Shergar 193 Posted August 29 (edited) Edited August 29 by Shergar 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gvallee 2,916 Posted August 29 Don't let anyone tell you you're not handsome... 4 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dave Nelson 90 Posted August 29 One of the recent Monarch butterflies that hatched feeding on Joe-Pye weed in our garden. Not nearly as many as last year. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Betty LaRue 2,754 Posted August 30 Catching up on the fantastic images! Beauty in nature is found everywhere, isn’t it? Dave, I have two Monarch cats in my new butterfly cage, but not sure if they are ok. I got them off my swamp milkweed. I haven’t seen them eat all day. I’m being a helicopter mom over them. I have floral tubes holding water to keep the milkweed fresh in the cage. Love your Monarch. Speaking of the milkweed. I go out every day and squish aphids. There was an infestation early on, but hey, I don’t mind yellow fingertips. Aphid guts. It washes off. But I did see an insect similar to a grasshopper (but not one) chomping on the milkweed. I grabbed it in my fist and it bit me. Sharply. I was horrified and jumped like a...er...grasshopper. I won’t do that again. I barely fought off panic. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Allan Bell 2,155 Posted August 30 13 hours ago, Betty LaRue said: Catching up on the fantastic images! Beauty in nature is found everywhere, isn’t it? Dave, I have two Monarch cats in my new butterfly cage, but not sure if they are ok. I got them off my swamp milkweed. I haven’t seen them eat all day. I’m being a helicopter mom over them. I have floral tubes holding water to keep the milkweed fresh in the cage. Love your Monarch. Speaking of the milkweed. I go out every day and squish aphids. There was an infestation early on, but hey, I don’t mind yellow fingertips. Aphid guts. It washes off. But I did see an insect similar to a grasshopper (but not one) chomping on the milkweed. I grabbed it in my fist and it bit me. Sharply. I was horrified and jumped like a...er...grasshopper. I won’t do that again. I barely fought off panic. Better get checked out for Covid 19. Allan Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chris_rabe 77 Posted September 3 On 29/08/2020 at 04:59, gvallee said: Don't let anyone tell you you're not handsome... Love that with the reflection. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gvallee 2,916 Posted September 3 Just now, chris_rabe said: Love that with the reflection. Thanks Chris. It's not the best angle, I would have preferred more sideways, but it was a bit challenging from a moving boat. I got lucky with the light. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
spacecadet 3,469 Posted September 3 (edited) 5 hours ago, gvallee said: Thanks Chris. It's not the best angle, I would have preferred more sideways, but it was a bit challenging from a moving boat. I got lucky with the light. I think you nailed it. It's terrifying. No competition from me! A female speckled bush-cricket, leptophytes punctatissima, found on our stained-glass front door and persuaded inside for a sitting. A bit camera-shy after a while, I don't think she liked the modelling light. She would only sit still on this ruler. Nothing like nice clean antennae. Edited September 3 by spacecadet Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chris_rabe 77 Posted September 8 sweet little blue tit in the spring in a patch near home that kept me mostly sane during worst of lockdown 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Steve Hyde 162 Posted September 8 This Robin has been around all summer. He was following me as I was landscaping our garden and I was feeding him worms as I found them. He’s really tame now and I was not much more than an arms length away when I took this.. 4 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Betty LaRue 2,754 Posted September 8 (edited) 10 hours ago, Steve Hyde said: This Robin has been around all summer. He was following me as I was landscaping our garden and I was feeding him worms as I found them. He’s really tame now and I was not much more than an arms length away when I took this.. Aww, you’ve got a friend! https://tinyurl.com/y4uehckf Edited September 8 by Betty LaRue 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Martin L 35 Posted September 8 If people haven't seen these already, some are just amazing https://www.birdpoty.co.uk/2020-finalists 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Betty LaRue 2,754 Posted September 9 2 hours ago, Martin L said: If people haven't seen these already, some are just amazing https://www.birdpoty.co.uk/2020-finalists Outstanding images. I like the one of the blackbird feeding a huge bird not of its kind. I kid you not, if a errant egg was laid in the blackbird’s nest, the parents were stuck with feeding an insatiable appetite. Not fair! 😊 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sally R 289 Posted September 10 New Zealand Fur Seals like to hang out at the western end of Rottnest Island here in Western Australia. They loll about upside down with one flipper in the air. It seems to be very relaxing for them... 