Showing posts with label snails. Show all posts
Showing posts with label snails. Show all posts
Thursday, 4 August 2011
Changeable Weather
After the 30 degrees of yesterday, came the rain of today, and with it a frustrated mutt and me. Mutt because she really wanted a walk but refused when she realised it was raining, and me because I couldn't get out to play with my new toy.
Finally this evening though, the rain eased off just long enough for us to take a stroll around the park but in the process finding ourselves stepping over myriads of rain-loving gastropods. Here presented an opportunity to test out the theory that the new camera could take an image just 1cm from the subject. Following a couple of aborted attempts due to the snail recoil mechanism being triggered by the camera twitching the grass blades, I resorted instead to a distance of around 5cm from the subject. Reviewing this image in processing, it was possible to see an interesting reflection of the grass blade showing up in the water droplet on the shell. Clearly a good indication of what might be possible with a little more time and finesse being employed.
With an HD movie function as well on this little bundle of joy, it was the next thing to play with. Anything would be better than the offering of the weekend, and whilst that slow camera was trying to cope with a fast subject, this faster camera was of course having no problem with this slow subject.
Crouching so as not to put my knee onto the wet grass, I didn't act as the best tripod from which to record the action, but for a first attempt, I am amazed at the clarity in comparison with the last offering. I will obviously have to practice my cinematography skills and I will definitely have to get to grips with iMovie but it is all exciting stuff.
(Sorry, uploading seems to compress the file here which makes it less clear than the original)
So, exciting possibly isn't how some would describe our weather; hot one day, wet the next, but if it didn't change like it does what on earth would us Brits have to talk about? Or for that matter what would a photographer be able to choose as a subject?
Saturday, 11 June 2011
Roman Orgy
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| Helix pomatia |
Last night's drop of rain encouraged this wanton behaviour amongst the colony of Roman (or edible) snails, and before you gardeners shudder with horror, I will inform you that these particular snails are protected, so forget the idea of beer traps.
Their enforced dry-weather-celibacy got them so worked up, that I was stepping over several pairs shamelessly displaying behaviour that would get us homo sapiens locked up. If that wasn't enough, then these two were infact part of a three-some that were writhing amongst the sun-parched vegetation and seemed blissfully unaware of my camera being trained upon them.
I am going to spare you your blushes by not printing their complete actions in graphic detail here. Those images won't even make it to the front page of one of the 'red tops' because I am saving them for where I might receive better renumeration (in some form anyway!)
So how do Roman snails make love? Well, sloooowly of course. I came in on the action part way through, observed their polygamous behaviour for two full memory-card-hours - and left them still going at it!
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