Goldilocks photography

So why would anyone take 3 (or more) photographs of their alarm clock 15 minutes before midnight?
One too dark, one too bright and one 'just right'.

At one level the answer is Paul Hobson and his excellent book Wildlife Photography Field Skills and Techniques. At another the answer is this …….

Have you got it?  The phone picture is a glow worm larva, which I saw crossing one of the local roads back in May.  Scroll forward to July and on our usual late evening (post sunset) dog walk on a different track we saw a glow worm, and then a couple of nights later 4 glow worms, frustratingly all tucked well into clumps of grass, and not snappable without more environmental tinkering than I could justify for the sake of a picture.
Then I remembered the glow worm larva and nipped down to that site, to find another 4 shining away, 2 of which were in more open but less photogenic spots.  It was late and I had work the next day, but I headed home to grab the camera.  But how to snap them?  That's where Paul's book came in as I remembered a section on glow worms in that.  Bit of a practise on the alarm clock and down to the worms, where I again ended up doing the Goldilocks too dark, too bright and just right exposures.  

Not the best backgrounds but a chance to practise in the field - quickly.Still the best ones hidden down in the grass.

Over the next week I tried a few more times - still not great backgrounds and once the glow just wasn't working so well.  It was only later I realised that was because the females both had males attached!  These are long exposures (4-8 seconds) so a bit of blur on the male.  Over exposed to show the males.

Finally back on the original track I got a chance to try snaps with some more exposed worms on 'better' backgrounds.  The first shows how they hold their tails to shine the light skywards

and this last has had more post processing done, but gives an idea of just what the beetles look like.

All too soon the season was over, but next year I will have retired so no concern about work.  Mind you I wouldn't want to spend too long on any one individual - after all they are trying to mate.

And what's the recommended technique …………………. I suggest you buy Paul's book!  Available on Amazon or direct from Paul here.

Naples - Park Shore and the Preserve

So long since my last post - partly due to a brilliant holiday in Naples Florida.  Not too much in the way of photography, but a lot of sun and fishing!  That said the 5DIII did come with me and continues to meet my expectations.
A change of venue this year to the Park Shore Resort.  In the centre a small lake - the fence meant you couldn't get down to water level and at most I spent about an hour with the camera but there was a bit to see.

Moorhens squabbled with the Muscovy ducks,

various dragonflies used the reeds to rest or watch for territorial invaders

and freshwater turtles cruised around - Florida soft shelled

and the non-native red-eared slider.

I could have spent more time searching the trees and shrubs for birds, but I always feel a bit conspicuous wandering around hotel grounds with a camera!

For the first time we also went to the Naples preserve - a small oasis of  'wild' land lying next to the Tamiami Trail.  We went to see a talk about a blind raccoon - Trouper - a victim of an assault with a golf club when a kit which left it blind with no sense of smell.  He feels his way around, and has learnt to swim. He's been raised by 'Miss Dot' a licensed rehabilitationist (made up word?) who takes him into schools to teach about wildlife.  Kay and Miss Dot  .............. and yes that's a rare view of me at the end!

A wander around afterwards led me to pay an early morning visit hoping to snap a gopher tortoise. 

The woodpeckers looked good in the low sun,

and more dragonflies patrolled,

but I waited in vain at the most obvious burrow for the resident to give the view I wanted (head on).  I did get some views but better were to come later in the holiday.

Americans mostly call tortoises turtles, and I think this last (rubbish) shot is a 'box turtle'.

Surely not Welsh ...............

Finally getting around to a bit of gardening when I caught a glimpse of some hot pink undergarments.

The hawkmoths are stunners at the best of times and the elephant is the one probably most likely to impress people not into 'bugs'.  It just looks so tropical.  A few years ago a South Wales  media story ran about an exotic insect that had been found.  Red faces I guess when the truth was out.

A reminder - I need to try some moth trapping.

Mexico

Been away for a while - couple of weeks in Mexico on a hotel/beach holiday, and then pics to sort through.  No car over there and anyway the land that wasn't developed was pretty much covered in surprisingly impenetrable jungle.  Still managed a few early mornings around the hotel and beach with the camera.  I dredged the memory banks for trips to the zoo and identified the mammals as agouti, coatimundi and more easily squirrel.

From Mexico Wildlife

From Mexico Wildlife

From Mexico Wildlife

From Mexico Wildlife

From Mexico Wildlife

From Mexico Wildlife

There were a fair few iguana around.

From Mexico Wildlife

Birds-wise the hotel grounds (note the value of a puddle) were home to
Great kiskadee

From Mexico Wildlife

Altamira oriole (nesting by the pool) - my favourite

From Mexico Wildlife

From Mexico Wildlife

grackles

From Mexico Wildlife

Yucatan woodpecker

From Mexico Wildlife

a hummingbird

From Mexico Wildlife

plain chachalaca

From Mexico Wildlife

mockingbirds

From Mexico Wildlife

and white winged doves.

From Mexico Wildlife

On the beach brown pelicans

From Mexico Wildlife

and an amorous little (least) tern - tried hard but didn't get anywhere.

From Mexico Wildlife

From Mexico Wildlife

An Uncle Sam moth flew the red white and blue

From Mexico Wildlife

and there were plenty of butterflies - some using building sand as a salt lick.

From Mexico Wildlife

From Mexico Wildlife

From Mexico Wildlife

From Mexico Wildlife

Click the Mexico Wildlife links above for some more wildlife pictures

Chichen Itza was worth a look

From Mexico 2013

and the beach wasn't bad - storm coming.

From Mexico 2013

From Mexico 2013