What I saw at the NBPCA today!

[NBPCA]

Look what I saw today.

I was watering the plants by hand this morning when some movement at the periphy of my vision caught my eye.

What is it.JPG

It was of course a Praying Mantis but it was moving in an unusual manner; sort of struggling.

Praying Mantis coming out of skin.JPG

By the time I put the hose down, turned off the water and returned with camera it was out of its skin. B*****

Even closer.JPG

The skin and Mantis stayed in the same location for a few hours until the skin blew off the tree and the Mantis's new skin/exoskeleton had hardened off and it moved on.

The tree it is in is an Ash donated by Janet S from SA. It is new to the collection and will be unveiled soon.

Grant

[bodhidharma]

makes you feel privileged to be in the right place at the right time when nature is quietly doing her thing. Thanks Grant

[Grant Bowie]

makes you feel privileged to be in the right place at the right time when nature is quietly doing her thing. Thanks Grant

Yeah it was pretty special. I just love them on the bonsai.

Grant

[NBPCA]

The Preying Mantis is doing fine at the collection and is starting to mature.

Here he is on the Banksia aemula,

Grant

[NBPCA]

We had a helper last week as we were assessing a new Japanese red pine for the collection.

Frog helper.JPG

Grant

[Webos]

Heres a great opportunity for some photography tips!

If you look at the photo of the mantis and old shell together, you can see that you have focussed on the live Mantis but the shell is out of focus. The reason that they are not both in focus is related to the F:stop that you used.

If you use a low number for your F:stop (2.8, 4, 5.6), this means that the aperture will be wide open and only a small area will be in focus.
If you use a high number, (16, 22), the whole photograph will be in focus.

It kind of works like your eye... if you look at something through a tube, everything you see will be in focus (try it...make a tube with your hand and look through it!). If you look with you open eye, you can only focus on the certain point at which your eye is looking. Everything in the peripherals will be out of focus.

But there are trade offs... You need a lot of light to work at F:22 because the aperture is closed up and is only a small hole letting light onto the sensor. To alleviate this you have 2 options. You can slow your shutter speed (dont go under 1/60 unless you are using a tripod) or you can adjust your ISO.

ISO is interesting. Imagine a million tiny buckets. Thats what your sensor it! At ISO 100 these buckets are really really small. When you turn your ISO up, you are making these buckets expand so that they can catch more light. The problem is, that when you up the ISO, you are also upping the graininess of the photo because these "buckets of light" are bigger.

So as you can see....its all about balance between the F:Stop, Shutter speed and the ISO to get the effect you are after.

(Oops, just realised I have written an essay unrelated to the subject of the post..sorry!)

[NBPCA]

No problems,

As you can see the Praying Mantis photo was taken earlier in the year.

With the purchase of my new Canaon D60 by me for me I am experimenting more now and shall get some tuition as well soon.

Thanks for your tips.

Grant

[NBPCA]

Guess what we saw today.

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[NBPCA]

A Yellow Tail Black Cockatoo! He came in to feast on the Hakea nuts. Watch out John M or they will eat your Hakea alive.

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Grant

[NBPCA]

Hi everyone,

a Blue Dragon Fly landed on the Blue Atlantic Cedar I was working on.

Blue Dragon Fly 800 x 600.JPG

[Edward Scissorhand]

Hi everyone,

a Blue Dragon Fly landed on the Blue Atlantic Cedar I was working on.

Blue Dragon Fly 800 x 600.JPG

Sorry, its a damselfly not a dragonfly. Dont want to be too nitpicky, just saying.

[LLK]

a Blue Dragon Fly landed on the Blue Atlantic Cedar I was working on.

What a superb photo. Can't imagine how you managed it - did you have your camera handy? How did you persuade the lady to remain in position? And I can't help wondering if that beautiful blue insect was attracted to this particular bonsai because they were both of the same colour.

Lisa

[Grant Bowie]

a Blue Dragon Fly landed on the Blue Atlantic Cedar I was working on.

What a superb photo. Can't imagine how you managed it - did you have your camera handy? How did you persuade the lady to remain in position? And I can't help wondering if that beautiful blue insect was attracted to this particular bonsai because they were both of the same colour.

Lisa

Hi Lisa,

leigh and I were working on various trees and it just landed and stayed for a while. Leigh went and got the camera and it was still there. He got 8 shots at macro range and it just stayed there and hammed it up for the camera.

Bowere Birds like blue; why not insects?

Grant

[NBPCA]

Hi all,

Today it was just too hot for the locals.

Its just too hot..JPG

This baby possum was very distressed looking about 2 hours ago. We gently misted it with water, gave it a little drink and it has now happily settled down asleep outside its usual cubby hole.

Its just too hot and too cute.

Grant

[NBPCA]

Hi all,

I heard a bit of a disturbance and thought at first there was a bird in the collection.

Apon investigation it sounded like a Cicada but it turned out to be a very tiny possum baby calling for help from mum. It had fallen out of the nest and was crying for help.

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