Macro Day One
Ok, my first Macro Day (check link for forum) done and I enjoyed it. And well done to the participants – who I trust enjoyed it too.
Biggest lesson for me? You can’t do it all in one day. Just as learning photography is an evolution of perception and effort so is teaching anything, the more you perceive and correct what is not right for you the less effort you have to make, and the process is refined by experience.
We were going for around four hours and it seemed like work at times as I’m sure it did to others – not a bad thing in itself, and not stressful with the practise of relaxation/meditation. People were introduced to some wonderful creatures and I trust we were all relaxed enough and learned something of value from the experience.
Things for me to remember, make some general purpose diffusers for people to use, and get longer sticks for next time. ((:
FYI, the other Macro Days this year – 11th and 29th Dec are booked and I have a list of people from this and other fora interested for the new year. If you want to be on the list check this page : Macro Meditation Day. Follow/read the links and/or email me at contact@beingmark.com
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I thought 3 or 4 would be a comfortable number and it is so. I’ll keep it at that for now unless anyone who has already been on a Macro Day wants to join a group that hasn’t – I’d consider that an asset.
I trust those who came got a few keepers they will post here for the record. Keeper rates in high mag macro are not high for anyone, whatever ‘they’ say.
Here’s a few of mine from yesterday, more later. Anybody is welcome to comment.
A Beetle in the bush.
A lovely coloured Fly nobody else saw. ((:
An Ant, stopped dead in its tracks. I believe it did literally die in its tracks, as it was about to take another step. I got a number of shots of this over a time of nearly two minutes and it had not moved ‘at all’. Someone else may be able to confirm no movement of this creature.
And a few more later.
Mark Berkery ……. Click any picture and click again to enlarge
Nature's Place 
Was the ant heading towards a windy or high place? If so, it’s possible this ant was overcome by the fungus Cordyceps…I thought of this also because the ant seems to have some type of beard/growth in the photograph. I’ve always been fascinated with this fungus (and cannot fathom the horrific idea of there ever being a “human” version).
This ant was heading down and what you see beneath the mouth is its ordinary sensory organs – don’t know much about it. For an example of the fungus you’re talking about see here : https://beingmark.com/2010/07/12/an-unusual-death/
BTW, we already have a human version. It’s the emotionalised thoughtful self consideration that forces people to climb to great heights of delusion before they rain their holy spores down on the rest of us. ((:
Mark,
The motionless ant. photomacrography.net/forum would be a good place for identification/behavioural questions.
These are great shots! I love the close-ups! Great job.