Macro Day Three …
… nearly didn’t happen. With all the rain and not a bug in sight … The short of it is one made it for the day, it was only decided to go ahead on the morning of the day, and it seemed prudent not to ask anyone else along in case the rain didn’t stop. It stopped, for long enough anyway.
When it’s not pouring rain there is always an insect around, wherever you are. The trick is to find them without it being a stress or strain. When you stop trying you find what happens, happens with a pleasantly surprising ease.
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If anyone is interested in coming along for hands on experience of what and how I do what I do check these links : Macro Meditation Day, Macro Illustrated and Meditate, and email me at contact (at) beingmark (dot) com so you are on the list.
Email going out soon for January 2011 (and maybe Feb) dates.
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I can’t emphasize too much the importance, in my experience, of methodical relaxation and meditation to the creative state, that state of being in which it is possible to see and do the extraordinary – which is ordinary at the time. It is the basis for my art, it is my art. And it doesn’t have to be separate from the ‘rest’ of life.
Your life is your art, and every one a masterpiece, when nothing is left undone. ((:
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Here are a few of mine from the day, just the Nomadic Leaf Cutter Bees for now. The other participant may post some of his later.
This is also posted at different fora, the most active of which is HERE.
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I thought the one who attended would post a few pix but he must be too busy, never mind.
Here are a few more of mine from the day.
Jumping Spider with prey.
Some kind of young Shield Bug.
A small black Weevil at the honey with Mites attached.
Tiger beetle, the fastest thing on six legs – 1 metre in 1 second, so they say. Lucky he wasn’t running this day.
Mark Berkery ……. Click any picture and click again to enlarge
Rainforest Recital
I came across the most incredible sight the other day. As I was carefully making my way through the rainforest, dodging the spider webs and water holes, I heard some strange sounds, like music but none I had ever heard before. It sounded distant but also seemed to be coming from behind a tree to my right, a few metres away.
I stopped dead in my tracks and as quietly as possible came upon the tree and rested my hand on it. I leaned out a bit to see around the tree and there in a clearing of grass, surrounded by fallen wood and other plants, stood an ant, and she was dancing. I know it was a she because she was so graceful. She was dancing a dance unlike any I had seen before. Amazing!
I hadn’t been spotted as I was quite still so had a look around and saw all these little creatures watching the dancing ant, an audience. What’s this then, insect culture? What a wonder to happen upon such a rare sight.
Were these then the little people of the forest that so many stories have referred to? Must be! Who else?
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As I looked around I recognised some in the audience.
A neatly groomed Tufted Leopard Longhorn Beetle had climbed to the end of a stick overlooking the dancing ant and was waving his long horns in time with the music.
A Whiskered Weevil was sitting still on a nearby blade of grass, just listening as his antennae moved slowly in small circles.
A Sleek and Slim Waisted Zebra Wasp stood proud on her high perch and watched and listened intently, antennae twitching as the music rose up from the grass, source unseen.
A Giant Green Grasshopper sat safe on the side of a fallen log, absorbing the pure sense of this unusual rainforest scene.
And another kind of Ant, Golden Back, stuck to the spot, mesmerised by the magical ambience of it all in the fading afternoon light.
My attention wandered between the characters in this fairy like place and I was timelessly listening and seeing all that was there when a loud rasping sound went off in my ear.
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I turned sharply to see what the cause of this sound was and there, looking down on me from the tree, not four inches from my nose, was the Countess Cicada, Matriarch of this little piece of rainforest.
Oooh! What a stern look she gave me. “What’s this, sneaking up on the little ones?” she said. “Why don’t you go about your concrete business and leave us foresters alone.”
“But I’m not a concreter” I said. “I’m a forester too, I’m just big for my size.”
“You don’t look like any forester I’ve seen before, are you sure you are a forester?”
“Well,,, I’d very much like to be”, I said.
And she tut tutted at me. “You don’t know what you are saying, it’s dangerous being a forester, you could get eaten in seconds and no one would even know” she said in her rasping way. “Or get a broken leg and nobody to fix it.” “But I can see you have some forester in you, why don’t you go tell the other concreters to be kinder to us little ones, that way you would become more like us too, if that’s what you want.” “You are just too big to be a forester anyway, but you can be more like us.”
“Ok” I said. “That makes sense, I’ll just go and tell the concreters how to be more kind to foresters and we’ll all be more like foresters.” So off I went to tell the good news to all the big concreters, but how?
I Know, I’ll ………… ((:
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But it was all imagining, wasn’t it?
Mark Berkery ……. Click any picture and click again to enlarge
The Kill
A lot of Gecko’s live in this old wooden two storey Queenslander. I often see them at the outside light at night and as soon as they see me they run and hide. They will attack and eat anything that flutters on a window or under the light and run and hide from anything bigger than they are – sound survival tactic, usually.
