Spiders, butterflies and other fascinating creatures
I’ve never thought about snails—other than I assumed I don’t like them in my garden. However, these snails caught my attention because they were eating a spent bloom from my Rose of Sharon shrub in the backyard. This photo is … Continue reading Circle of Life: Rose of Sharon
This photo was taken at one of my favorite locations—the Ft. Worth Botanical Gardens. There’s a pond that is quite popular where people like to get their photos taken. Usually they create a commotion, get their pictures taken then move on. I can remain in that area for 15 minutes to a half hour—maybe even longer. It’s the best spot to ‘hunt’ for interesting subjects to photograph—like the dragonfly. If you’re interested in taking photos of dragonflies, be patient. They are actually pretty cooperative. They may fly away from a spot—but if you wait a few seconds, they will return … Continue reading The Dragonfly: A cooperative subject to photograph
I came upon a folder from 2008 with photos I don’t remember. The photo was taken in my garden and features a mystery critter on a ceramic angel’s wing. If you happen to know what it is let me know! Judging by the angle, I had to get on my hands and knees to take this shot but I think it was worth it all these years later. Camera: Sony DSC-H2 Date: April 2008 Continue reading Mystery Critter on Angel’s Wing
I was in my garden and noticed a dead dragonfly on a stone. Ants were busy ‘cleaning up’ the mess and there was a fly nearby. Three hours later, I checked the carcass to see the ants’ progress. Notice how the ants are gone. Notes about photos: Date: July 2007 Camera: Sony DSC-H2 This post launches a new category: Circle of Life. Oh yes, I have more photos like these and have been waiting for the right outlet to show them. So, either skip the category or prepare for some unusual photos. Continue reading Circle of Life: Dragonfly
A few years ago a splurged and bought a Passion Flower vine. It was the most expensive plant I had ever purchased. Soon after planting the vine, I noticed caterpillars were eating my prized vine. Simple solution—I threw the caterpillars onto a nearby spider web for a ‘pet’ spider to eat. I decided to research the vine and learned the caterpillars are my friends. It turns out they only eat the Passion Flower vine—and they eventually turn into pretty orange butterflies—known as the Gulf Fritillary butterfly. I don’t end up with just a couple butterflies every year. I end up … Continue reading Observe your surroundings
I used to almost exclusively take photos of butterflies, spiders and flowers. I’ve developed a lot of other interests since those days but it was nature photography that helped me grow in confidence as a photographer. After all, it takes some patience to photograph butterflies. This photo was taken back in 2005 at the Fort Worth Botanical Gardens—one of my favorite places for nature photography. I used a Sony DSC-V1. This was the early days of my photography adventures before Big Bertha. Remember that you don’t need an expensive camera to achieve good results. Continue reading The butterflies taught me patience.
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