Life Cycles -- Summer's Finality

 One cycle ends while another begins

The warm days left over from summer are still hanging around and so are several species of insects that I enjoy watching.  At this time of year, I try and savor as many warm moments as time will allow before the temperatures drop.

I can't say that I will miss the tomato horn worms that strip the leaves down to stems.  They do keep me busy each morning when I go out searching to pick them from the tomatoes.  This is a love-hate relationship since I do enjoy having the sphinx moths around, so I just reposition the worms to a Sacred Datura which is in the nightshade family like the tomato plant. 

The dragonflies that accent the landscape around my pond are beginning to dwindle down.  I walked by as two adults were embraced to continue the life cycle.  The eggs will be laid on plants near the pond and slowly grow over a period of 5 years to reach the adult stage which  lasts only for six months.

A male praying mantis fans his wings out wide in a threat display as a warning not to come any closer.   The end of summer also concludes the life cycle of the mantis.  Hatching after the temperature warms in spring; they grow over the summer to mate, lay eggs and die as the weather begins to turn cold.  

Although not in the insect species, the reclusive male tarantula can be seen wandering around the desert in late August through September looking to mate with a willing female.   This handsome feller that is at least seven years old came walking down my sidewalk late one September afternoon. 

Even with the warm days, my yard is starting to quiet down and beginning its transition to fall.  Most of the sunflowers are gone and I have noticed only one monarch butterfly fluttering. 

 Soon the showy visitors of summer will be replaced by the dull colored birds that winter here in the Great Basin, but they also bring a special charm to my yard as they dart about foraging for seeds in the dry leaves. 

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What an exciting and interesting photo-adventure this day has been.  I love it when I am drawn to an area and not knowing what to expect I get treated to new experiences. 

Sign up and follow my blog to see where my next photo-adventure will be!

Photography places me in the moment where I can share that moment in time. It becomes a life story as represented by my interaction with the scene. The happiness and beauty or the sorrow and strife; how I focus leaves a lasting impression that might touch the viewer on a spiritual level.

 "Reflecting Nature's Artistry" 

Many of these images are available on my website:

 http://www.bonnierannald.com/ 

For custom matted and framed images:
Off The Wall

No images on this blog are within Public Domain or are available for free download. 

 All rights reserved, world-wide and images protected by Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). All photography, graphics, text, design, and content is copyrighted by Bonnie Rannald and should not be copied, down-loaded, transferred and re-created in any way without the express consent, in writing to Bonnie Rannald. For information on Bonnie Rannald licensed, right-managed images, please submit a written request.

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Mantis Displays His Colors

The Artistry of Camouflage

 
My slogan, "Reflecting Nature's Artistry" transpired from those awesome moments when I stumbled on nature's most creative side.  One of those rare moments was when I tried to move a male praying mantis from the street to a more secure location and he fanned out his wings in a manner of protest.

Most of the time the praying mantis will spend it's time going unnoticed by camouflage and concealment to blend in with the surroundings with It's front legs are folded as if in prayer. 

 When the legs are unfolded, they reveal sharp, long spikes for grasping prey.  During the few times that I have held a mantis, I have never been bit, however the spikes are very sharp and once in their grasp there is no getting away.

When threatened, the mantis will try and make itself appear larger by standing tall, spreading its wings and raising the forelegs in a combative stance.

As beautiful as the vivid colors and eyespot appear on the wings, they are there for a practical application, to startle a predator. 

  

For additional reading:
http://insected.arizona.edu/mantidinfo.htm

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What an exciting and interesting photo-adventure this day has been.  I love it when I am drawn to an area and not knowing what to expect I get treated to new experiences. 

Sign up and follow my blog to see where my next photo-adventure will be!

Photography places me in the moment where I can share that moment in time. It becomes a life story as represented by my interaction with the scene. The happiness and beauty or the sorrow and strife; how I focus leaves a lasting impression that might touch the viewer on a spiritual level.

 "Reflecting Nature's Artistry" 

Many of these images are available on my website:

 http://www.bonnierannald.com/ 

For custom matted and framed images:
Off The Wall

No images on this blog are within Public Domain or are available for free download. 

 All rights reserved, world-wide and images protected by Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). All photography, graphics, text, design, and content is copyrighted by Bonnie Rannald and should not be copied, down-loaded, transferred and re-created in any way without the express consent, in writing to Bonnie Rannald. For information on Bonnie Rannald licensed, right-managed images, please submit a written request.

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Courting Tarantulas

   

Creepy Crawlers for Halloween

With Halloween being just a few days away, I decided to dedicate this blog post to the creepy crawlers who have been playing trick or treat in my back yard. In the Southwestern U.S. during August through September male tarantulas come out and begin their journey to find a suitable mate.

