Nature's Place

Apple Ant

Posted in Ant, Life, Love, Macro Photography, Meditation, Nature, Photography, Relaxation, Spirituality, Sustainability, Truth? by Mark on 10/02/2014

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A piece of fruit in the morning is a good thing for the body – possibly one of the few things that wouldn’t be denied by anybody. And sitting eating it on the veranda overlooking the garden is a pleasure – also a good way to start the day.

Using a knife to section the apple for eating I notice different kinds of ant walking around the old wooden table where I sit, looking for morsels no doubt. It doesn’t take much to shave a little apple for a little creature, a tiny slice, to sate the perennial hunger.

And this one was hooked, couldn’t get too much of the sweet juicy pulp it had probably never come across before. It also seemed excited the way it supped at the apple for a while then stopped and ran around, stopped to groom itself and then back to the apple – over and over.

I helped it along, keeping the slice from blowing away in the breeze, orienting it for access and of course a few shots. It wasn’t very co-operative, wouldn’t be still for long, but I accept what comes.

It surely enjoyed the pure juice on the blade. Just one of life’s under-excitements, a simple pleasure when the mind is slowed enough there is no impatience.

© Mark Berkery … CLICK any picture to enlarge in a new tab, they do look better bigger – FireFox – for me

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52 comments

52 Responses

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  1. Anna said, on 10/08/2014 at 10:48 pm

    no words that perfection.

    Reply
  2. ssaa08 said, on 29/05/2014 at 4:43 am

    Nice pictures!

    Reply
  3. LauraZeitlos said, on 07/03/2014 at 7:08 am

    So wonderful!

    Reply
  4. vastlycurious.com said, on 05/03/2014 at 2:15 pm

    Amazing once again! Still rather have fresh meat but you are really very talented!

    Reply
  5. Gallivanta said, on 27/02/2014 at 9:22 pm

    Beautiful.

    Reply
  6. Maree Clarkson said, on 23/02/2014 at 5:56 pm

    Wow! Absolutely GREAT macro’s Mark, a real photographic talent you have there!

    Reply
    • Mark said, on 23/02/2014 at 10:25 pm

      Thanks Maree. A minor talent perhaps. Look at the talent that went into making the creatures … They didn’t ‘happen’ by accident.

      Reply
  7. Jamiun Micheal said, on 21/02/2014 at 6:14 pm

    great..

    Reply
  8. Sonel said, on 16/02/2014 at 4:49 am

    Absolutely gorgeous!!!! :D

    Reply
  9. Alexander Lautsyus said, on 11/02/2014 at 8:08 am

    As usually impressed with details. Awesome!

    Reply
    • Mark said, on 11/02/2014 at 9:22 am

      Thanks Alexander … amazing little nature.

      Reply
  10. dorothyemyers said, on 11/02/2014 at 4:39 am

    Thank you Mark, I enjoyed starting my morning with this to slow me down, which opens the rest of my day to its “under-excitements and simple pleasures.”

    Reply
    • Mark said, on 11/02/2014 at 9:21 am

      Thanks Dorothy. Isn’t the state of mind we start the day with important since it easily determines how we proceed, and attracts circumstances that reflect it or challenges to test it.

      Reply
  11. chicoyaya said, on 11/02/2014 at 3:40 am

    woah… who knew ants have tongues? well, at least it looks that way to me on the 2nd shot. such detail! Thanks for sharing, Mark!

    Reply
  12. Lyle Krahn said, on 11/02/2014 at 3:30 am

    You made the most of the opportunity you had. It was interesting to hear how it started. Wonderful shots.

    Reply
    • Mark said, on 11/02/2014 at 9:11 am

      Thanks Lyle. It always starts simply – I saw this ant …

      Reply
  13. afrenchgarden said, on 11/02/2014 at 12:23 am

    Thanks for allowing us to share the ant’s beauty and the delight you had in spending time with it. Amelia

    Reply
  14. standingoutinmyfield said, on 10/02/2014 at 10:59 pm

    Wonderfully beautiful

    Reply
  15. jbrianwaddington said, on 10/02/2014 at 10:02 pm

    we have an ant in our yard that looks like it has a powdered sugar coating but i have never even got close to shots this good. big sigh

    Reply
    • Mark said, on 11/02/2014 at 9:08 am

      Practise, practise … of the right technique with understanding – takes time.

      Reply
      • jbrianwaddington said, on 11/02/2014 at 9:16 am

        true enough and false modesty aside I am getting better. I even got a decent tripod but i have found there are times and places where it is the stick that works best.

        Reply
        • Mark said, on 11/02/2014 at 9:30 am

          I have a cheap tripod that serves to hang clothes on, since I don’t shoot at any great distance and use flash all the time – stops the motion. Often I find whatever presents to stabilise against is best – a stone, the ground, a branch, using the stick less often now.

          Reply
  16. treesshrubs said, on 10/02/2014 at 9:17 pm

    What incredible creatures…..fantasy has nothing on them….beautiful. !!!! Thanks for sharing Trees

    Reply
  17. Lu LoveLock said, on 10/02/2014 at 9:16 pm

    Lovely blog and wonderful photos of a fascinating creature!

    Reply
  18. blankpassword said, on 10/02/2014 at 6:20 pm

    What a very detailed piece.

    Reply
  19. Emily Heath said, on 10/02/2014 at 5:19 pm

    I like the way some of the ant shots look almost golden and metallic.

    Reply
    • Mark said, on 10/02/2014 at 6:59 pm

      Yes, the colour cast looks radiant …

      Reply
  20. Lissa said, on 10/02/2014 at 5:17 pm

    I love your story about the little creature getting excited about some apple juice and pulp. Small pleasures – both the ants and yours in it’s pleasure. It looks like it’s a Golden Tailed Spiny Ant. http://www.brisbaneinsects.com/brisbane_ants/golden_ant.htm

    Reply
    • Mark said, on 10/02/2014 at 6:58 pm

      Thanks Lissa. Yes, small is beautiful. It could be that, or the yellow colour cast in some pix is deceptive and it is closer to a silver than gold – there are so many kinds about.

      Reply
  21. nonoymanga said, on 10/02/2014 at 5:00 pm

    macro photography at its finest

    Reply
    • Mark said, on 10/02/2014 at 6:48 pm

      Thanks Nonoy. You’ve been away working a while I see …

      Reply
  22. Isaac Yuen said, on 10/02/2014 at 4:46 pm

    Beautiful pictures. Your comment about it probably never encountering apple pulp struck me. Something we don’t give a second thought about is a score of a lifetime for the ant.

    Reply
    • Mark said, on 10/02/2014 at 6:32 pm

      Thanks Isaac. It’s a way of highlighting the fact of sense – it is always ‘the score of a lifetime’ if I am present enough to realise it … I don’t see an ant going; Oh no, not apple again.

      Reply
  23. gwenniesgarden said, on 10/02/2014 at 4:34 pm

    awesome !

    Reply
  24. autopict said, on 10/02/2014 at 4:30 pm

    Just perfect!!!

    Reply

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