THE BEST LENS OR CAMERA?

Black-winged Damselfly

The answer is always the same. It’s the one you may have with you when the light is right and a subject of interest is present. I like the walks in the evening with our dog Cooper and try to go to different places every time. Today we went down into the valley below our bluffs. There is an abandoned gravel road, perfect for a quite walk, nature observations, or just to calm down after a busy day. I don’t have to take the dog on the leash since there is no traffic, and Cooper waits patiently if I stop and fiddle away with the camera.

The Nikon Nikkor 70-200, f/4 was not the perfect match for a shot of this Black-winged Damselfly but it was the lens I took with me for our walk. A real macro lens, like my SIGMA 150, f/2.8, works much better, not just because of its true 1:1 magnification, but also because of its shorter minimum focal distance (MFD). Well, not exact macro quality, but I like the light, the shadow of the insect, and overall a damselfly is just a beautiful insect...

TOAD WITH HITCHHIKER

American Toad, garden pond on farm near Remsen, Iowa --------  

Nothing seems to be exciting or spectacular if a full grown American Toad climbs out off the small garden pond on a farm, unless you really try to appreciate its colors and texture against the dull background, and as a bonus recognize that an insect is hitchhiking on its back.

NATURE CLICKS #382 - HUMMINGBIRD MOTH

It is not difficult to find out why the Hummingbird Moth got its name. It’s easy to to mistake this moth with its fast beating wings for a small hummingbird. The first photo also reveals why its other name, Clearwing Moth, has been used for this insect. They are a member of the sphinx moth family (Sphingidae). Most sphinx moths fly at night but the Hummingbird Moth is active during the day.

When I made the click for this photo a couple days ago I was actually setting up the camera for shooting real humming birds (see my post from yesterday for the outcome). While the Ruby-throated Hummingbird is a permanent resident here between early May and the end of September, the Hummingbird Moth is a rare visitor in the flower beds around here.

NATURE CLICKS #292 - DIFFERENTIAL GRASHOPPER

Nikon D750, Nikkor 24-120mm / f4

Grashoppers, crickets, and katydids dominate the sound spectrum almost everywhere where nature has a chance to unfold in Iowa during the month of August. Especially at night it is a never ending “wall of sound” produced by these insects.

I mentioned it before, I’m not into macro photography but when Joan discovered this full grown Differential Grashopper last weekend in the Devonian Fossil Gorge, located below the emergency spillway of Coralville Lake, I had to make a few clicks. I could swear this grasshopper was at least 60 mm long (~2 1/2”) but my books say they are only 45 mm (1 3/4”). However, it was bloody big!!

The Nikkor 24-120 mm, f/4 isn’t a macro lens, but I had it on camera and any piece of my other gear was tucked away in the car. Well, this is as good as it gets under these circumstances… ;-)