This movement of large hairy brown spiders is called the Tarantula Migration, however tarantulas do not migrate.  Most of their lives are spent underground in a burrow that they dig and reinforce with webbing.

Tarantulas are nocturnal and most of the time will go unnoticed because they come out at night to search for their prey of insects and small animals.  For the last two years, a female has set up residence under the decorative rocks by my patio.

  Even though I am terribly afraid of spiders, we have a peaceful co-existence.  It's just when I walk outside and almost step on a five inch (12.7 cm) amorous male that my heart comes through my chest!

The smaller males have been known to travel around 50 miles (80.46 km) in their quest for courtship and many will die either from being eater by the female or from sheer exhaustion.  Female tarantulas have been known to live for 20 years.

    

  

So as my natural Halloween decorations are moving right along, I wish you a safe and happy Halloween!

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What an exciting and interesting photo-adventure this day has been.  I love it when I am drawn to an area and not knowing what to expect I get treated to new experiences. 

Sign up and follow my blog to see where my next photo-adventure will be!

Photography places me in the moment where I can share that moment in time. It becomes a life story as represented by my interaction with the scene. The happiness and beauty or the sorrow and strife; how I focus leaves a lasting impression that might touch the viewer on a spiritual level.

 "Reflecting Nature's Artistry" 

Many of these images are available on my website:

 http://www.bonnierannald.com/ 

For custom matted and framed images:
Off The Wall

No images on this blog are within Public Domain or are available for free download. 

 All rights reserved, world-wide and images protected by Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). All photography, graphics, text, design, and content is copyrighted by Bonnie Rannald and should not be copied, down-loaded, transferred and re-created in any way without the express consent, in writing to Bonnie Rannald. For information on Bonnie Rannald licensed, right-managed images, please submit a written request.

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Flowering Prickly Pear

Jewel of the Lowland Cacti

May of 2012 the temperatures have been so warm, creating a profusion of blooms with the Prickly Pear Cactus.  The Prickly Pear or Opuntia is a member of the Cactaceae family.  It is the most cold-tolerant and wide spread of the lowland cacti, with the genus name derived from the ancient Greek city of Opus.

Growing in dense clusters, the flower blooms from the tip of the cactus nodule, which will ripen into a delicious red fruit called "tuna".  Care must be taken to harvest the fruit because the Prickly Pear has two defense systems: long sharp spines and smaller hair like projections, "glochids” which stick to anything that comes near.

The beautiful two inch, 5 cm, flowers of the Prickly Pear  are short lived and only last for one day.

For more information on the Prickly Pear:
http://www.desertusa.com/magoct97/oct_pear.htmlhttp://www.desertusa.com/magoct97/oct_pear.html

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What an exciting and interesting photo-adventure this day has been.  I love it when I am drawn to an area and not knowing what to expect I get treated to new experiences. 

Sign up and follow my blog to see where my next photo-adventure will be!

Photography places me in the moment where I can share that moment in time. It becomes a life story as represented by my interaction with the scene. The happiness and beauty or the sorrow and strife; how I focus leaves a lasting impression that might touch the viewer on a spiritual level.

 "Reflecting Nature's Artistry" 

Many of these images are available on my website:

 http://www.bonnierannald.com/ 

For custom matted and framed images:
Off The Wall

No images on this blog are within Public Domain or are available for free download. 

 All rights reserved, world-wide and images protected by Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). All photography, graphics, text, design, and content is copyrighted by Bonnie Rannald and should not be copied, down-loaded, transferred and re-created in any way without the express consent, in writing to Bonnie Rannald. For information on Bonnie Rannald licensed, right-managed images, please submit a written request.

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White Cabbage Butterfly

Fairy Dancers in the Yard

 

Late in October when the days are still warm, I notice a large number of butterflies at Walker Lake. This fall, I have been watching small white butterflies dance around my yard.  One morning when I happened to be walking by my hedge, I saw one of them land on a leaf. 

I quickly set my Nikon D90 with the 150 mm 2.8 macro lens on the tripod and slowly approached the butterfly.  I was afraid that the butterfly would fly off as I moved in for a closer shot. 

However, the butterfly was content to stay where it was and this became an exercise in patience for me.  To be this close to a willing subject made me determined to wait it out while I closely observed through the view finder and snapped the shutter at any activity.

After over an hour with sweat rolling down my aching back, the butterfly appeared to be cleaning its antenna and then decided it was time to take flight. 

Upon processing my RAW photos and getting out my butterfly book, I determined my friend to be a white cabbage butterfly with a bad reputation because when it is a caterpillar, it dines on our garden veggies.  

