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 12 June 2015

ONE MAN WENT TO SPRAY. (12/06/15)

Lot’s of entertainment and excitement yesterday afternoon as the meadow sprayer man came. It was a bit of a let down, a bit like watching crown green bowling or that winter sport where they run about sweeping ice.

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I think I may have made it look even more tedious than it was but I had a bit of a play. I wandered about from side to side as I was hoping to get a herbicidebow but it was not to be.

It’s another glorious day and I am going out again. There are lots of insects now. I saw some frog hoppers this morning…..briefly and lots of other little creatures. They are all well up to temperature and a little bit fast for me to snap.

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This lava was fine it just creeps along munching away at one end and crapping at the other. I have no idea what it is other than slightly more interesting than the crop sprayer.

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This is the second one of these I’ve found and I still can’t identify it, I suspect it is a Rove Beetle as they can fly but have wings that fold up very small. It could do with a little more top light but I like things lit from underneath, I just overdid it a bit. I tried to persuade it to face up hill but it hopped off and I couldn’t find it again. It’s a pity it was on this sort of grass as I could have just rotated the whole image. I suspect the grass seeds would look a bit silly pointing down.

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There I think this looks a bit better with a stroke of the adjustment brush.

I’m going out as rain is forecast for tomorrow and I would like to find some more creepy crawlies. Finding them isn’t the problem but getting a picture is hard in hot weather.

Have a great weekend.

31 comments:

  1. HI Adrian The first shots looks a bit dul now you have takenthe colour out of it but the insect macros are terrific. Have a great weekend and hope the weather does not stop you going out this weekend.

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    1. Margaret, I left two bits of colour which is easier said than done. I have to take the dogs out so I'll weather the weather whatever the weather. Whether I like it or not.

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  2. Hope the weather stays fine and the weather guessers have it wrong as it looks like the insects are coming out to play. Sadly I can't help with the id parade but can say the lava and possible beetle look great. I especially like the lava being on a leaf and eating. The beetle when it starts to walk does it suddenly stop for no reason and bits fall off? If so it's a Rover :-)

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    1. Or a Fiat Douglas.
      I am getting to the age where a Rover, flat hat and those funny gloves with little holes in would suit me. I'd have to find myself a gabby lady with funny coloured hair and a daft hat to sit in the back.

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  3. Great insect shots. The details always fascinate me.

    Mersad
    Mersad Donko Photography

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    1. Mersad, I never tire of them, some have wonderful colour as well.

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  4. Your scale always amazes me. Do you do these by hand or tripod? I can't imagine you setting up the tripod, but they're awfully good for handholding.

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    1. John, handheld except for dead ones. I use a prismatic focus screen in a 1Ds III, MP-E 65mm which is manual focus. usually f16 and the MR-14EX ring strobe set at 1/4 power top and full bottom.ISO is always native which is 160 on this camera. Exposure is ETTL unless it's very bright then I go for full power on the flash. Exposure time doesn't really matter as the flash is the exposure so anything under sync speed will do, even bulb if it's dark enough.

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    2. Thanks. You sure know your stuff.

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  5. Replies
    1. R.Mac, I'll give them a hug when they have dried off. They have just been in the pond.

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  6. Replies
    1. Luara, as I say 8/10 for effort and 3/10 for content. I am starting to think about composition and light now. I do like to control light but although the ring flash captures the insects the light is not flattering. I can see a better light rig coming my way.

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  7. I can't imagine how difficult it must be to photograph these tiny insects. You do a wonderful job!

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    1. Linda, the focus is the only hard bit. I use a prismatic focus screen in the Canon and to anyone that has used medium format they are easy. I wish I didn't have to pay thirty pounds for one. They should come as standard with a £5K camera.

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  8. Great close shot of the caterpillar / lava or whatever.

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    1. John, I am not sure but I think things with six legs are lava. I am just loving this lens. The last is at 4:1 I can't get light in at 5:1.
      I am finding no end of beautiful creatures at a couple of millimetres long. that would benefit from a 10x microscope objective. I am looking for a metallurgical one it has to be finite. as I need every bit of light I can get. I am thinking of getting that Chinese set of strobes but I am also thinking of one big strobe and two little mirrors to direct the light or maybe three. I could pop gels on them and really have a play.

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  9. herbicidebow ~ I am Googling ~ think I will find it? LOL

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    1. Carol I invent words. It's a rainbow off the crop sprayer.. You townies don't know these things but I am in charge and when the docks come through and are proud of the barley I phone and sprayer man comes. What I didn't know was Andrew had seeded and fertilised on a 21m strip and the crop sprayer works on a 24m tram line. Amateurs they are up here but it is very twisty, turny and uphilly, downhilly.
      I am a professional guesser. Given a shower of rain it will be fine.

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  10. "Munching away at one end and crapping at the other" sounds like a description of every human being I have ever met - including John Barnes, Jimmy Savile and The Queen Mother.

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    1. Who is John Barnes? I know the queen was a Saville fan as she dubbed him but didn't know her mother was into anything as gross as crapping.

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    2. John Barnes!!! Liverpool, Watford and England for whom he played 79 times!!! It is incredible, amazing and ultimately unforgivable that an Englishman doesn't know who John Barnes is! Just wait till I tell the guys at the pub. They'll be splitting their sides!

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    3. He was a darts player. I should have known.

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  11. Did you take your first photo on the Mars? :D
    I'm just kidding due to used selective colour effect.
    Have a great weekend

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    1. Kovacs, it is a joke. Some people try and colour splash with Mac Apps. You could do this on a Mac but none have. Three have tried so far. Even Photoshop doesn't make it easy. It is just a bit of fun.

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  12. Great description of the lava. How many day do they stay in this eating stage? You find good stuff and you're certainly taking great photos of the little critters.

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    1. Red, they usually have four stages or instars as a caterpillar. It varies from a few days to years. You can read all about it:

      HERE.

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  13. I don't know which looks the most alien, the colour-less countryside or the spreader. Please try harder next time, it would have been really something to see a herbicidebow as well.

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    1. Pauline, it was disappointing. I will try to do better.

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  14. Tus bichos siempre impresionan ;))
    Un abrazo.

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