The corn is in a Tenney’s farm stand, so it must be late July!
We’re back in Bridgewater — briefly — Katrina spent the past week with us up at camp and need to get to the airport early this morning. Thus, here are a dozen and a half images from the past couple of weeks.
The first two photos — of “damsels in distress” — were taken the same afternoon within about 50 yards of each other. Some days you just get lucky… unless you were one of the odontates!!!
The first two frog photos were taken on the beach just outside of the cabin… I got very wet getting the one of the bullfrog.
Joan spotted the wood frog while we were walking the road up on Patten Hill. I stayed behind to make photographs while Joan wandered ahead. After a bit I wander off in the direction that she had gone but Joan had wandered into the woods and I went past her. When she reemerged she headed back to where the frog had been. She could tell the exact spot even though neither the frog or I were there as there was a large patch of flattened ferns… I can’t imagine how such a small frog flattened so so many ferns!
Anyway, she eventually caught up to me and as we were walking near the top of the hill, I stopped to stalk a dragonfly… I watched it take a couple of hunting forays from a perch as I tried to get near enough for a photo… just as I was getting ready to take a photo it took off on another hunt — nothing unusual there — but instead of going back to it regular perch, it alit right on the top of my lens… with a big old horsefly in its mouth!!! Needless to say I did not get a photograph as it fly off to parts unknown as Joan approached to get a look!
The reminder of the photos were taken down in the beaver swamp near the public beach. Upon my arrival, I stepped onto the bog mat at the edge and scared a big bullfrog into the water. After sometime, I was crouched down stalking odonates when I noticed the frog reappear. I got a couple of photographs and then I spooked him again. Off he took with a great leap and I could not find him among the grass and reeds. I went back to the odontates and some minutes later I spotted the frog again… just his eye!
Along a stretch of bog shore not more that 20 feet long, I got some nice shots of a number of species that do not hang out on the more open lake shore. Different environments (ecological niches) = different species… basic biology. Note to self: stray away from the lake shore more often!
Here are the images:
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Great shots Frank. Especially the damsels in distress. We are back in the Boston area so hope to cross paths with you soon.
K
Comment by Kevin — 30 July 2010 @ 9:14 PM
Frank,
Again these are amazing. They literally jump off my screen – it’s almost as though the are 3-D! Trust you have enough for your summer assignment. Safe passage back to NH.
Comment by Just Joe — 30 July 2010 @ 9:56 PM
Joe and Kevin… Thanks for the comments!
Joe…
The reason that these shots are so “jumpy” is fill flash.
I set the camera to underexpose the frame (usally by about one stop from what the camera says) and then use the flash (at usually 1 stop under the basic exposure) to make the subject pop out.
This works as long at the background is not too close to the subject as we are relying on the “distance squared” rule (i.e. that light intensity falls of with the square of the distance) to ensure that the flash illuminates the subject much more than the background. (It helps to have the flash as close to the subject as you can.)
Comment by Frank — 6 August 2010 @ 10:25 AM