The adult white cabbage butterfly's wingspan measures around 1.25 to 2 inches or 32–47 mm.

For additional reading:
http://insects.about.com/od/butterfliesmoths/a/7-Fascinating-Facts-About-Painted-Lady-Butterflies.htm

Photographs Make Great Gifts

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What an exciting and interesting photo-adventure this day has been.  I love it when I am drawn to an area and not knowing what to expect I get treated to new experiences. 

Sign up and follow my blog to see where my next photo-adventure will be!

Photography places me in the moment where I can share that moment in time. It becomes a life story as represented by my interaction with the scene. The happiness and beauty or the sorrow and strife; how I focus leaves a lasting impression that might touch the viewer on a spiritual level.

 "Reflecting Nature's Artistry" 

Many of these images are available on my website:

 http://www.bonnierannald.com/ 

For custom matted and framed images:
Off The Wall

No images on this blog are within Public Domain or are available for free download. 

 All rights reserved, world-wide and images protected by Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). All photography, graphics, text, design, and content is copyrighted by Bonnie Rannald and should not be copied, down-loaded, transferred and re-created in any way without the express consent, in writing to Bonnie Rannald. For information on Bonnie Rannald licensed, right-managed images, please submit a written request.

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Macro Photography, Up Close and Personal

Exploring Hidden Worlds With Macro Photography

Spring is finally here and flowers are starting to bloom, bringing photographers out of their winter hiatus. I just recently returned from an exciting wildflower workshop in Death Valley that I conducted with Karen Linsley and you might have read about it in several previous posts. So I thought in this entry, I would go into further detail with how I like to set up for macro photos of flowers.

The way I prefer to photograph flowers if at all possible is in diffused lighting and with a small aperture of f/8-11 for maximum depth of field.  A small aperture and low light, thanks to the good old laws of reciprocity, equals a slow shutter speed, which makes it all most impossible to hold the camera steady and to focus on the flower.

For the above stated reasons, to me a tripod is essential in photographing flowers or with macro work. The tripod that I prefer is the Manfrotto NA24 with the Manfrotto 3265 Grip Action Ball Head and Quick Release. 

This tripod is light, with a weight of only 5 pounds, 2.26 kg, and lowers to 23 inches, 50.8cm, from ground level.  The Grip Action Ball Head allows me to position the camera with just a squeeze of the handle within a 180° sphere.

 

Having the tripod low to the ground and tilting the head, I can get up close and personal to the flower and also concentrate on where I want my area of selective focus to fall. 

The lens I use most often for closeups on flowers is the Nikon 150mm 2.8 macro. Sometimes when photographing the macro world, you might even get a surprise visitor.

If the flower is on a flat plane and depth of field is not critical or I want to blur the background, I will open the aperture to f5.6 

For my taste with macro and flower photography, I like to isolate a subject so that it stands out against the background and becomes the main subject. In the following photo, it is difficult for the eyes to pick out the main subject.

Photographing flowers with macro photography is like exploring hidden worlds and inner universes.  So many of nature's secrets are revealed. 

A special thanks to Photographers Karen Linsley and Donald Heldoorn for use of their photos in this post.

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What an exciting and interesting photo-adventure this day has been.  I love it when I am drawn to an area and not knowing what to expect I get treated to new experiences. 

Sign up and follow my blog to see where my next photo-adventure will be!

Photography places me in the moment where I can share that moment in time. It becomes a life story as represented by my interaction with the scene. The happiness and beauty or the sorrow and strife; how I focus leaves a lasting impression that might touch the viewer on a spiritual level.

 "Reflecting Nature's Artistry" 

Many of these images are available on my website:

 http://www.bonnierannald.com/ 

For custom matted and framed images:
Off The Wall

No images on this blog are within Public Domain or are available for free download. 

 All rights reserved, world-wide and images protected by Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). All photography, graphics, text, design, and content is copyrighted by Bonnie Rannald and should not be copied, down-loaded, transferred and re-created in any way without the express consent, in writing to Bonnie Rannald. For information on Bonnie Rannald licensed, right-managed images, please submit a written request.

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Black and White Digital Photographhy

Shooting in Color for Black and White Digital Photographs

The shorter days and active weather patterns have forced me inside to spend more time on the computer. This past week, I was going over photos and got in the mood to see how they would look in black and white. After opening up Photoshop, I started playing around, removing the color. My D90 has a mode and I can shoot black and white in the camera, but I haven't experimented with it, yet. I prefer to shoot in RAW, and then process the photos in Photoshop where I have the most latitude over the output. This way, I can add or subtract contrast and try out different filters like red or yellow.

