Monday in Nature POTW 6-24-2013

[Laura Weishaupt]

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<p >Basic Guidelines: Nature based subject matter. Please, declare captive subjects. Keep your image at/under 700 pixels on the long axis for in-line viewing and try to keep file size under 300kb. Note that this includes photos hosted off-site at Flicker, Photobucket, your own site, etc. <em >In the strictest sense, nature photography should not include hand of man elements. Let common sense be your guide and we'll work out the details as we go forward. <strong >Lets post 1 image per week for awhile.</strong></em></p>

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<p>Good Monday Morning,</p>

<p>The long days really give us a chance to get out more. Those of you in southern latitudes can start to look forward to a little more light each day. Wherever you are, I hope the sights and sounds of nature are providing enjoyable moments to experience and share.</p>

<p>I've been spending quality time with an old decaying log. I started looking at it while photographing fungi on another log. The more I looked, the more I saw, and the smaller everything became. It was pretty exciting. This is Scutellinia <em>erinaceus</em> at 3X. An off camera flash was bounced off a white reflector. The largest individuals measured are only 2mm wide. While small, it's the largest species calling the log home that I've observed. More to come in the future from this log.</p>

<p>Do you have a series of great shots to compliment your post? Maybe they are in a folder in your portfolio or hosted off site. Let us know where they are so we can see them.</p>

<p>Let's see what's happening in your part of the natural world.</p><div></div>

[mbkissel]

<p>Laura, I've passed over the MP-E 65 several times. Now you're making me want one.</p>

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[bob-c]

<p>Not sure I can compete with these first two postings. Mark, I don't know what that flower is but is sure is beautiful. Here's a moth from two weeks ago.</p><div></div>

[colin carron]

<p>Robert, If this was about <em>competing</em> I would probably never post a thing as there is such a lot of talent on display:-). <em>Sharing s</em>eems OK though and allows for people to post without feeling outshone. Or maybe I just post my shots to make all you guys look good:-)</p><div></div>

[Laura Weishaupt]

<p>Everyone shines in Nature. Colin, I love it.</p>

[jonathan_parkhouse1]

<p>This is a Flower Beetle (<em>Oedemera nobilis</em>) in a nearby wood last week. Only the males have the 'fat' rear legs. Perhaps they work out in the gym.</p><div></div>

[Rick Bortnick]

<p>Why compete? Robert, since you asked, Mark's flower is Amaryllis hymenocallis. <br>

Mine on the other hand is Moth Mullein (<em>Verbascum blattaria; </em>Scrophulariaceae). Moth Mullein is a common weed along roadsides around here. What I have always liked about the flower were the purplish stamen hairs. As I was photographing the flower, I saw the beautiful capitate trichomes on the petals. The final image is derived from stacking 8 photos & using CZM.<em><br /></em></p><div></div>

[DawsonPointers]

<p>Greetings from the depths of northern Ontario...or in this case, northern Quebec.<br>

This was taken at the crest of a granite rock outcrop that overlooks Lake Temiskaming near Ville Marie. I liked how it shows succession. The lichens and blueberries are the pioneers (foreground); the trees and ferns follow. The decaying root is from a tree that must have been toppled by strong winds and is now contributing to the accumulation of soil.</p><div></div>

[wayne_wrights]

<p>My image this week was taken in Cades Cove, TN</p><div></div>

[Bill J Boyd]

<p>Found this blue dragonfly at Lady Bird Wildflower Center in Austin, Texas.</p><div></div>

[ShunCheung]

<p>Skimmer</p><div></div>

[dcstep]

<p>Female Swainson's hawk returns to nest as Western Kingbird attacks and male Swainson's looks on:</p>

<p><a title="Under attack! by dcstep, on Flickr" href=" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5469/9108819485_3c75a2a9f3_z.jpg" alt="Under attack!" width="640" height="427" /></a></p>

<p>Click on the image if you want to see it full-screen.</p>

[don_pugh]

