A photograph, for a change

On Wed, 23 Sep 2015 20:41:02 -0400, Tony Cooper
wrote:

Shot this Eastern Amberwing this morning:

https://tonycooper.smugmug.com/Curre...09-23-2-X3.jpg

I'm not happy with the head being out-of-focus, but I wasn't prepared.
I had my Nikon 55/300 lens on and the camera set to Shutter at 1,250th
which brought it down to f/5.6. Shot with the lens out at the full
300 (450mm in 35mm). Top to bottom, what you see filled the frame but
I shot in landscape and cropped to portrait.

I was looking out across the water and noticed this Amberwing perched
on this plant stem below me and snapped off a shot. Amberwings are
difficult to capture because they rarely stop flying.

What is the cause of the apparent noise in the background?
--

Regards,

Eric Stevens

On Wed, 23 Sep 2015 22:19:51 -0400, Tony Cooper
wrote:

On Thu, 24 Sep 2015 13:23:49 +1200, Eric Stevens
wrote:

On Wed, 23 Sep 2015 20:41:02 -0400, Tony Cooper
wrote:

Shot this Eastern Amberwing this morning:

https://tonycooper.smugmug.com/Curre...09-23-2-X3.jpg

I'm not happy with the head being out-of-focus, but I wasn't prepared.
I had my Nikon 55/300 lens on and the camera set to Shutter at 1,250th
which brought it down to f/5.6. Shot with the lens out at the full
300 (450mm in 35mm). Top to bottom, what you see filled the frame but
I shot in landscape and cropped to portrait.

I was looking out across the water and noticed this Amberwing perched
on this plant stem below me and snapped off a shot. Amberwings are
difficult to capture because they rarely stop flying.

What is the cause of the apparent noise in the background?

It's water. I was up on a boardwalk above the water and shot almost
straight down. That's just murky water with a lot of plant debris in
it.

I wondered. Flying insects are so hard to catch with a camera. Apart
from that I doubt if I have seen as many as six dragonflies in the
last 20 years. I envy you.
--

Regards,

Eric Stevens

Eric Stevens:
I wondered. Flying insects are so hard to catch with a camera. Apart
from that I doubt if I have seen as many as six dragonflies in the
last 20 years. I envy you.

If I didn't know you're in NZ I might have guessed you're in the middle
of the Sahara, a some thousands of km from the nearest oasis. AFAIK,
dragonflies and damselflies inhabit wetlands in every temperate zone,
with about 10 species native to NZ. So visit your nearest marsh or pond
in the coming summer and see some dragonflies. My neighbor here in
Maryland has a small pond that provides a habitat for hundreds of
individuals.

Fossil evidence shows that the largest insect that is known to have
lived was a dragonfly relative with a wingspan of approximately 70 cm.

--
I agree with almost everything that you have said and almost everything that
you will say in your entire life.

usenet *at* davidillig dawt cawm

Tony Cooper:
While this photograph is nothing special to look at, it is an
accomplishment for me because it's the first time I've been able to
capture an Amberwing showing the wings. There are other dragonflies
and damselflies that are easy to capture because they sit there and
pose.

Modesty and all notwithstanding, it's a very good photo, and a subject
I need to work on at my neighbor's pond.

A friend of mine is an entomologist who specializes in Odonata. Please
see https://www.flickr.com/photos/dragonflyhunter.

--
I agree with almost everything that you have said and almost everything that
you will say in your entire life.

usenet *at* davidillig dawt cawm

On Thu, 24 Sep 2015 00:09:33 -0400, Davoud wrote:

Eric Stevens:
I wondered. Flying insects are so hard to catch with a camera. Apart
from that I doubt if I have seen as many as six dragonflies in the
last 20 years. I envy you.

If I didn't know you're in NZ I might have guessed you're in the middle
of the Sahara, a some thousands of km from the nearest oasis. AFAIK,
dragonflies and damselflies inhabit wetlands in every temperate zone,
with about 10 species native to NZ. So visit your nearest ...

for ceertain definitions of nearest.

... marsh or pond
in the coming summer and see some dragonflies. My neighbor here in
Maryland has a small pond that provides a habitat for hundreds of
individuals.

Fossil evidence shows that the largest insect that is known to have
lived was a dragonfly relative with a wingspan of approximately 70 cm.

A working model of that would make a wonderful radio controlled drone.
Think of the terror.
--

Regards,

Eric Stevens

On 2015-09-24 05:05:35 +0000, Eric Stevens said:

On Thu, 24 Sep 2015 00:09:33 -0400, Davoud wrote:

Eric Stevens:
I wondered. Flying insects are so hard to catch with a camera. Apart
from that I doubt if I have seen as many as six dragonflies in the
last 20 years. I envy you.

If I didn't know you're in NZ I might have guessed you're in the middle
of the Sahara, a some thousands of km from the nearest oasis. AFAIK,
dragonflies and damselflies inhabit wetlands in every temperate zone,
with about 10 species native to NZ. So visit your nearest ...

for ceertain definitions of nearest.

... marsh or pond
in the coming summer and see some dragonflies. My neighbor here in
Maryland has a small pond that provides a habitat for hundreds of
individuals.

Fossil evidence shows that the largest insect that is known to have
lived was a dragonfly relative with a wingspan of approximately 70 cm.

A working model of that would make a wonderful radio controlled drone.
Think of the terror.