We live in such a vivid, colorful world, why would anyone want to do black and white photos? Well, the answers are quite simple to this question. With color photography, textures and forms in subjects often become muddled, so by removing the color, thus creating a black and white image, details become more predominant and stand out.

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Lighting is very important for black and white photos and should range from highlights to shadows, where the contrast is needed to create emphasis. Gray, overcast skies can augment the scene, especially where there is action in the sky.

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Clouds help create interest, set moods, and add drama to landscapes. With the black and white photo, it helps to slightly overexpose some of the white clouds but without clipping too much of the details.

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The composition and subject matter differs in black and white than color and should be kept simple with isolated images.

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The geometric structure of the scene is emphasized in the black and white photo, and the good old rule of thirds is always important. Lines and curves support the composition by leading the eye into the picture and suggesting a 'flow' to the scene.

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Everything in the scene should be relevant to the composition.

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If you are interesting in trying black and white, experiment with your photos and see how appealing they are to you. Now that winter is coming, the skies will be more active, so go out and explore your world, look for different subjects or objects.

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In conclusion, I would like to mention the Zone system and how it relates to black and white. This is my simplified version. There are nine zones that range from 1, pure black; to 9 that is pure white. Gray is 5, and falls is the middle. Digital cameras tend to overexpose the highlights, so try and expose for the middle to highlighted areas of the scene. You will have to ultimately make the decision on what is the most important part of the scene and go from there. Learning to use the histogram in your camera is a big help and will show you where your exposure falls. If using a point and shoot, study the aperture and shutter speed indicated in the meter so that you will begin to learn the settings for different lighting. Have fun and enjoy the world of photography.

For additional information on Digital Black and White Photography and the Zone System:

http://www.normankoren.com/zonesystem.html

http://dpanswers.com/content/tech_zonesystem.php

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What an exciting and interesting photo-adventure this day has been.  I love it when I am drawn to an area and not knowing what to expect I get treated to new experiences. 

Sign up and follow my blog to see where my next photo-adventure will be!

Photography places me in the moment where I can share that moment in time. It becomes a life story as represented by my interaction with the scene. The happiness and beauty or the sorrow and strife; how I focus leaves a lasting impression that might touch the viewer on a spiritual level.

 "Reflecting Nature's Artistry" 

Many of these images are available on my website:

 http://www.bonnierannald.com/ 

For custom matted and framed images:
Off The Wall

No images on this blog are within Public Domain or are available for free download. 

 All rights reserved, world-wide and images protected by Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). All photography, graphics, text, design, and content is copyrighted by Bonnie Rannald and should not be copied, down-loaded, transferred and re-created in any way without the express consent, in writing to Bonnie Rannald. For information on Bonnie Rannald licensed, right-managed images, please submit a written request.

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Mantid Family Mantidae

THE PREYING MANTIS

In early September, as I stroll through my yard, I begin to notice the Preying Mantis on the leaves of plants or flowers, waiting for a tasty meal.

The mantis will reach adult size, from 3 to 4 inches, by late August or early September. It is also around this time when the female is ready to mate. Soon after mating, the female will lay her cluster of eggs on a limb or other rough surface and in a couple of weeks, her life cycle will end. These creatures only live for one generation.

The color and size of the Preying Mantis is determined by its species and may also be a factor of the environment.

A moist environment, the Mantis is Green.

A dry environment the Mantis is brown or tan.

Mantises are found throughout the world, and are revered and even considered holy in many cultures. The name mantis is derived from the Greek word, "Mantid", meaning "profit" or "seer."

I think they are fascinating creatures to watch and they do perform a service in keeping insect pests like flies and aphids in control. 

The biggest fear and greatest predator to the Praying Mantis is none other than the common bat.

For more information, please visit:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mantis

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What an exciting and interesting photo-adventure this day has been.  I love it when I am drawn to an area and not knowing what to expect I get treated to new experiences. 

Sign up and follow my blog to see where my next photo-adventure will be!

Photography places me in the moment where I can share that moment in time. It becomes a life story as represented by my interaction with the scene. The happiness and beauty or the sorrow and strife; how I focus leaves a lasting impression that might touch the viewer on a spiritual level.

 "Reflecting Nature's Artistry" 

Many of these images are available on my website:

 http://www.bonnierannald.com/ 

For custom matted and framed images:
Off The Wall

No images on this blog are within Public Domain or are available for free download. 

 All rights reserved, world-wide and images protected by Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). All photography, graphics, text, design, and content is copyrighted by Bonnie Rannald and should not be copied, down-loaded, transferred and re-created in any way without the express consent, in writing to Bonnie Rannald. For information on Bonnie Rannald licensed, right-managed images, please submit a written request.

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