Crow in a surreal sky

Crow in a Surreal Sky

I think my first thought was that it was a rain storm in which the crow was flying.  It was certainly something that invoked my interest.  I had another image made during this shoot which had a normal looking sky that I did not like nearly as well.  I suppose that the interest comes from not knowing what the sky shows.  The bird is not really the center of interest.  What is that sky?  Well, it was not a rain storm.  I had to stop and think because I could not remember seeing that sky.  I was shooting with my long lens hand-held.  I was following the bird in flight.  I was manual focusing.  That was my center of attention as I made the shot.  Something passed between my lens and the bird.  It might have been a tall plant.  It was not out far enough to be in focus. I was moving the lens to follow the bird.  I think that I would walk across the room to get a closer look at this one just to see if I could figure out what made that sky. 

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Limb, water, grass

Limb in pond

I spent some time viewing this limb the other morning.  I felt some kind of draw but struggled to decide what it was.  I like the frost on the grass and the limb.  I liked the ambiguity of the parts of the limb.  On another morning I notice that more the limb extends onto the "dry" part not shown here.  That formed an almost surreal view with the light coming from the top rather than from the left top.  It looked like the limb was not there where it was under water.  In this image, however; you can see it under water.  It draws me in.  I decided that I would walk across the room if this were on the wall.  I would want to see more closely what there was to see.  I am not sure that I am satisfied as I look closer.  I really like the reflection of the blue sky on the water contrasted with the green of the grass.  If memory serves, those colors are adjacent on the color wheel and seem to create for me a feeling of peace.  I am unsure that the final word has been thought or written on this limb in the nearly dry pond.  

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A new plant

Willow Herb

I have walked past this plant countless times.  It has never captured my attention until recently.  I noticed it before sunrise as I passed it.  The empty seed pods form the "bouquet."  They have split open and released their seeds on parachutes.  I suppose that the draw for me was the soft appearing texture contrasted with the harsh sharp texture of the plants growing around it.  I use Newcomb's Wildflower Guide, but it requires that you observe the flower which for most plants is unavailable at this time of year.  I asked Steve McKee for help with it and even he, had to think before he could answer.  He believes this to be a Willow Herb.  We will have to wait until next season to determine for sure which one it is.

The image does not have a lot of tonal contrast.  It has little color contrast, also.  I looked at it as a B & W image but I thought that it lost something.  I think that I find the warm brown tones appealing.  One interpretation I considered was a completely neutral rendition, color wise, but I rejected it.  I can't really see anyone wanting it on their wall, but there is something that I like about it.

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Lack of rain.

vernal pool this year

This usually happens to some degree during the fall of most years.  This year seems that it has happened to a much greater degree.  The vernal pools are lower than usual.  This is a help to the shrimp eggs laid there in previous years as well as this year.  I am told that some shrimp eggs must undergo a complete dry-out before they can hatch.  If that is true, we should have a bumper crop of Fairy Shrimp next year!  These are what wikipedia calls "winter eggs."  They have thicker shells.  Wikipedia also says that there are "summer eggs" which hatch immediately after being laid.  Irregardless of the type of egg from which they hatch, I hope to photograph them.

same pool last year

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My Responsability to Nature!

Autumn Meadowhawk Dragronfly

We recently had some "Indian Summer" weather in Mansfield.  I was reminded that I had a record shot of an Autumn Meadowhawk Dragonfly from last year and would like a quality capture for my collection.  I went out on two different days to shoot them.  This is the one that I consider my best.  It satisfies all that I desired for the image except that I would have liked one without damaged wings.

I had an experience during these two days about which I would like to share.  I was thinking about photographing one of these dragonflies at home in the light tent.  That, of course, would demand that I physically capture it.  I took my butterfly net and tent in which to transport the insect.  I actually netted one but then I thought that I might scare it and the other dragonflies would fear me.  Some of you must think that I am a little "strange."  I then came across the writing of a famous nature photographer, George Lepp.  Reportedly he has written a new book and says in it the following.  “The lesson:  When you encounter an animal in the wild, you represent all of that individual’s cumulative experiences with humans, and you are adding to that experience with your own actions.”  I don't feel quite as "unusual" after reading George's comments.

When, on that same day, after releasing the dragonfly because I did not want to scare it or the others, I had a memorable experience shooting the insects.  I captured the above image during the shoot.  I also had intimate contact with the dragonflies.  I did nothing to encourage it.  I just sat there and waited. 

These images are images of lesser quality, captured with the point and shoot camera that I usually carry on my belt.  Apparently, the insects were unafraid of me.

I think that the warm sun on my knee and shoulder was welcoming to them.  I sometimes feel that the insects like to pose for me.  The image at the beginning was one in which the insect gave me a gift by posing in that fashion.  I had worked two days and had never seen that pose.  I am glad that I was able, technically, to capture it.

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