This young Gecko was stationary as I passed and stopped to look. Moments later it was scuttling across the wall towards a corner it could disappear behind. I usually just watch them go but this time I thought I’d see if I could catch one to get a better look.
I was reaching out to cup it in one hand before it disappeared around the corner of the wall when a huge, four inch leg span, Huntsman came around that same corner at lightning speed and snatched the Gecko’s life with a single bite.
The blink of an eye and it was almost over for the Gecko. The Huntsman was taking no chance of losing its catch, holding on tight and then biting closer to the head before silently slinking away with its meal, glistening venom cascading over one of its prey’s eyes.
They had never heard of Christmas. Or …. ?
Mark Berkery ……. Click any picture and click again to enlarge
Neon Blue Delight
It was late afternoon on a very wet Macro Day when I noticed this tiny creature, about 5mm long, in the open downstairs bathroom trying to find a way out through the glass window.
To the eye this creature looked dark, with just a hint of blue with the light at the right angle and if seen with care. I often trap creatures I find downstairs, give them a feed and let them go – usually after a few shots if it can be managed. And I don’t release a creature into the night if it would usually be asleep in the dark.
So this one spent the night trapped in a jar with a rose leaf and a little honey. It sleeps with its head down and antennae wrapped under it. In the morning I took a few shots before and as it woke up. In fact it only really woke when I breathed a warm breath on it a few times.
Very quickly it came awake and started twitching those tiny antennae and wandering about and under the leaf. I gave it my finger to climb on and to warm up, which it did. And a few seconds later it took to the air, off to god knows where. To do its ordinary everyday business.
Wonderful little thing. Delightful, to me, little Emerald Cuckoo Wasp.
Mark Berkery ……. Click any picture and click again to enlarge
Macro Day Two
Thanks to all for coming, to both Macro Day One and Macro Day Two – forum. And well done, it’s good to see people engaging in the process. I enjoy it, and as long as I do I’ll go on doing it, as long as someone wants to do it.
Today my highlight, what sticks out, is the fact every body and situation is unique and requires a creative fluid response rather than a fixed predetermined one. We just had two hot sunny days but I had a sense it wouldn’t be so for the Macro Day meeting, just a sense. Sitting in the afternoon I could hear the thunder and see the dark clouds in the distance and there was a chance they wouldn’t come my way. No such luck, it poured down from about 3.00pm. But everybody came and I was in luck and prepared.
The light I leave on at night to attract the bugs had a few visitors over the last two days that didn’t leave, so I employed them for the duration, four Beetles and one Cicada – and fed them before letting them go. Around the table then, and with some natural back-ground material, we had the opportunity to focus on relaxation for a time, then on shooting angles, composure, back-grounds and lighting – shooting some of nature’s ‘given’ wonderful creatures.
The creative state is a matter that is central to what we do on our Macro days – would serve well if central to living. The difference between an acceptable shot and a good one, given the know-how, is the state or condition of mind of the shooter. Everything rests on how I, the shooter, am inside. If I have a plan and insist on seeing it through in the face of changing circumstances I am going to get frustrated and frustration begets more of itself. Or if I have some thoughtful or emotional movement going on I’m not going to be fully present to give my best effort, best focus. This, basically, is why I employ relaxation and meditation – so I can easily relax my grip on any plan, thinking or emotional condition and maintain myself in a state of readiness free of preconceptions – present to respond to the new – free to see afresh and focus properly. It’s practical, it makes sense.
Two common impediments, conditions of mind, to individual creativity are these : I’m not very creat… Or : I can’t … When the truth is I can give these up and allow for the possibility for the creativity to flower in – it just takes time.
It’s that simple, but requires practise for the benefits to be fully realised. In my experience relaxation and meditation is foundational and the quickest way through to realising my creative potential.
And I’m ‘talking’ from my own experience …
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A few links of interest to anyone coming on a Macro Meditation Day – Whether the Weather – Macro Illustrated – Meditate
Read them if you want a head start on what I do. Also, my blog Nature’s Place has the latest fifteen posts on the front page and there is always something new – I recommend subscribing if you are interested in what I do – top right of the front page of My Blog.
All other posts are accessible from the Titles page, warts ‘n all. ((:
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Ok. A few shots from me from Macro Day Two – see forum – and I trust from a few others as they are ready. I didn’t take many shots this day but may post a few later anyway.
Mark Berkery ……. Click any picture and click again to enlarge
Elemental Me
After clearing the flower bed of its ten year overgrowth of trees and bushes I have been visiting it more, there is more to see. Today I saw an orangeness wandering about the stone edging and got the camera in case I got the chance at a shot.
