ABOUT ME

I live in a camper van with a West Highland Terrier for company.
My passion is creating images but it is a work in progress.
I am always willing to share what knowledge I have and can be contacted through the comments on this post or e-mail ADRIAN
ALL IMAGES WILL ENLARGE WITH A LEFT CLICK

Friday 13 September 2013

ALLSORTS. (13/09/13)

I’ve had another busy week. Last night the badgering was not a success. It rained hard so the camera lens got water on it. Then one of the Badgers sat on the camera and tipped it over.

Bob’s Badgers.

I hope this has loaded. I have my doubt’s if it hasn’t I’ll pop a link in at the end of the post.

_MG_1599_600_601_fused  The best bit of a dull day. There are Hares, Badger and Foxes enjoying this wilderness. They are going to make a lake in the bottom corner of this area so that should improve things further.

_MG_1602

_MG_1603I am reasonably sure this is The Shaggy Parasol. It’s a fine specimen.

_MG_1605     This is less than an inch in diameter and I’m not sure what it is.

_V0G7586    I think this is a Small White butterfly caterpillar.

_V0G7585

_V0G7584     Two views of the same Bee. Amazing when one gets close up to find it has hairy eyes.

_V0G7582    A very noisy image of most of a Hoverfly.

This is the link to the BADGER video. I really must get to grips with this moving picture malarkey.

Have a wonderful weekend.

 

38 comments:

  1. very intresting and nice pics as ever dear Adrian

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    1. Laura, I was thinking of you this morning. I then started editing video and forgot to e-mail.
      I hope you are well and enjoying life again. I'll drop you a line soon.

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  2. Adriaan je zit ook daar in de herfst,maar wel heel mooi.

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  3. Niet helemaal de herfst nog niet, maar het wordt steeds dicht. Ik houd van de herfst.

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  4. fabulous close-ups of the bee! I haven't got quite THAT close!

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    1. Norma, it's the lens and the ring flash. The lens is a manual Canon lens the MP-E 65mm. This is at 1x (macro) and 2x (micro, at a pinch) magnification and f11. camera on manual at flash sinc speed in this case 1/250s.
      It goes to 5x. It's a wonderful lens but not easy to use. I'm getting there but slowly. These are hand held. Anything much over 2x is beyond me without using a macro plate, you also need a torch to light the subject at much over 3x and f16. Anything that can move will have flown or run away. I'll try and find something dead and do a focus stacked image. Have a good weekend.

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  5. Hi Adrian Great post. Loved the Mushrooms, close up of the bee and the Hoverfly. Saw the video using the link at the bottom (so that you know what worked) and loved the comings and going of the badger. can you tell if it is the same one? do you put food out for it to attract it to that spot? Have a great weekend. Nice to see one of the dog in that lovely scene.

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    1. Margaret, editing video in CS6 is not such a chore. It took three hours to upload to YouTube. The video works on the top bit for me. Belt and braces man I am.

      I think there are three different. Dad, mum and the little one that dashed through. It is a badger run but yes Bob pops peanuts down to delay them in front of the camera. They appear about midnight and pop by every now and again until about three in the morning.
      Even though the quality leaves much to be desired they are great to see. I should have included it's rain bleary bum sitting on the camera but Bob deleted the clip. I'm amazed that the LEDs don't frighten them.

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  6. Really great images Adrian....and the video does indeed work. Thanks for sharing all of this stuff. The detail on the hairs etc are great!

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  7. Chris, my video editing is on a par with Dithery Daves management skills. It's a difficult but wonderful lens is the MP-E 65mm. I have got more confident with it.

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  8. Cracking Badger video Adrian. I think it's inevitable there will be some glare from the IR somewhere in the view. I read somewhere about the flickering on the Swan videos. Conclusion was it trying to get the exposure right and only happened at one particular light level when it can't make its mind up. I have a similar problem with my main security camera.
    Cracking macro shots as well. A brilliant post all round.

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    1. John, it is fine is the Swann. Bob got it for £59.99p so a bargain. I thought the flickering was a bad render so did it again. I am a bit daft. Adobe should know how to render. It's all this 3D nonsense I forget which medium I'm not in control of.

      I really like the Canon micro/macro lens. I'm not good with it yet but am getting there. I found a dead crane fly yesterday and was going to do a 5x focus stacked panoramic image of it but it must have fallen on the floor. Could I find it could I hell.

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  9. Your dog is saying, "come on Adrian, it's this way." :)
    I love the first picture. The depth is amazing. Maybe it is the cloud cover in the near distance and the sun in the far distance. If I ever take up canvas painting again and remember, I'll try that technique.

    The mushrooms are pretty. The caterpillar made me shiver. The hair on the bee's eyes might explain some of their flight patterns. They get in my house and fly around the lamps. Both the bee and fly have incredibly pretty wings. If I ever get a pair I think I want some of those. I like them better than feathers.

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    1. David, it's a tilt shift manual lens. They are very hard to work. I had everything going for me the sun was on my back.
      Bees are very bright but I never knew they had hairs on their eyes. God only knows what they are for.

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  10. If having little success with the old badgering, I think you should just stick to your customary dogging and birding. After all - isn't that what camper vans are really for?
    P.S. Fascinating pictures as usual.

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    1. YP, i have been on to Jonathon at Harrison Cameras in your fair town. He say all IR cameras are much the same.
      I'm just back from the pub. The lady in there liked the dogs but didn't fancy dogging. Can't say it appeals to me. I must be a closet prude.

