Readers’ wildlife photographs

June 29, 2015 • 8:53 am


I have arrived in Colorado Springs, where I’ll be till July 1, and where’I’ll decompress (there is nothing like driving 12 hours and seeing only cornfields and grain silos), buy a belt (which I left in Chicago for some reason), and get ready for the trip to Aspen over Colorado’s highest paved pass, Independence Pass (12,095 feet). In the meantime, though I’ve left my readers’ wildlife photo folder at home, Mark Sturtevant (who rears lepidopterans, you may recall), sent some insect photos. Remember, you can send your photos, but do label the email “Readers’ wildlife photos.”

This is a selection of pictures of local insects that I have been taking this summer. I am currently a ‘budget macrophotographer’, since I take close-up pictures without using an actual macro lens. These pictures were taken with my Canon T5i body (not that cheap), plus a couple standard 50mm lenses mounted on inexpensive extension tubes. Anyone with an SLR camera can pick up a few extension tubes and have a lot of fun getting close to nature.

Likely a root maggot fly (family Anthomyiidae). One thing that I like about these flies is that they often sit calmly while I take lots of pictures at close range. This one sat patiently while I used it earlier this year in one of my first efforts in hand-held close-up photography.

1RootMaggotFly

Assassin bug (Zelus luridus) feeding on a muscid fly.

2AssassinEating

Assassins making some little assassins.

3AssassinMating

An iridescent green weevil (possibly Polydrusus formosus). These weevils were pretty common in one area. Notice the rather nasty looking jaws.

4IridescentGreenWeevil

 

20 thoughts on “Readers’ wildlife photographs”

  1. Nice stuff, Mark!

    Another cheap macro option is “reversing” a lens…mount two lenses, filter threads to filter threads, one attached to the camera and the other’s camera mount pointed at the subject. I haven’t played with that, myself, but I’ve seen others get great results with it.

    And a tip: if you need a magnifying loupe…grab a camera lens, hold the camera mount over whatever you’re looking at, and look through the front of the lens. Likely much better than anything else you’ve got ostensibly designed for the task.

    b&

    1. Yes, I have known of the basic reverse mounting technique for one lens (I have an adapter for it), but only recently have I learned about the double-mount method that you mention. I will have to try it.

  2. I,like many I am sure,look at your readers photographs and enjoy, but never respond. We appreciate what you do for the many of us Jerry. I am reading your book Faith versus Fact also!

  3. Jerry we live in Fort Collins CO, if you want to swing over here and meet our 6 cats it would be our pleasure! 🙂

      1. The one that has the advantage in both length and breadth, would be my choice. However, I would not complain if you chose the lesser of two weevils.

          2. I didn’t hear a weevil. I might have, but am more positive than not that I didn’t see a weevil. But it is an assured truth, that I said weevil. Those damn monkeys, get me every time.

  5. I JUS WANTD 2 LET EVRYBODY KNOE DAT MAH HOOMAN LED PROFESOR CEILIN CAT ASTRAY WID DAT HIGHEST PAVD ROAD STATISTIC. MAH HOOMAN IZ GETTIN UP THAR IN DA YEERS AN FORGETS HOW QUICKLY TEH WURLD CHANGEZ SOMETIMEZ. I TRY 2 TEACH HIM HOW 2 GOOGLE, BUT IT LIEK TRYIN 2 TEACH D*G 2 READ. – BUTTR

    4 DA RECORD, INDEPENDENCE PAS HAS LOST ITZ CROWN 2 TEH TRAIL RIDGE ROAD BY LES THAN MEASLY WAN-HUNDRD FEET.

    I NAO RETURN U 2 UR REGULARLY-SCHEDULD WEB BROWSIN, AN APOLOGIZE MOST SINCERELY 4 MAH HOOMAN.

    Sent from my iPhone

    1. From one of your links: “The drive is definitely worth it. Don’t forget your camera!”

      Or your oxygen.

      1. You’re actually not that far off…the FAA requires oxygen for the pilot after 30 minutes above 12,500 feet, and Butter’s road is at 12,183 feet….

        b&

        1. Ya, so, close the sunroof, slump down low in the seat, and the FAA won’t have a case. 😎

  6. Oh Yeah…Mark, with your handhold on the camera, in bright light, switch ISO to the max, and you’ll be good.

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