Category Archives: Animals

Hey There, Huge Spider…[o_O]…

Posted on August 27, 2012 | Leave a comment

 

First of all, it’s my brother’s birthday today so let me take a moment to say, Happy Birthday Don!!

 

Now, those who suffer from arachnophobia probably won’t want to read this post or scroll down to the included image.  But those of you who don’t mind spiders, or think they’re awesome, read on!

 

This past Friday (August 24th for those keeping track) while I was looking for a cat toy in my back yard (long story), I came across the biggest, hairiest, most colorful, and creepiest spider I had ever seen in my life.

 

This thing was huge.  Probably an inch and a half to two inches in size, not including the span of its legs!  And, of course, it was building its web right on the side of my house between the shingles and the lattice we have along the foundation (which made weed whacking yesterday very interesting).

 

I just happened to look up and there it was, inches from my face.  Now, I’m not arachnophobic (I’m not in love with the things either) but seeing that thing so close to my face was quite an unpleasant surprise.  I could have smacked it away from me.  I could have squished the daylights out of it.  But no.  What did I do?  Like a true lover of nature and a true photographer, I ran inside, grabbed my camera, and returned to take a picture of it.

 

I had never seen this type of spider before, so once I was safely back inside (and after I checked myself over to make sure the thing didn’t hitch a ride on my pant leg!), I searched online for what type of arachnid it was.

 

With my awesome detective skills, and confirmation from my spider loving friend, Sarah, I found out that it’s a Black and Yellow Argiope, better known as a St. Andrews Cross spider.

 

*Warning*  Again, if you suffer from arachnophobia, or if you’re prone to nightmares, scroll NO further!

 

 

BEHOLD!

 

 

 

Weird and creepy huh!?  See?  Again, tying into last week’s post, sometimes you find some really interesting things to photograph right in your own backyard!

 

Until next time…That is, if the spider doesn’t eat my face first…

 

[o_O]

~A.M.

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Backyard Photographs…Round 2…

Posted on August 20, 2012 | Leave a comment

A while ago, in fact it was July of last year, I wrote a post about venturing into your own backyard in search of photography subjects.  I tend to do this a lot when I’m low on funds and the car is thirsty for gas.

If you take a moment to stop and look around your yard, I’m sure you’ll find something interesting to photograph.  It could be a tree, a flower, a funny cloud in the sky (remind me and I’ll post a picture I took of a cloud that, to me, resembled something awesome), your house, or even some form of wildlife that wanders onto your property.

To those of you that live in apartments or in the city where you don’t have a yard, this idea isn’t entirely out of the question.  You can still go outside and find some things around your residence that will make for an interesting photograph.

But back to the backyard.  Recently a family of stray cats decided that my yard looked like a cozy place to hunker down for a while.  There is a mother cat who is a beautiful Siamese (why anyone would let her, or any cat, outside, I don’t know), two of her kittens, and every once in a while, the father comes around; a huge grey.

Forgive the quality of this photo, I know it’s a little blurry but that’s because I had to take it through the my back screen door (the kittens were still skittish at this point and would have run away if I went outside).

I’ve managed to win the affections of the mother, the Siamese.  The father is completely feral and takes off when I get within ten feet.  The kittens are also wary like the father, and run to hide in the bushes when I get close.  I’m slowly winning over one (it doesn’t run as far and hide as long as it used to when it sees me), but the other is still skittish.

But, that’s what zoom lenses are for, right?

I was feeling the urge to go out an photograph one day and when I got outside, I noticed one of the kittens playing in the grass.  I got as close as I could without startling the kitten, hunkered down, and snapped a few frames.  I think one of my favorite was this one, when the kitten noticed a little bee on a dandelion.

Remember, when you feel the urge to photograph and either don’t have access to transportation, or travel is just not feasible, take a walk around your yard (or apartment building/complex).  I’m sure you’ll find something to peak your photographic interest.

Until next time…

[^_^]

~A.M.

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Waking Up Early Has Its Advantages

Posted on June 11, 2012 | Leave a comment

I don’t normally give in to my cats when they try to get me up at four in the morning to feed them, but recently, a little voice in the back of my head said “Get up, now.”  So, I did.  And I was rewarded.

Not only were my cats happy that they were getting fed when they demanded it, but as I was cleaning my hands (canned cat food stinks to high heaven as I‘m sure some of you know!), I just happened to look out my kitchen window.  At first, I didn’t see anything out of the ordinary.  Probably because I was still half asleep.  But movement soon caught my eye.  Walking toward my yard from the empty lot across the dirt road from my house, was a young deer.

I’m not ashamed to admit, I literally almost squealed like a giddy schoolgirl!  Usually, when I spot a deer in my yard it’s late at night after the sun has long set, not early in the morning when the sun is already up.

Needless to say, I grabbed my camera and snapped a few shots.  Now, taking photos through a window doesn’t really lend well to a sharp, clean image.  Especially if that window has a screen on it.  But I was so happy to see this little deer wander into my yard in daylight that I could care less about the window’s screen!

Here are the results!

 

So cute!!

Until next time…

[^_^]

~A.M.

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Unruly Subjects

Posted on June 4, 2012 | Leave a comment

In photography, especially studio photography, so many factors are under the photographer’s control.  Camera settings, lighting set ups, subject choice, etc.  Photographing a vase of flowers or some other inanimate object in a studio setting gives the photographer full creative control.  However, a portion of that control goes out the window when you set your camera lens on a live subject.

And, what happens when you encounter an unruly subject?  Teens and adults can usually take direction well, but with an infant, child, pet, or wild animal, all bets are off.

But, that’s part of the fun!  It makes photography less technical and more personal when some of the rigid control of a studio set up gives way to something more spontaneous.

I have cats and it’s impossible to get them to sit perfectly still and gaze into the camera lens at just the right moment for just the right amount of time.  If you can train cats to do that, then I’d like to shake your hand!  But even with my cats’ unruliness in front of my lens, I enjoy photographing them.  When talking about pet portraiture, like snowflakes, no two images are alike.

Example, my cat Tigger.  One second she was sitting pretty looking right at me, something akin to a smile on her cute little cat face, and just as I pressed the shutter button, she did this….

The moral of this story, folks, is embrace the spontaneous.  It’s good.  Don’t forget the technical side of things, but at the same time, don’t get stuck in the Matrix, so to speak!  Let things flow.  The shot you’ve set up in your mind may not be the shot you get, but you never know, you may be pleasantly surprised.  Great photographs can be gained from even the most unruly subject.

Until next time…

[^_^]

~A.M.

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Spring Has Sprung…

Posted on May 7, 2012 | Leave a comment

I usually mark spring’s arrival not by the calendar but by when flowers start to bloom, butterflies start flitting around, and when my lawn needs to be mowed for the first time in the year.

Flowers in bloom….Check.

Lawn needs to be mowed….Check.

Butterflies flitting around….Check.

Spring has sprung, my friends.  Get outside and enjoy!

Until next time…

[^_^]

~A.M.

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