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Allan Bell 2,155 Posted September 10 On 08/09/2020 at 08:21, Steve Hyde said: This Robin has been around all summer. He was following me as I was landscaping our garden and I was feeding him worms as I found them. He’s really tame now and I was not much more than an arms length away when I took this.. It is amazing how many Robins only have one leg. Allan 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Betty LaRue 2,754 Posted September 11 (edited) 11 hours ago, Allan Bell said: It is amazing how many Robins only have one leg. Allan We have a variety of one-legged birds here. Not just robins. Sometimes I’m a one-legged bird when I’m scratching a mosquito bite on the back of my leg with the other foot. I like to think of myself like this. Graceful. And yes, I’m a bit nosy. In actuality, I’m probably picking my nose on a bad-hair day. Edited September 11 by Betty LaRue 2 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sally R 289 Posted September 12 On 09/09/2020 at 06:00, Martin L said: If people haven't seen these already, some are just amazing https://www.birdpoty.co.uk/2020-finalists Just got to looking at these. Absolutely beautiful! Thanks for posting Martin. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
spacecadet 3,469 Posted September 16 (edited) Not quite nature but transplanted from Holland.....OH's birthday chrysanths. Very yellow. I used this one elsewhere to illustrate the advantages of controlled lighting. This is the LR export from RAW, with no processing as such, only default NR and sharpening, not a slider touched. The colour is spot-on. Edited September 16 by spacecadet Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gvallee 2,916 Posted September 18 Blue-faced honeyeater (Entomyzon cyanotis) feeding on grevillea. 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Allan Bell 2,155 Posted September 21 (edited) Not exactly nature but nice all the same. Allan Edited September 21 by Allan Bell Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Phil 99 Posted September 23 Some great images in this thread. I recently procured a Tokina 100mm 1:1 macro lens and considering adding more nature close-ups/macro images to my Alamy portfolio. Anyone have a feel for how nature close-up/macro stock images on Alamy sells - or not? Bug-eyed insects and flowers are over-represented I suspect. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
spacecadet 3,469 Posted September 23 (edited) 45 minutes ago, Phil said: Some great images in this thread. I recently procured a Tokina 100mm 1:1 macro lens and considering adding more nature close-ups/macro images to my Alamy portfolio. Anyone have a feel for how nature close-up/macro stock images on Alamy sells - or not? Bug-eyed insects and flowers are over-represented I suspect. My efforts here have been purely for our own amusement and to keep my hand in, in the absence of anything else to photograph. There's been very little that I'd reckon would compete here, since they're mostly wild flowers and most of the market is for cultivars. The only exception is one of a hoverfly in a bellflower, just because it looks terrific. I don't have high hopes for it. Edited September 23 by spacecadet Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MizBrown 295 Posted September 23 1 hour ago, Phil said: Anyone have a feel for how nature close-up/macro stock images on Alamy sells - or not? Bug-eyed insects and flowers are over-represented I suspect. Try aquarium fish doing things. Most aquarium fish and a lot of others are straight side shots. Plants that aren't necessarily flowers seem to get zoomed and purchased, just not for very much money: two licenses on one Maranta, an oregano plant licensed to China, and a double blossom African violet. Other thing to consider would be craft people's hands doing something (zoomed but not bought, so searches exist, but my examples were not compelling enough). I think that the key for any bugs, spiders, or plants is complete scientific name(s) and as many common names as you find on Wikipedia. Also, making sure you have photos that allow people to use them for identifying other examples of the plant or bug. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
VbFolly 550 Posted September 23 3 hours ago, Phil said: Some great images in this thread. I recently procured a Tokina 100mm 1:1 macro lens and considering adding more nature close-ups/macro images to my Alamy portfolio. Anyone have a feel for how nature close-up/macro stock images on Alamy sells - or not? Bug-eyed insects and flowers are over-represented I suspect. They certainly sell. My best 2 sales this month are macro shots of insects. Having said that, there is a lot of competition with some subjects, such as butterflies and bees, so it can be hard to stand out. Of course there are a lot of insect species, so it's worth trying to find and photograph the rarer species, and life stages, etc. As with photography of people, it can help if the bugs are doing something! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
