~JULY 2011 Photo Contest~ - Page 13 - Wildlife Gardeners

NEWisc · 07-30-2011, 04:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jpdenk

I have one more entry. I only uploaded three the other day in case I got some last minute shots in, and this morning I led a foray for the Illinois Mycological Association in woods near my home, and did get some interesting shots.

This one is a close-up of a Bird's Nest Fungus, Cyathus striatus. The "eggs" in the nest are packets of spores. When it rains, if a raindrop lands in the "nest", it will rupture the spore packet and throw the spores out into the air. A weird method of spore dispersal, but they're quite common, so it apparently works well.

John

Attachment 25246

Great photo! It has that nice three dimensional feel.

dapjwy · 07-30-2011, 07:40 PM

The coupling butterflies is my favorite, but I took this later in the day and decided it was worth sharing too.

scarecrowsdrm · 07-30-2011, 07:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dapjwy

The coupling butterflies is my favorite, but I took this later in the day and decided it was worth sharing too.

I like the design and composition in this photo. The shadows of the leaves are mirrored in the shape of the dragonfly and the straight grain of the background (wood?) provides contrast.

dapjwy · 07-30-2011, 08:14 PM

Thank you, scarecrowsdrm.

When the dragonfly first landed on the wood siding of the barn, it was closer to the shadows and I thought it would make an excellent photo. I guess I scared it when I moved the camera. It flew off only to return a short time later, but not quite in the same place. I'm glad you still think it is a good composition--I imagined that its first placement was better, but I really lucked out that it came back!

scarecrowsdrm · 07-30-2011, 10:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jpdenk

I have one more entry. I only uploaded three the other day in case I got some last minute shots in, and this morning I led a foray for the Illinois Mycological Association in woods near my home, and did get some interesting shots.

This one is a close-up of a Bird's Nest Fungus, Cyathus striatus. The "eggs" in the nest are packets of spores. When it rains, if a raindrop lands in the "nest", it will rupture the spore packet and throw the spores out into the air. A weird method of spore dispersal, but they're quite common, so it apparently works well.

John

Attachment 25246

The bird's nest fungi photo is stunning; I had to come back and look at it several times. Lovely contrasts in color and form, and exceptional composition. I haven' t seen this fungi before, and am delighted to see a photo of it. Nature's ingenuity truly at work.

jpdenk · 07-31-2011, 07:00 AM

Thanks scarecrowsdrm, glad you like that shot. They're a favorite species of mine to photograph, and that's my best shot of them, so far. Instead of my usual grab and run style of photography, I took the time to use a tripod and a wired remote to trigger the camera, no flash, so the exposure was 2 seconds long at f/22 which gave me sufficient depth of field. Unfortunately, I couldn't take the time to photograph them more, as I was leading a mushroom foray and we had to move on. This photo was cropped from a wider shot, so it was a little bit of a grab instead of carefully composed.

John

dapjwy · 07-31-2011, 07:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jpdenk

...I took the time to use a tripod and a wired remote to trigger the camera, no flash, so the exposure was 2 seconds long at f/22 which gave me sufficient depth of field.

Very cool. Makes me want to set up the tripod and see what I can do.

suunto · 07-31-2011, 09:39 AM

This months' efforts - A tiger beetle near Moncove Lake in Monroe Co. WV, sunset over Minot ND (flood-swollen Souris River in foreground), the banks of the Souris River where it flows through our farmstead near Minot (the water level is nearly 20' above where it normally is at this time of year), and a baby toad (less than an inch long) found near my brother's grain bins on the prairie more than a mile from the river.

jpdenk · 07-31-2011, 04:34 PM

I particularly like the Tiger Beetle, suunto, they're fascinating, and can be tricky to photograph. Any idea what species it is? Seems like the only one I ever see here is the Six-spotted Tiger Beetle, which is a beauty, but I'd like to photograph more kinds of them.

John

dapjwy · 07-31-2011, 05:15 PM

I especially like the sunset and the markings on the toad.

07-30-2011, 07:40 PM	#122
dapjwy WG Hospitality & UAOKA recipient Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Pennsylvania	The coupling butterflies is my favorite, but I took this later in the day and decided it was worth sharing too. Attached Thumbnails __________________ "If suburbia were landscaped with meadows, prairies, thickets or forests, or combinations of these, then the water would sparkle, fish would be good to eat again, birds would sing and human spirits would soar." ~ Lorrie Otto ~ A Native Backyard Blog ~

07-30-2011, 08:14 PM	#124
dapjwy WG Hospitality & UAOKA recipient Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Pennsylvania	Thank you, scarecrowsdrm. When the dragonfly first landed on the wood siding of the barn, it was closer to the shadows and I thought it would make an excellent photo. I guess I scared it when I moved the camera. It flew off only to return a short time later, but not quite in the same place. I'm glad you still think it is a good composition--I imagined that its first placement was better, but I really lucked out that it came back! __________________ "If suburbia were landscaped with meadows, prairies, thickets or forests, or combinations of these, then the water would sparkle, fish would be good to eat again, birds would sing and human spirits would soar." ~ Lorrie Otto ~ A Native Backyard Blog ~

07-31-2011, 07:00 AM	#126
jpdenk Heron Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Tinley Park, Illinois, USA	Thanks scarecrowsdrm, glad you like that shot. They're a favorite species of mine to photograph, and that's my best shot of them, so far. Instead of my usual grab and run style of photography, I took the time to use a tripod and a wired remote to trigger the camera, no flash, so the exposure was 2 seconds long at f/22 which gave me sufficient depth of field. Unfortunately, I couldn't take the time to photograph them more, as I was leading a mushroom foray and we had to move on. This photo was cropped from a wider shot, so it was a little bit of a grab instead of carefully composed. John __________________ Click here for an album of some of my nature photos.

07-31-2011, 09:39 AM	#128
suunto The Bug Whisperer Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Monroe County, WV, USA	This months' efforts - A tiger beetle near Moncove Lake in Monroe Co. WV, sunset over Minot ND (flood-swollen Souris River in foreground), the banks of the Souris River where it flows through our farmstead near Minot (the water level is nearly 20' above where it normally is at this time of year), and a baby toad (less than an inch long) found near my brother's grain bins on the prairie more than a mile from the river. Attached Thumbnails __________________ “Every artist dips his brush in his own soul and paints his own nature into his pictures.” Henry Ward Beecher

07-31-2011, 04:34 PM	#129
jpdenk Heron Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Tinley Park, Illinois, USA	I particularly like the Tiger Beetle, suunto, they're fascinating, and can be tricky to photograph. Any idea what species it is? Seems like the only one I ever see here is the Six-spotted Tiger Beetle, which is a beauty, but I'd like to photograph more kinds of them. John __________________ Click here for an album of some of my nature photos.

07-31-2011, 05:15 PM	#130
dapjwy WG Hospitality & UAOKA recipient Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Pennsylvania	I especially like the sunset and the markings on the toad. __________________ "If suburbia were landscaped with meadows, prairies, thickets or forests, or combinations of these, then the water would sparkle, fish would be good to eat again, birds would sing and human spirits would soar." ~ Lorrie Otto ~ A Native Backyard Blog ~

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode