I've decided the best way to increase your chances of taking pictures of any animal that you'd like to photograph is to find out where they live and move there.
That's what I did.
Liz Tyner |
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Putting up a hunting blind to use for animal photography is a good way to get pictures. As you approach, it's possible to see the animal you're hoping to capture. I've also stepped out of the blind and scared away animals who were quietly approaching at an angle I couldn't see from the window. Or I've stepped out of the house and found a fawn in the yard. And I've looked out my bedroom window and found a doe looking back at me.
I've decided the best way to increase your chances of taking pictures of any animal that you'd like to photograph is to find out where they live and move there. That's what I did. These pink flowers with red rimmed petals were from a wildflower packet. The other flowers in the photos were growing wild in the fields. The problem with planting wildflowers in a small grouping is that it's hard to tell which are the flowers and which are the weeds when seeds begin to sprout. So it did look like a patch of true wildflowers. The butterfly below had a friend that may have been a lightening bug on the stalk beside him. The blue flower was from the package of assorted seeds. A tiny flower that faded quickly.
If it's in nature, and doesn't run from me, I'll take a photo of it. And the critters in the area would say, "If it doesn't run fast enough, she'll take a photo." They know me pretty well. I would have missed the mushrooms, though, if someone else hadn't pointed them out. I think you can buy similar flowers at a nearby nursery, but these were growing freely. The picture of the fruit tree blooms was taken earlier in the year. I think it's apple but that doesn't mean I expect to have fruit. It seems something else always has first, second and third pick of the apples, peaches and pears. I'm pleased if they leave the tree behind. (The deer do not always leave a healthy tree behind.) Even the most unattractive weeds are often beautiful if you catch them at just the right moment. I'm thankful the moderate weather has let me enjoy spring because when the mercury rises in the thermometer, I tend to forget nature and think about the beauty of air conditioning.
Of all the reasons for writer's block, I've never heard anyone claim she couldn't write because the birds were leaving the nest. Today, I claim that.
After watching the mother bird build her nest, suspecting that babies were inside, and trying to set up a camera on a tripod with a remote shutter release (and failing), I was able to watch the wrens leave the nest. At first glance, I knew the little ones were too small to make it on their own. But, then I discovered that the mother was still feeding them even as they sat and tried to figure out the new world around them. This is the first day this Carolina Wren has sat in the sunshine, having been born in a nest hidden in a dark recess. Now, I'm back to writing, and I'm happy I was able to watch the exodus. Not all butterflies are stunning with vibrant colors, but they each have a place and a perfection of their own. And, they're so much better than mosquitoes... Happy Valentine's Day! Hope everyone has a romantic dinner out with a loved one. Or, if dining alone, orders dessert for two.
Didn't the bee realize the pollen was going to be there for awhile? He was digging in, grabbing so much pollen that when he took off, he dusted the air. Another bee flew away, and again the flakes of pollen fell from his body.
I'd never seen anything like it. The bees seemed greedy, working as rapidly as they could to get as much pollen as they could. I watched as one flew up and then headed for the woods. I wondered how far he was taking the pollen, and how much of his energy he would use getting the supplies back home. I expected he'd done the same thing all day. Then, plot twist! Later, clouds rolled in an a light rain started. I imagined all of the pollen being washed off the thistle. I should have realized what was going to happen, but I hadn't. Like a reader in a good book, I didn't see what the characters may have knew, or expected, or what may have been just as much of a surprise to him as it was to me. Plot twists aren't as much fun in real life as they are in stories, but they can keep a reader enthralled. Happy reading, and Happy writing. Photo: Bee on thistle garden behind my house. |
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