About this blog:


A semi-random collection of pictures of various things in various places at various times - updated daily unless & until I run out of material...


All shots are taken by me and almost all with a Canon Powershot G9. As yet, I have no extra equipment or lenses to go with the camera, but I'm hoping this will change soon...


This is my main blog. For my art 'swaps', see:
here


About Quango-Bingo:


This is a simple game played by two or more people where words or phrases are 'traded' in turn by players.


Rules:


- All words/ phrases must have two syllables
- The second syllable must be an 'o' sound
- Repetition and hesitation are not allowed


For such a simple game, it can get quite tricky - especially if a lot of people are involved.

30th April 2012

Photo with 38 notes

Quango-Bingo Travels: France, March 2012 - Day 2 (continued): Hunting Now this is the real reason I enjoy exploring my mum’s garden so much. I am - and always have been - a hunter of tiny animals. I seek them high. I seek them low. I seek them under things and behind things. I stalk them, chase them and I wait patiently for them. I know where they live and I know where they hang out. I recognise the signs of their presence and I know what they like. To find your quarry, first you must understand it. That is the first challenge. The second is to take a picture! I have seen many wonderful, beautiful, shiny, spiky, colourful, mysterious and exciting beasties in my time, but capturing them in a (half-way decent) photograph has often eluded me. Some are too fast. Some are too tiny. Some refuse to face the camera and some won’t sit still. Some are flighty while others vanish underground. Some - I am convinced - come back in the night and alter the images on my camera so that, on closer inspection, they turn out not to show what I thought they did. To be fair, though, it’s not always their fault. Sometimes I cannot focus my camera in time. Sometimes my battery runs out. Sometimes I forget to take the thing altogether! Sometimes - just sometimes - it all works perfectly. Like I said - it had been a very cold Winter and many of the usual bugs and critters in my mum’s garden hadn’t yet woken up. Undeterred, I went on the hunt. Something must be out and about! There were many flying things buzzing the Spring blooms, but all were too fast for me. I needed more sedantry prey. I changed tack and searched the bushes and small plants. Even after spotting the signs of this little guy’s presence (half-chomped leaves and a scattering of droppings) it took me half an hour to locate him - completely motionless - amongst the leaves. Luckily, this meant that I had all the time in the world to poke my camera in his face (sorry, little guy!) and get the shot. Needless to say, I felt like quite the hunter after this :)

Quango-Bingo Travels: France, March 2012 - Day 2 (continued): Hunting

Now this is the real reason I enjoy exploring my mum’s garden so much. I am - and always have been - a hunter of tiny animals.

I seek them high. I seek them low. I seek them under things and behind things. I stalk them, chase them and I wait patiently for them. I know where they live and I know where they hang out. I recognise the signs of their presence and I know what they like. To find your quarry, first you must understand it.

That is the first challenge. The second is to take a picture! I have seen many wonderful, beautiful, shiny, spiky, colourful, mysterious and exciting beasties in my time, but capturing them in a (half-way decent) photograph has often eluded me.

Some are too fast. Some are too tiny. Some refuse to face the camera and some won’t sit still. Some are flighty while others vanish underground. Some - I am convinced - come back in the night and alter the images on my camera so that, on closer inspection, they turn out not to show what I thought they did.

To be fair, though, it’s not always their fault. Sometimes I cannot focus my camera in time. Sometimes my battery runs out. Sometimes I forget to take the thing altogether!

Sometimes - just sometimes - it all works perfectly.

Like I said - it had been a very cold Winter and many of the usual bugs and critters in my mum’s garden hadn’t yet woken up. Undeterred, I went on the hunt. Something must be out and about! There were many flying things buzzing the Spring blooms, but all were too fast for me. I needed more sedantry prey.

I changed tack and searched the bushes and small plants. Even after spotting the signs of this little guy’s presence (half-chomped leaves and a scattering of droppings) it took me half an hour to locate him - completely motionless - amongst the leaves. Luckily, this meant that I had all the time in the world to poke my camera in his face (sorry, little guy!) and get the shot.

Needless to say, I felt like quite the hunter after this :)

Tagged: caterpillarfrancegreeninsectnaturehunting