Category Archives: Fun

Ladybird Beetlebum

By Adrian | Published 13 March, 2013

Taking flight.

The afternoon was getting hot, and I was looking for some shade to sit down and enjoy my lunch and take a short nap. The problem was, I was on the northwest floor of the valley in Dinosaur Provincial Park, and shade was hard to find. I spotted a likely location – a hillock with a depression on the north-west side of a rocky outcrop that I thought might provide some respite from the sun. I clambered up, and sure enough,when I sat down with my back against the slope I was out of the sun’s path. Just as I was getting comfortable, an old friend, a seven-spotted ladybird beetle, began scrambling up an artemesia stalk beside me. Now if you have watched ladybirds before, you know they seek a high-point to launch themselves into flight, so I put down my sandwich, picked up the camera (which was already set-up with a macro lens and flash) and composed the shot. Just as I was ready, she turned her back to me and – apparently without the least shame or embarrassment - lifted her elytra, unfolded her wings, and flew off into the sunlight.

(24 September, 2011. Canon T2i, Tamron 180mm macro lens and a diffused Sigma EF-530 Flash. ISO 200, 1/200 sec. @ f8)

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Also posted in Alberta, Anatomy, Autumn, Bugs, Canada, Coccinellidae, Coleoptera, Dinosaur Provincial Park, Insect, Just plain silly, macro, photography, Provincial Park | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Macro Tools Workshop

By Adrian | Published 4 March, 2013

It’s finally here. I have pulled together the first of a full range of macro photography workshops. The survey indicated that learning about macro equipment was most important for the majority of respondents, so it will be the first of the scheduled ‘mini’ macro workshops for March and April.

The  4 hour long macro equipment workshop, called Macro Tools, will cover:

  • how to get closer: macro accessories and lenses from budget to lavish
  • tools for photography in natural light
  • flash and flash accessories
  • specialized macro flash
  • other accessories and gadgets
  • non-partisan purchasing advice

Throughout the session attendees will have the opportunity to handle various equipment set-ups (Canon and Nikon), with the last hour open for general discussion and to practice more handling of specific equipment.

The first Macro Tools Workshops will take place in my home in Edmonton, with a maximum of  four spaces per session. 

The scheduled days are:

10 March, 2013: 1 to 5 pm

24 March, 2013: 1 to 5 pm

7 April, 2013: 1 to 5 pm *Only one spot left!*

◊ Anyone who is new to photography or digital single lens reflex cameras is invited to take the Introduction to DSLR Photography (9 AM to Noon) prior to the Macro Tools session.

All workshops require a minimum of 2 participants to proceed. First come, first served – please register at the Small-group Workshops page, where you can also find out about future workshops.

 

 

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Also posted in Alberta, Bugs, Camera, Canada, Canon, close-up, Edmonton, Education, Equipment, Flash, Insect, Lenses, macro, Overview, photography, Shameless self promotion, Workshop | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Best Images of 2012

By Adrian | Published 27 December, 2012

For a variety of reasons, 2012 was not a very productive year for me in regards to bug photography, but here are a handful of my favorite images that, overall, attracted the most attention in the last twelve months. First the images taken in 2012:

A rose is a rose is a rose is a death trap…

Bombus centralis approaching Digitalis grandiflora

The Black Oil Beetle, Meloe niger

Male Habronattus americanus from the Opal Natural Area

Stick Insect on a Pin

Baby earwig at one day old

Female earwig protecting her eggs

Female earwig protecting her eggs

 

  • The most visited blog post with a single bug image in 2012 was the Centipede on White from 2009:

Lithobius sp. on Whiite

Echthrus sp., (Family Ichneumonidae) in ‘drilling’ position.

Many thanks to all those who have visited and supported this blog over the last year!

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Also posted in Alberta, Amateur Entomologist, Arachnid, Art, Behaviour, Bugs, Canada, Dermaptera, Feature Blogger, Forficulidae, Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, Insect, invertebrates, macro, photography, Season, Shameless self promotion, Thomisidae, Winter | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Name this Fly

By Adrian | Published 17 December, 2012

First attempt  at doing a focus stack with microscope images.

Last week a began setting-up for taking images through a second-hand microscope that I obtained many years ago. This is not a great photograph, but it is my first attempt at a focus stack using images made through a microscope. I have since found out a few ways that should improve the quality, but I thought I would post this to see if any Dipterists out there could figure out the ID from just the genitalia. Any takers?

Originally I was going to name this post “Name these Stacked Genitals”, but I don’t really want to compete for popularity with the Beetle-poop Geek. ;)

More details on the equipment/techniques (and lack there-of) later.

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Also posted in Alberta, Anatomy, Canada, Crappy, Diptera, Diversion, Edmonton, Entomology, Insect, Microscopy, photography, Winter | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Wolf Spider Mirage

By Adrian | Published 16 July, 2012

I couldn’t resist a bit of gimmickry with this image. The legs of this Pardosa sp. wolf spider was held out in such a tentative manner (anthropomorphically speaking) that couldn’t resist providing a corresponding reply…

"Wolf Spiders (Lycosidae),Thinlegged Wolf Spiders (Pardosa)"

Pardosa sp. (Lycosidae), a Thin-legged Wolf Spider with egg case

Photographed in Dinosaur Provincial Park, 29 May, 2012.

Also posted in Alberta, Arachnid, Araneae, Canada, Composition, Lycosidae, macro, Provincial Park, Spring, White Studio | Leave a comment

The Black Fly — Canada’s National Insect?

By Adrian | Published 6 July, 2012

The ESC Blog is asking Canadians for ideas for a National insect. Most go for the big shiny bugs like dragonflies, butterflies and moths, and there is even a suggestion that the rare and unusual Grylloblattid, Grylloblatta campodeiformi be an appropriate choice.

Myself? I would like to nominate the northern black fly, Simulium canadense. What other insect is so memorable that it has inspired a song?

 

Just substitute Canaday-i-o for Ontar-i-o, and we will even have a National Insect Anthem!

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Also posted in Blog Link, Canada | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Passion for Horses…

By Adrian | Published 3 July, 2012

An email received this morning, from a new video website –

“Hi,

I am writing to you because I’ve really enjoyed your recent work on your blog; it’s great to see such a passion for horses.

I thought I’d let you know about our site – …”

And all this time I thought I was passionate about bugs.

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Also posted in Just plain silly | Tagged , , | 2 Comments