Monarch Mimic

Viceroy Butterfly

  This species is the reason that I must get a good look at a butterfly before I can say I have seen a Monarch Butterfly.  Butterfly populations including Viceroy and Monarch have dropped off significantly over the last few years.

I recently received e-mail asking me to sign a petition to tell the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to Protect the Threatened Monarch Butterfly.  I did so and now I am asking you to sign the petition also.  MoveOn.org and others cite farming practices and hence farmers as the cause of the problems.  I, personally, am not convinced that local farming practices are the cause here in Richland County.  Gorman Nature Center has a very healthy supply of Milk Weed plants just not butterflies to use them.  At any rate, the federal government tells the farmers what to do so the federal government must act to protect the Monarch and others.  Please help the Monarch Butterfly!

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Sneezing Time

Common Ragweed

Many folks are allergic to the pollen of this plant.  I used to be among that group but not so much lately.  

Giant Ragweed

My parents told me that I was allergic to this plant also.  I remember asking what it was and I remember being told it was an iron weed.  Its funny how the answers to questions asked at the "teachable moment" stick.  I suppose that it is possible that I don't remember correctly.  I just know for all of my life I have looked at that plant and thought, "I am allergic to that plant."  I am grateful that my allergies have changed in recent years.

If you are sneezing right now, there my be hope in later life for you.  That would be one benefit of growing older.

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Bumble Bee

Bumblebee

This bee would crawl all the way into the flower and then back out cleaning itself of as it did so.  The time was early and this bee was one of few which were active.  The flower was in the shade.

Bumblebee

This bumblebee was stranded over night on the plant.  I suppose it will remain until the warm sun dries its body so it can continue its business.

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Umbrella Inky-cap

Umbrella Inky-cap

These mushrooms are about as tall as the grass as you can see.

Umbrella Inky-cap

These two grew close together.  They are very delicate.  I must be careful not to touch them.

Umbrella Inky-cap

They will be completely gone by the next day. 

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Tall Ironweed and Goldenrod

Tall Ironweed and Goldenrod

I have to watch myself that I don't walk into an image before I capture it.  This is one of those situations.

This ironweed has attracted my attention for years.  I have tried to photograph it multiple times.  I had on the camera a 180 mm lens mounted on a 2x teleconverter the other day and decided to shoot this plant again.  The background, in the shade from the point at which I stood, looks almost black.  It emphasizes the light on the plants.  The sizes involved preclude my using a light modifier.  I think that softer light would add but I don't have one large enough.

An aside:  I realized, recently, that the colors of the blooms complement each other further enhancing the beauty of the capture.

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Haymaker Mushroom, Groomng, Setup, CamRanger

Haymaker Mushroom

This image retains a sense of place and size yet displaying the compelling smooth lines of the mushroom.

Camera Setup for Haymaker Mushroom

I should probably apologize for belaboring the setup.

Setting Focus to the Initial Point Manually

 With the CamRanger, I can view the focusing in the app on my phone while still setting it manually.

Viewing Focus in the App using a Hoodloupe

Or I can adjust the focus to the initial point using the app.  I can move it using the arrows in the tab labeled "focus".  The idea is to set focus just before the first front part comes into focus.  The CamRanger will then set the camera's focus for each succeeding step using the size set.  So far, I am finding Medium Step to work best currently.

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Site Grooming

Haymaker Mushroom

These little mushrooms hardly exceed the height of the grass.  This image is better than having nothing but the out-of-focus grass in the foreground detracts from my enjoyment of it.

Haymaker Mushroom

Its removal creates an issue with the grass in the background sticking out of the mushroom.  This effect is somewhat mitigated by its being out of focus but I decided that it must go because the lines of the mushroom are so clean.  I made this decision after I was back in the office of my digital darkroom.

I think that there may be some philosophical issues here.  I faintly remember hearing them expressed but I can't seem to pull them back.  Can anyone else help me with those considerations?

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