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  11. LOVE THE HOVERFLY, AND GREAT BADGER CLIP, DID YOU BAIT FOR THEM TO COME THERE.

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    1. Peter, the Hoverfly was just a snap and pray job. It is a badger run so we pop down a load of peanuts and dry dog food. It keeps them hanging around.

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  12. I got 1 minute 36 seconds in before it stopped playing but that's my inter(upted)net connection and the rain, hopefully I'll check it out in full when the rain stops!
    What/where is the light source coming from? I know you said about the l.e.d is it that, if so how would gaffer tape over it effect the filmimg?
    They're funny to watch especially when they spot the lens/camera.

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    1. Douglas, they are just motion detect cameras. This one was sixty quid. The light is from the camera. It has a big panel of LEDs built in. It would hopefully cut down the light. There is too much from the camera. The camera records IR.
      It is great seeing them wandering up to the light. Lovely things.

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  13. Great images of the badgers Adrian, it's interesting to be able to see into their world.
    Glad you're getting to grips with that mega lens, you've captured some excellent close ups here...[;o)

    I've got a few ID's for you, I think, but by no means 100% that...
    ...the small fungi is a Drab Bonnet (mycena aetites)....the 'bee' is a bee mimic, a female Eristalis Pertinax from the Eristalini family of hoverflies...the other one is a female Eupeodes Luniger from the Syrphini family of hoverflies...and it's a caterpillar of the Large White butterfly.

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    1. Trevor, many thanks. Large white. I tossed a coin and small won. I'll never be a naturist.
      The micro/macro lens isn't easy but it is rewarding. When Keith said it could be hand held I had doubts but it can. Up to 2x. The hoverfly and Bee were taken without flash. My hands are as steady as steady can be. As steady as a Wok
      Drab Bonnet, I was tending towards Coprinus picartillis, Jap bonnet, there is another that has the pale fringe, non are edible so I tend to lose interest. This one looked nice though. This was a big one the others were half as big.

      Ta for the IDs. I'll have to find a proper Bee now and see if it has hairy eyes.

      How do you know so much? A geniosesses is you....thank heaven!

      I got Shaggy Parasol right and had a couple of near misses. Thanks again.

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    2. PS. Trevor do you think I could win the blogger Macro Monday? Be honest now.

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    3. Adrian, please accept my humble apologies re the fungi ID, you are most certainly correct, it is indeed a coprinus plicatilis a Pleated Inkcap (or Japanese Parasol). Just goes to show that I don't know as much as I thought I did!
      A quick and easy way (in the first instance) to tell the difference between bees and hoverfly bee mimics is to look at their antenna bees have long thin(ish) ones and hoverflies, with a couple of odd exceptions, have short rounded ones. Separating the many hoverfly tribes and families is a whole new ball game and is down to things like wing vein shape, face shape and colour, leg colour and in some cases, if you really want to get serious, diving in and dissecting their genitalia!

      You ask how I know so much...the short answer is..I don't (see above!!...lol) I've got lots of books and, as strange as it may seem I really enjoy searching through them (along with the internet) and trying to fathom out all the various ID's . In so doing I learn a little bit about the subject in question and along the way, I hope, some of what I find out might even sink in!

      As for the Macro photography?...You've got all the gear and there's no doubt that you've got the skill, so why not?...go for it!...[;o)

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    4. Trevor, Thanks for the difference between Bee and Hoverfly. No apology necessary. The small fungi and some of the large ones are the very devil to ID.
      I'll have to learn to keep them in frame first. I don't to themed posts either so that could pose a problem.

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  14. Some very nice marcos there, Adrian. I like that first mushroom.. it looks like a fluffy dessert.

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    1. Hilary, the Parasol is edible but the Shaggy Parasol isn't. It does look good though.

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  15. The badger sat on the camera ~ funny ~ not good I know. Macro stuff looks great. I would say I like the macro stuff the best, but then you will post a landscape and I am torn. Your pup looks happy out hunting.

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    1. Carol, I'll pop out later for some more macros. It's forecast to be sunny later.

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  16. Having never seen a live badger, I'm surprised they are so cute. Do they snuffle? I could have done with you and your stalker camera during the week when I was trying to spot little blue penguins surfing in to their nests at night. I like your hairy legged shots!

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    1. Pauline, they are wonderful animals. I've never heard one but they look as if they should snuffle.

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  17. Wow! hairy eyes! That's cool.

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  18. What truly amazing macro shots. Gaz has the Canon macro lens in his bag: it weighs more than my camera. I'm very tempted to have a go.

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    1. Graham, if he has the 100mm it's a grand lens. It has image stabilisation on it. It will focus faster if you set the focus button to the appropriate distance.
      If he has the MP-E 65mm you will probably need to try it a time or two first. Enjoy a day macroing.

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  19. Some fantastic pictures there Adrian I take it that you also aren't a fan of the ridiculous badger cull that's going on at the moment? I particularly like the pic of doggy on the path.

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  20. Thanks Gary.
    The Badger cull, is a disgrace. Fortunately it appears to be turning into a fiasco. I sometimes wonder if these clowns are capable of managing anything.

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  21. Fascinating video of Badger. I like the infra red effect; or is it the Sony night time mode? G!reat macro of larva. I can't believe you can shoot flies.

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    1. Maria, I don't like editing video and I hate waiting for it to upload to YouTube...It takes hours.

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