Perhaps a little smaller to start with.
http://www.wowwee.com/en/products/toys/flight/flytech/dragonfly/blue-dragonfly
https://youtu.be/nj1yhz5io20

--


Regards,

Savageduck

On Wed, 23 Sep 2015 22:30:16 -0700, Savageduck
wrote:

On 2015-09-24 05:05:35 +0000, Eric Stevens said:

On Thu, 24 Sep 2015 00:09:33 -0400, Davoud wrote:

Eric Stevens:
I wondered. Flying insects are so hard to catch with a camera. Apart
from that I doubt if I have seen as many as six dragonflies in the
last 20 years. I envy you.

If I didn't know you're in NZ I might have guessed you're in the middle
of the Sahara, a some thousands of km from the nearest oasis. AFAIK,
dragonflies and damselflies inhabit wetlands in every temperate zone,
with about 10 species native to NZ. So visit your nearest ...

for ceertain definitions of nearest.

... marsh or pond
in the coming summer and see some dragonflies. My neighbor here in
Maryland has a small pond that provides a habitat for hundreds of
individuals.

Fossil evidence shows that the largest insect that is known to have
lived was a dragonfly relative with a wingspan of approximately 70 cm.

A working model of that would make a wonderful radio controlled drone.
Think of the terror.

Perhaps a little smaller to start with.
http://www.wowwee.com/en/products/toys/flight/flytech/dragonfly/blue-dragonfly
https://youtu.be/nj1yhz5io20

Is that a rotary wing dragonfly? Can it carry a camera?
--

Regards,

Eric Stevens

"Tony Cooper" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 24 Sep 2015 15:13:48 +1200, Eric Stevens
wrote:

On Wed, 23 Sep 2015 22:19:51 -0400, Tony Cooper
wrote:

On Thu, 24 Sep 2015 13:23:49 +1200, Eric Stevens
wrote:

On Wed, 23 Sep 2015 20:41:02 -0400, Tony Cooper
wrote:

Shot this Eastern Amberwing this morning:

https://tonycooper.smugmug.com/Curre...09-23-2-X3.jpg

I'm not happy with the head being out-of-focus, but I wasn't
prepared.
I had my Nikon 55/300 lens on and the camera set to Shutter at
1,250th
which brought it down to f/5.6. Shot with the lens out at the full
300 (450mm in 35mm). Top to bottom, what you see filled the frame
but
I shot in landscape and cropped to portrait.

I was looking out across the water and noticed this Amberwing
perched
on this plant stem below me and snapped off a shot. Amberwings are
difficult to capture because they rarely stop flying.

What is the cause of the apparent noise in the background?

It's water. I was up on a boardwalk above the water and shot almost
straight down. That's just murky water with a lot of plant debris in
it.

I wondered. Flying insects are so hard to catch with a camera. Apart
from that I doubt if I have seen as many as six dragonflies in the
last 20 years. I envy you.

While this photograph is nothing special to look at, it is an
accomplishment for me because it's the first time I've been able to
capture an Amberwing showing the wings. There are other dragonflies
and damselflies that are easy to capture because they sit there and
pose.

Yes, it's an accomplishment as you say. I've not seen one of these, I
don't know if we have them on Long Island. I found it difficult enough
to capture the dragon flies that pose momentarily, I guess this is the
"garden variety" one as It's pretty much all I see:

http://www.pete-the-greek.com/Nature...IMG_3143-L.jpg

On 9/24/2015 12:14 AM, Davoud wrote:
Tony Cooper:
While this photograph is nothing special to look at, it is an
accomplishment for me because it's the first time I've been able to
capture an Amberwing showing the wings. There are other dragonflies
and damselflies that are easy to capture because they sit there and
pose.

Modesty and all notwithstanding, it's a very good photo, and a subject
I need to work on at my neighbor's pond.

A friend of mine is an entomologist who specializes in Odonata. Please
see https://www.flickr.com/photos/dragonflyhunter.


There are some neat images there.

--
PeterN

On 2015-09-24 08:29:33 +0000, Eric Stevens said:

On Wed, 23 Sep 2015 22:30:16 -0700, Savageduck
wrote:

On 2015-09-24 05:05:35 +0000, Eric Stevens said:

On Thu, 24 Sep 2015 00:09:33 -0400, Davoud wrote:

Eric Stevens:
I wondered. Flying insects are so hard to catch with a camera. Apart
from that I doubt if I have seen as many as six dragonflies in the
last 20 years. I envy you.

If I didn't know you're in NZ I might have guessed you're in the middle
of the Sahara, a some thousands of km from the nearest oasis. AFAIK,
dragonflies and damselflies inhabit wetlands in every temperate zone,
with about 10 species native to NZ. So visit your nearest ...

for ceertain definitions of nearest.

... marsh or pond
in the coming summer and see some dragonflies. My neighbor here in
Maryland has a small pond that provides a habitat for hundreds of
individuals.

Fossil evidence shows that the largest insect that is known to have
lived was a dragonfly relative with a wingspan of approximately 70 cm.

A working model of that would make a wonderful radio controlled drone.
Think of the terror.

Perhaps a little smaller to start with.
http://www.wowwee.com/en/products/toys/flight/flytech/dragonfly/blue-dragonfly
https://youtu.be/nj1yhz5io20

Is

that a rotary wing dragonfly?

No. It's a flapper.

Can it carry a camera?

Not yet.


--
Regards,

Savageduck