Wide Open

Ever since I took the basic photography course from the talented Aaron Hogan a few weeks ago, I've been playing with different settings on my camera. Lately I've been shooting on the largest aperture possible. For two solid years I had been shooting on f/8, and while that seems to be the sweet spot on all my lenses, the trade-off was losing that luscious, creamy background. In addition to going wide open with the aperture, I lowered the ISO, taking it off 1600 and putting it on 100, 200 or 400, depending on the light. I've really enjoyed taking control over my shots instead of letting my camera make the decisions for me.

Tiger Swallowtail.

Anyone know what kind of plant this is? The thorny stems fascinated me.

Macro of purple thistle.

An orange clump of pansies in the middle of purple and gold ones.

Two x Two

Cilantro

I was captivated by this pansy that sprang up between the bricks.

A great illustration of a smooth background as a result of f/2.8.

In this instance, f/8 would have focused more on the bee below. Do you see it?
But I wasn't going for that in this instance and I like how it turned out.

I appreciate everyone who stops by to visit. Thank you for lifting my spirits with your words of encouragement. So far, blogging once a week has been going pretty well. I still get to see what most of you are doing, and also have time to go out and see what the world has to offer.

Still here!

I've missed blogging and I've missed my blogging friends. A huge THANK YOU to those that checked in on me in my absence. I did not mean to be gone so long, but life suddenly became a bit overwhelming and I needed a break from just about everything, only doing what was absolutely necessary.

Chance is still with me, but the Vestibular Disease has taken a toll on him and us. He wouldn't eat anything for a while so I cooked chicken and rice for him. He tried to humor me, but soon after, threw it all up. My next move was offering canned food. He gobbled it up like there was no tomorrow and most importantly it stayed down. We took him in for follow up blood tests and learned that his liver is severely compromised. He also has cataracts and hearing loss. The vet said Chance is on borrowed time...he's 14, after all. She said to give him all the canned food he wants and keep him comfortable. I pray the Lord will take him when it's time, to spare me having to make "that" decision. Ooops, here come the tears.

My beautiful and loving Chance in 2011.

Let's see...what else have I been doing? I worked for my former boss for ten days which left me very tired. But it was so nice to talk to some of my clients. We have the nicest customers!

I also enjoyed a few fishing excursions with my dad. Caught a 5 lb. bass, which made my dad so proud he took it to the taxidermist to have it mounted. Exactly an hour after I caught the 5-pounder, Daddy caught a 6-pound bass. It was one of the best fishing days we've had so far.

A couple weeks ago Double D and I purchased new bikes. We have been riding around our neighborhood every day. I love riding so much better than walking or running. The most distance we've covered in one ride is 5 miles; the goal is to get up to 10 miles. I installed an app called Runkeeper that stores all the details, such as average mph, speed, distance, GPS coordinates and calories burned. It's a great way to get us moving.

One more thing I'll mention is another app called Day One. I use it to journal my prayers. Often I find that my thoughts are so easily distracted that I can hardly put one coherent sentence together in my head. However, writing my prayers helps me focus. I figure God must love the written word since he gave us the Bible. I think doing this has finally solved my prayer problem.

Well, I've prattled on enough. If you're still here, below are images of an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail that visited my lantana on August 8th. Surprisingly, I really love the black and white versions! I will catch up with everyone this week!

A Purpose

Macro photography has given me a profound appreciation for the beauty and wonder of nature. Insects are a huge fascination as I learn about their purpose, marveling over colors, markings, and body appendages. I'm like a mad scientist observing the world through my "microscope." Many times I'm left shaking my head, thinking God MUST have a sense of humor. Right?

Each insect in our world plays a role in the balance of our environment. Whether they're located somewhere on the food chain or ridding the garden of pests, we should respect them and learn of their impact on our ecology before employing chemicals to rid them. Some bugs may already be performing that duty for you, like the assassin bugs below. These little orange dynamos stalk gardens and fields looking for insects to devour—often insects that cause harm to plant life.

A new generation of assassins ready for battle.

Candy-striped leafhopper - cute and colorful, but not good for plants!
Their distinctness and colors are not visible unless magnified. Only 3/8" long, this insect is considered harmful to plants.
With piercing, sucking mouth parts they feed on plant juices, violently shooting the excess out of their rear ends. Pierce's
Disease is a bacteria that is often transferred from the leafhopper into the plant. Grapevines and other woody plants are mostly
affected. This bug is ready to jump at a moment's notice and does it so quickly that if you blink, you'll miss it, not seeing
where he went! I thought this was a pretty bug until I learned how harmful they are.

