Bats: 7- 7:30 p.m. and 8-8:30 p.m. in the museum's Warden Oasis Theater. Conservation biologist Karen Krebbs gives you a glimpse into the mammals.
- Bat Echolocation: 7-9 p.m. at the museum's Riparian Corridor. Mark Jensen, a specialist in bat acoustics, will use a bat detector and a computer in order to show you bat echolation.
- Hot Techniques for Cool Photos - 7-8 p.m. in the Baldwin Education Building. ASDM Art Institute Photography Instructor Jay Pierstorff and ASDM photographer Rhonda Spencer give tips for taking photos. Seating is limited to the first 100 people, so get there early.
• Et cetera: The Summer Saturday Evenings continue Saturdays through Aug. 25, and there is special programming for each. Check out a full schedule at www.desertmuseum.org
