Green and red

• Photo Discussion Friday

Green and red

PDF Week 16/2016: Canon 7D, 400mm, 1/30, f5.6, ISO 1250.

A beautiful day came to an end. The sun had already gone down. The horizon still showed the outlines of clouds and mountains. It was too late to take pictures. It was the time when normally night dives start, when life under water shifts, when a different beauty shines through and different rules apply. It is about seeing with your heart, trusting a different reality and feeling as part of it.

Standing on shore with a warm breeze blowing felt like being a spectator rather than being in the scene. My land photography eyes spotted a White-bellied Sea Eagle. They are large birds that can be recognised by their short tails. Often immersing in the sea, long feathers would prevent easy lift-off and a swift return into the air and back to land.



What was the bird doing on that marker buoy? Where were its thoughts travelling? Why would you stare into the slowly blinking light rather than out to the sea? Why would you just sit and watch and not go to work, hunt for food? It must be blinding that electronic light and the life with it! It seemed like the bird was hypnotised, fully absorbed by that magic cylinder of unexplained light.

Move on bird, choose the boat, lift the anchor and sail away protected by the night. Forget the green and the red light. Forget the led screen and make the bay yours! Gosh - I miss scuba diving!

This photo is only slightly edited, no colour added, just lightened up.

Praying Mantis - Orthodoera ministralis

• Photo Discussion Friday

Blue Eye Praying

PDF Week 14/2016: Canon 7D, 100mm, 1/250, f32, ISO 100, external flash.

So exciting to have a Praying mantis back in our basil garden. It is a different species to the resident individual from last year. They are highly welcome since we have lots of Grass hoppers and all sorts of other insects who enjoy and devour most of our garden plants.

This Praying Mantis was found close to a beautiful Assassin Bee Eater. Would they stalk each other? Both of them are exquisite hunters quite high in the food chain. Assassin Bee Eaters jump their prey and suck it out injecting a digestive venom that can hurt humans quite badly.

Suddenly, I noticed a large grasshopper in the equation. Despite having a perfect angle I put my camera away, trying to watch the spectacle without interfering. It was not going to be a love triangle for sure. But who would end up having or being a meal?

The Grasshopper jumped within 3cm (an inch) of the Praying Mantis. The mantis stared for an eternity and finally launched a half hearted attack on the Grasshopper. It missed. All the animals went their unharmed ways for now.


Picture: Bee Killer Assassin-Bug

The Praying Mantis seemed to pose for me a bit later. For  a few seconds it even opened up and moved its front legs away from its body. To my surprise, a blue spot became visible on the inside of those spring loaded, sharp catching tools. Those blue 'eyes' must be the last thing, prey will look at before being killed and eaten.

The Praying Mantis looks like Orthodoera novaezealandiae but since the photo was taken in Brisbane, I assume it is relatively safe to say that the blue eyes identify it as Orthodoera ministralis.

Photographing animals that rely on camouflage and blend into their background is always quite tricky. When the animal opened its front legs, the yellow thighs and the blue spots simply took me by surprise. They complement the green background and getting the (real) eye contact is an added bonus.

Being aware that we already had a Praying Mantis in Photo Discussion Friday this year...I simply can hardly get enough of them. 

Enjoy!

P.S. The original of this article can be found at http://www.goodpicturesonline.com/Blog/PhotoDiscussionFriday/2016-Week-14