Sweat bees and cuckoo wasps are so similar in appearance that it's difficult to tell them apart. For the sake of argument, I'll say
this is a sweat bee, in the family Halictidae, since they are a little more common for our area. It's the first time I've ever seen one
and I think it's beautiful.  These insects are attracted to human sweat in order to lick the salt. They will give a mild sting if
disturbed. These efficient pollinators visit four to eight flowers per minute, carrying significant pollen loads on their hind legs.
Many plants benefit from sweat bees, including watermelon, blueberries, and alfalfa.

Eastern tiger swallowtail butterfly.
A beautiful specimen - I'll just leave it at that.

Fascinating are the workings of nature and the important role of even seemingly insignificant creatures. Transferring this same logic to humans, if you meet someone that is crude or rude, that person is teaching you something. One of my favorite quotes is, "If you can't be a good example, then you'll just have to be a horrible warning" by Catherine Aird. How true! By the same token, I have met people that have a rough or gruff exterior, but inside there is a heart of gold. With these types it takes time to peel off the layers to get to the good parts, and when you do, you may discover a loyal friend or learn valuable lessons.

In conclusion, I'm thankful for those around me that model what I strive to be and also what I do not want to become. And I'm thankful for all the little bugs that keep my garden healthy. Amen!

More Flutterbys!

Thank you all so much for the warm welcome back on my last post! It made my heart swell with joy to know that so many of you still care. Group hug! I replied to everyone that had a return email address attached to their Google account, but several of you didn't. FYI

My fuzzy memory can't remember how long I've had the 100mm macro lens, but I can tell you that it has rarely left my camera body since I received it. Bertha and this lens make a good marriage, I think! The poor 100-400mm lens lies neglected in my camera bag, pining away for Bertha. But what can I do? This new lens has me smitten right now. Is it possible that a camera lens has the ability to stimulate serotonin levels? Maybe I can throw these happy pills in the trash soon.

Macro photography is CHALLENGING, y'all! Why is it, when I'm walking around in this Hades-like climate, there is no breeze to cool me off? Yet the minute I point my camera at something, Mr. Breeze makes an appearance, laughing maniacally at me, I'm certain. Despite my often loud protestations and proclamations of The wind is not my friend, while begging it to CALM DOWN FOR ONE BLASTED SECOND, it continues to annoy at the worst possible moments! And just when I think I've somehow convinced Mr. B to be still, my subject moves, or worse, flies off. Maybe that's why I never get bored with doing macro shots, because just the idea of getting that perfect image is such a thrill. 

Now, on with the show! These were all taken the last week of August and first week of September at Independence Park in Baton Rouge.

Monarch

Spicebush Pipevine swallowtail
Thanks for the correction, Kim!

Talk about flitting about! These guys are constantly fluttering their wings while they feed.
Out of 200 shots I'll bet 5 had decent focus on the wing markings.

Silver-spotted skipper - a first for me.
I only had a handful of chances with this rare sighting. I'm still stalking his whereabouts to do better.

Fiery skipper (pretty sure)
Skippers are some of my favorites with those soulful brown eyes.

Eastern tiger swallowtail

A beautiful specimen with no tears on the wings.

Long-tailed skipper

Anybody know what type of butterfly this will turn into?
I have nearly Googled myself to death. Help!
Update: Thanks, Tammy & Hilary for helping me identify this is a clouded sulphur!

Hiking

Double D and I went hiking in and around Baton Rouge for our weekend entertainment. Louisiana is abundant in nature, with many areas designated for the public to explore. We traveled to Blackwater Conservation area, Capitol Lakes, Mary Ann Brown Preserve in St. Francisville, and finally ended up at LSU Lakes. We didn't see much at Blackwater, but it definitely has potential and we will go back. Here are some things we saw.

An overcast day so had to get a little creative with the processing on this one. Used a solarize preset in Lightroom.
Downy Woodpecker - Blackwater Conservation - 2/23/13

New growth at Blackwater Conservation - 2/23/13

Lichen on tree at Blackwater Conservation - 2/23/13

Capitol Lakes - 2/23/13

This has to be the rock star of all the Muscovy Ducks.
Capitol Lakes - 2/23/13

Came face to face with a Nutria. I told him we had to stop meeting this way.
Capitol Lakes - 2/23/13

Rare Eastern Chipmunk - Mary Ann Brown Preserve - 2/24/13

Double D at overlook - Mary Ann Brown Preserve - iphone - 2/24/13

Eastern Swallowtail - Mary Ann Brown Preserve - 2/24/13

Gazebo at Mary Ann Brown Preserve - iphone - 2/24/13
Having the iphone is great for landscape shots. I think it does a great job and it's one less lens to carry around.

Red-bellied woodpecker - Mary Ann Brown Preserve - 2/24/13

Same woodpecker as above

Trillium - Mary Ann Brown Preserve - 2/24/13

Please visit these fun memes!

LINK

LINK