As I came back the orangeness had mounted a stick with one end in the air, about two inches off the ground that gave me a complimentary background to a wonderful creature. She stood there as if looking at her new world from on high, a warrior’s stance, an untroubled character. A majesty of being.
There was time enough for a few shots before she was about her new life’s business, her wings just filled out. And she was gone, into the great unknown. To be as her instinct, unfolding to event arising, intelligence evolved.
That’s nature, a window in sense to the romance of the ages.
What a shame, the constraints of emotional being.
Mark Berkery ……. Click any picture and click again to enlarge
Prince of Light
Out of the winter, all furred up, lighting the way of his kind.
Sword and sinew aready, face to the black, work of a season behind.
Out of the darkness, a climbing of heights, glittering sky of his mind.
Into the summer, the plans of the deep, conferring a making to bind.
Raised on Ambrosia, a pain to the Gods, he is the first of his kind.
The season anew, the flight true and through, the Grail it is his to find.
Soar up little one, beloved of mine, ride the mystical wynde.
When battle is done, and death comes to tease, ‘tis a kiss to a warriors rind.
Oops! ‘Tis a female after all, I didn’t know, and I don’t mind. ((:
Mark Berkery ……. Click any picture and click again to enlarge
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
Whether the Weather …
… is good for finding ‘bugs’ to photograph?
It has been cloudy with occasional rain and the odd ray of sunshine, so it’s a natural question.
My experience is as long as it’s not actually raining there is usually something to shoot, 99 times out of 100. I’m sure there would be something to shoot in the rain, or sheltering from it, but I don’t have a waterproof camera.
Shooting refers to a time in our culture when hunting to kill was the preferred way to get close to exotic nature. Probably because all the skills of the hunter are employed in the capture of a ‘good’ image, the need to kill has been civilized. Though a willingness to put yourself in some danger at times, sensibly so, will get the shot others won’t.
The first thing a hunter does in order to spot the prey/subject is be still, inside and out. If he’s not quiet of mind he’s not present to see or otherwise sense the minutia that often represents the presence of prey/subject. And if he’s not quiet and fluid in his body and environment most creatures will take offense and run or hide.
For a hunter/photographer to master the hunt of exotic creatures he must become one with the nature. In appearance, sound, movement, any other sense, and above all attitude.
The ultimate hunter is invisible to the prey/subject. From that the greatest capture rate will flow.
The attitude is ‘I am transparent’, I am nothing!
That’s the strategy, and then there are the tactics, the ‘how to’, which are best shown.
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Another take on it …
Nature is always changing. Nothing stays the same for long. Everything in it is active according to the local conditions.
Beneath the appearance of things there is one life, one psyche, which everything is a form of, and in. Being so every form has a connection to every other form, at some unconscious lever of being.
That means you and I have a connection to everything around us. We are the most impressive form in any natural landscape. Impressive of our condition of mind. We impose our will, be it conscious or not, on our nature. And our nature is impressed by this, for good or ill.
I am not suggesting bugs can be willed to appear, just that there is normally an effect of one being present in nature that can be minimised for the purpose of capturing an image of one of nature’s unusual and often beautiful creatures, and of doing so more creatively.
So, how we are inside makes a difference to the nature around us, because we are connected. That doesn’t mean we have to be absolutely still of mind for anything to appear, obviously. It just means we have to do our best and not impose our mind on the nature around us – the sense of it – by leaving our thoughtful and emotional worldly concerns behind.
Intent matters.
This can’t be proven except in your own experience. It’s the sort of thing, once you know it, unfolds as your experience if you are observant of facts and not given to doubt it. And if you go along with it will result in peace of mind, relatively speaking.
This is the essence of right meditation, no belief, no imagination, no thought or emotion. Just a plain and simple practical exercise of the will to engender a quieter, more relaxed way of being.
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The weather has been unusually cloudy with occasional showers and the odd ray of sunshine for a while now. This being so I was asked if there will be any creatures to photograph on a Macro Meditation Day.
This is my answer, which is also touched on in Macro Illustrated, what is true in my experience. :
There are no guarantees nature will show up in the forms that please the most, or are wanted, and everything has its time. It’s the not knowing that gives rise to the sense of wonder and discovery at the infinite variety of form and colour at our feet, as it presents. The chances of something showing up are increased by our respect for and acknowledgment of the simple wonder and beauty of the nature that does show up – in the little things.
And a little gratitude, to nothing in particular – spoken or not, for the nature that does show up is the best way I know of ensuring it shows up next time – in some form.
The pictures on this page are from the last five or so cloudy days, these are the fruits of my exercise.
© Mark Berkery ……. Click any picture and click again to enlarge
Nature's Place 
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