Making a Difference

 I have been busy with my camera recently which has been nice after a bit of a break and this weekend I have shot 1300 images. Initially for the star trails (see previous post) and then at the Rhyl Air Show and it was my intention to share a few images from the air show today but I realised I still have a few good shots from Sizergh to post and while I will come back to them after I have posted some shots of planes I decided to first go for these bees.

The reason for this choice is because today we gave my grandson a book that was written and illustrated by my very talented niece, all about a bee who felt unimportant. It is a little reminder that just like the bee we are all important and have something to give, we can all make a difference in our own unique way.

Plus I really liked the bold colours and the fine detail in these shots which have a really summery feel. 

These are Hideous!

 I am not going to try to pretend that these are anything but hideous. On a hot day out in the countryside I am always plagued by flies and biting insects which  drive me mad, but that doesn't stop me from finding them fascinating. They are quite ugly too, but again that doesn't stop me from finding them interesting as subjects to photograph. I think it is because up close there is so much more to these pesky things. They are really quite complex and when we brush them away as they buzz past we don't ever see the detail.

So every now and then I do like to pause for a moment and take a closer look. It doesn't make them look any better and I still get annoyed every time they buzz around me but I do try to appreciate them a little more, as part of the complexity of nature and the fact that annoying as they are they still have a role to play.

The Great Pretender

I love bees and I get a buzz when I get to photograph them because they're not at all easy subjects.

But this is not a bee, or a wasp it is a hoverfly, one of the 300 species that are native to our country. They don't sting like bees or wasps but they mimic them as a means of defence against predators. They are important pollinators just like bees and just like bees their numbers are declining as a result of the increased use of  pesticides.

Just like bees they are interesting subjects for photography and luckily for me this one sat around long enough to get a few decent shots.

Look Into My Eyes!

I had intended on posting some flower images today but looking through the folder of pictures I spotted these shots of a hover fly and decided that I would follow up the past two days pictures of bugs with these before moving onto something a little prettier.

Although I say prettier I think you will agree these are quite spectacular and as you look closer at the compound eyes you can see how magnificent they really are. I love macro photography...

Do you ever wonder how things look to these creatures with such complex eyes?