<p>While hiking and shooting along a bit of the Appalachian Trail with my dog at Max Patch in North Carolina just below the Tennessee line, we came across this turtle. In researching it, I have identified it as a female (because of the brown eyes) Eastern Box Turtle, which I have learned is the state reptile of North Carolina and the only land dwelling turtle found in the state. I was lucky to already have my 100mm macro lens on the camera mounted on a tripod when I came across it. I took the camera off the tripod, got down very low and took this shot handheld at a very close distance. I would have liked to have also gotten shots without the long grass in between us, particularly the strand in front of the turtle's face, but figured encountering my dog and me had disturbed it enough and if I had moved the grass it probably would have started moving.</p><div></div>

[bobbuck19]

<p>Trying out my new tripod legs by getting down low (my old ones finally gave up while being used as a machete/snake probe, does that violate the warranty?) A shot of some coral fungus. Had a nice shot of bear poop to go with last weeks wombat pooh but decided against it, maybe a scat of the week thread?</p><div></div>

[kts]

<p>that's a cool looking flower Rick.....nicely shot</p>

<p>mine is a shot of a bluegill</p><div></div>

[hugh_duguid1]

<p><img src="/photo/17436527&size=lg" alt="" /><br>

Daylily; a sign that Summer has begun<br>

Fuji X100S in Macro Mode</p>

[Lou_Meluso]

<p>After a Spring Rain</p><div></div>

[rjmelone]

<p>Simply wonderful work everyone! Here is my contribution.</p><div></div>

[hugh_duguid1]

<p>Ok, let's see if we can get that daylily inserted this time. <br /> Fuji X100S in macro mode<br /> The black background is a 2x3' black foam board that I carried with me into the field.</p><div></div>

[bob-c]

<p>Of course I don't see this as a competition, poor choice of words on my part. That's what I get for rushing. But like it or not, <strong>Colin</strong>, if there is one person on p.net who consistently blows me away with the quality of their work, it is you.</p>

[colin carron]

<p>Hi Robert, sorry if I took your words out of context. I would just be a bit sad if the <em>Monday in Nature POTW</em> turned into a sort of competition rather than everyone sharing what they had achieved. I value the<em> No Words</em> forum for just that reason - no one is singled out for special praise. But thanks for the compliment anyway! Terrific shots from everyone - talent, skill and effort visible everywhere in this thread.</p>

[Miha]

<p>Hi, friends,<br>

I don't know what flower this is, but I can recognize the bee. I don't know for sure if this picture shows a 'sexual activity' but I hope you don't mind. <br>

Nikon D200, 70-200mm f/2.8 VR (I) plus TC 14E, the combo used as an impromptu macro lens, since I didn't have anything other at hand. 1/1600 s, f/8, ISO 800.<br>

Regards, Miha.</p><div></div>

[dcstep]

<p>Miha, isn't that a wild prickly poppy?</p>

[Laura Weishaupt]

<p>My 2 cents here.....</p>

<p><em>The purpose of this thread is for lovers of nature and nature photography to come together and share that love.</em> We all have something to teach, we all have something to learn.....every day. No one should ever feel diminished in any way here. We all bring different skill levels and interests here. We do so for the benefit of all. The only competition should be within, when we say to ourselves that we want to take that shot better than yesterday, improve on said technique, or maybe stretch our abilities into a new area. I hope we can all benefit from the abundance of inspiration here.</p>

<p>The thread is young, but on it's feet and moving forward, thanks to everyone. A couple of times I have made mention of each contribution. I have done so as a positive means to help the thread, but I don't feel it necessary now. I post weekly in Canon, and at times someone will mention everyone. It feels good to get a nod. I open the door here and want everyone to feel welcome. At the same time if folks want to offer special mention, they should feel free to do so here. This is a crowd that appreciates Wombat poop and that makes everyone here pretty special.</p>

<p>Colin, I agree with you: this thread becoming a competition would be sad. However, I don't think anyone here would want or allow that to happen. You're in good company, so say we all.</p>

 

[dcstep]

<p>So long as there no "awards", other the occasional free will acknowledgement, I see no danger of this becoming a competition. I hope that noobs will see it as an opportunity to post in a non-threatening environment.</p>