| I can't remember a time when I wasn't fascinated | | | | in fact he's really ugly, but he would win first prize |
| by animals. And not only the cute fluffy or furry | | | | for perseverance. |
| ones that meow or bark, but ones on the ground | | | | You will find that a lot of creatures like this, |
| that we don't see very often. There's nothing | | | | photographed up close look like something out of |
| more fascinating than those little beings like | | | | a horror movie, but really they're not bad at all. |
| grasshoppers, butterflies, baby birds, ants, beetles | | | | (Except spiders, now they're downright evil and |
| and bees. | | | | any one that likes to photographh them should |
| This picture of this caterpillar coming out of its | | | | see a shrink.) Caterpillers and other little creatures |
| cocoon to become a butterfly was seen by | | | | actually don't care about us at all which gives us |
| accident. Call it sixth sense, call it just being | | | | supreme photographic advantage. They don't put |
| obsessed by any photo opportunity, but I saw it. | | | | their paws, wings, feelers over their faces saying |
| (See picture on | | | | "oh god, don't take my picture, my hair isn't right!" |
| I was doing 'clean up' on my computer a week | | | | This amazing guy was taken at first with no |
| ago. As I waited for the computer to do it's | | | | macro lens and the photo did not offer me any |
| 'thing', I looked outside and saw something moving | | | | detail close up. When I applied the marc lenses I |
| slowly along the brick pavement. I could not see | | | | used 3 of them which magnified him x7. But the |
| what it was so I wandered outside to get abetter | | | | only problem was that because he was moving, |
| look. | | | | he was out of focus many times. |
| There he was. This little guy was struggling to | | | | So there I was, laying flat on my stomach |
| come out of his cocoon that held him snugly for | | | | following this guy around the garden for 15 |
| all those months and now he was emerging to | | | | minutes determined to get the "right" shot of him. |
| greet the world. I couldn't believe what fortune I | | | | So I got these ones. |
| had as far as a photographic opportunity had | | | | I felt I was really lucky because it was an |
| come my way. (That just seems to happen with | | | | overcast day. And as you know overcast days |
| me for some weird reason.) | | | | create filtered light which is perfect for |
| I rushed back inside and grabbed my camera, my | | | | photography. |
| macro lenses and prayed to God I had a memory | | | | When using macro lenses you do have to be |
| stick in the camera. I turned the camera on and it | | | | careful of two main things. The first is that they |
| said I had memory available. Thank you God! I | | | | have an incredibly short depth of field. This is why |
| then leaned down and took a couple of shots, | | | | I had to be fast up close with this little guy or I'd |
| trying not to scare him away or back into his | | | | he'd drag him and his cocoon out of the focal |
| cocoon. | | | | point. |
| I got so close I accidentally breathed on him and | | | | The second is that the closer you get to |
| that's what he did. Pop! He was back in there | | | | something the more you loose light. You see |
| faster than anything. | | | | when something is small, or has a very small area, |
| So I had to wait for about 5 minutes before he | | | | there won't be as much light on it as there would |
| stuck his head out and continued his journey | | | | if this subject was large. |
| again. He dragged that thing around the back | | | | I took roughly 25 shots of him and came out with |
| garden for about half an hour, not being able to | | | | about 5 good ones. I wished he could have |
| free himself of it. The patience and persistence in | | | | stayed still for me! |
| this little guy was amazing. | | | | So remember if you see something like this, don't |
| Now, okay, he's not going to win any awards for | | | | miss it because it might not happen again. |
| being the best looking creature in "Amy's garden", | | | | |