CalevPhoto

Time for some ducklings!

I have the great fortune that right next to the building where I work in, there are some interesting ponds with a great number of things to photograph.  In particular, ducks are very common there.

I have learned quite a bit about ducks just from watching them each week.  Several months ago, I noticed the ducks pairing together and suspected that eventually I would see some ducklings.  I looked online and noted that the males usually leave the females when the eggs are laid.  When I noticed that the males were no longer with the females, I suspected that ducklings would soon be there.

Sure enough, several weeks later there were ducklings!

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A day of ducks and bugs

Last week I decided to spend some time photographing the ducks by building 30.  I felt a bit strange, as the last time I took the time to photograph ducks, I had just bought my camera.  I find it rather humorous how every photographer seems to start with ducks.  They are easy to find, pretty, and don’t mind us getting close.

We watched the ducks for about a half hour.  I didn’t get any shots that I am particularly crazy about, but it was interesting watching them.

From watching them I learned that each pair of ducks seems to have a territory.  Generally the territory is defined by some natural obstacles – such as a fallen tree or some branches.  When another duck (particularly a male) enters this territory the other male will slowly glide towards it.  Most of the time, the intruder responds by backing off and leaving the duck’s territory.  However, once in awhile they start fighting.

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A so so photograph, but interesting story

As some of you know, each Friday I organize a small photography shoot by three ponds that are next to the building where I work.  Although small, there is a good deal of wildlife here and it is interesting to see how the area changes as the seasons go by.

This isn’t a particularly interesting picture of a millipede.  I have much better millipede shots and it was one of a handful of shots I got that day.  This particular millipede is quite small and I had placed it on some moss nearby for a more interesting shot.

However, the story behind the shot is a bit more interesting.

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The mystery of the strange beetle larva revisited

Some time ago, I blogged about a strange beetle larva that I had found.  It is clearly the larva of something – probably a beetle.  However, I still have no idea what it is.

Interestingly enough, I have only found this critter in one place – close to one of the ponds near my office.  I have never found one by my house or in any of the parks.  Therefore, my suspicion is that – while obviously not aquatic – whatever this grows up into prefers to be near water.

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My new resolution for each Friday

Next to my office, there are several ponds that are teeming with wildlife.  Once in awhile, I go down there during lunch to take a few pictures.  I often find that my best macro shots are taken in places I go to often.  For instance, the majority of my best shots come from my backyard.

Therefore, I have decided to organize a group mini-photoshoot each Friday during lunch.  This will push me to make sure I show up here each Friday.  Each day, I also try to do something different.  For instance, the last time I went there I took my MP-E 65 and took pictures of the few creatures I could find.  Conditions were wet and chilly and much insect life had not yet appeared.  However, I did find some interesting worms.

As with current trends, I am trying to pay more attention to composition in my shots.  Therefore, it worked out quite well that I found some interesting worms.

I am excited to keep visiting this location each week to see it slowly change.  It is a very interesting area and I will try a few non-macro shots as well in the future.  For instance, there are a great deal of birds here so I will bring my 100-400 at some point.