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I HEAR YOU...


I HEAR YOU...
Photo Information
Copyright: Radomir Jaskula (cicindela) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1223 W: 0 N: 3103] (9226)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2006-08-05
Categories: Insects
Camera: Nikon Coolpix 5400, 35-105 mm 1:4,5-5,6, @ ISO 50
Exposure: f/74099368.0
Details: (Fill) Flash: Yes
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): Lepidoptera: Moths, Insects around the world, European Butterflies and Moths., Moths of Europe 1, Insects' World, Insects (Insecta) [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2007-01-23 5:15
Viewed: 6112
Favorites: 2 [view]
Points: 42
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
The first month of summer 2006 was really nice. The sun was shining, the rain was not raining - just everything you need to work in the field and to photograph insects ;)

At the beginning of August I had to start investigation in the nature reserve "Stara buczyna w Rakowie" (="Old beech wood in Rakow"), a small only 3.5 ha area near Wieruszow, central Poland. The main object protected in this reserve is a group of 150 year-old beech trees (Fagus sylvatica). This tree species is rare in central Poland, especially so old specimens. I was responsible for entomological researches, especially beetle fauna...

As my friend used to say "good plan is a half of success" so after almost two weeks of intensive planning, we decided to go to the reserve for a few days to start investigations. And as I wrote before the period of time for studies was perfect! Or maybe better - we throught like that when we were leaving Lodz...

Please imagine: all month, all 30 days of July it was hot, no rain, and... as soon as we reached to the aim of our trip, as soon as we pitched the tents - it started raining!!! ;) No, it was not a rain, it was a cloud-burst!!! ;) We spent all 3 days in such "excellect" weather conditions... ;) Of course after a few hours of so nasty weather a temperature decreased dramaticaly below 15C... Just imagine how to study insects in such weather...

Fortunatelly, but only from time to time and in every single case only for maximum 30 minutes - 1 hour, there was a short break. So I had to avail oneself of an oportunity and to do something! :)

One of the method used by me was atracting insects to the light. And here you can see one of only a few insect specimens which were recorded that night... So, as you can see life if not easy ;)

It is a male of Lymantria dispar - Gypsy moth (Lymantriidae) - really a very common and wide distributed moth species in Central Europe. Wingspan is 32-55 mm.

In this species a sexual dimorphism is very characteristic: males are dark brown and females nearly white with wavy dark-coloured bands across the forewings.
Moreover, males have a really huge and impresive antennae (see picture), very important organs when they are looking for females to mate with them. The antennae are used like a "chemican radar" which allow to detect female's pheromones.

I hope that you'll agree with me that even in a rainy cold night something nice can be observed ;)
SchwebagMike, mikou, markop, jcoowanitwong, cataclysta, red45, snowfalken, Argus, ramthakur, jaycee, horia, peter_stoeckl, Alan_Kolnik, mesquens, haraprasan, fartash has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To Janice: Gypsy mothcicindela 4 02-08 14:14
To pablominto: thank you :)cicindela 1 01-29 15:54
To Alan_Kolnik: thank you!cicindela 1 01-28 15:26
To peter_stoeckl: moth :)cicindela 1 01-27 08:38
To RAP: mothcicindela 1 01-23 17:19
To horia: mothcicindela 1 01-23 17:06
To jaycee: mothcicindela 1 01-23 17:04
To ramthakur: mothcicindela 1 01-23 17:02
To Argus: mothcicindela 1 01-23 16:49
To snowfalken: mothcicindela 1 01-23 16:47
To red45: motylo-perzcicindela 1 01-23 16:32
To jcoowanitwong: moth :)cicindela 1 01-23 16:29
To cataclysta: motyloperz ;)cicindela 1 01-23 16:26
To markop: moth :)cicindela 1 01-23 16:24
To lindasantoro: mothcicindela 1 01-23 16:20
To mikou: moth :)cicindela 1 01-23 16:17
To SchwebagMike: moth :)cicindela 1 01-23 16:12
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Critiques [Translate]

Hello Radomir,
A very nice shot, showing perfectly the caracteristics of your subject. DOF and POV are great. Well done, Mike

  • Great 
  • mikou Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 869 W: 68 N: 1479] (6093)
  • [2007-01-23 5:31]
  • [+]

Hi Radomir.
Perhaps better: I smell you.... :-)
Perfect macro with great POV and fine details.Very good DOF and nice light blurry background.Very nice composition and good exposure.I like your story in note.
Well done,TFS.
Greetings Milos

I love this guy. Beautifully done POV, focus, details. We can even see the imperfections on the antennae.

Very nice.

Linda

Hi Radomir,
Fantastic moth capture! I especially like the fact that the focus is spot on the antennae with shallow enough DoF to blur everything else. I find the feathery antennae of moths to be fascinating!
TFS,
Stavros

Czesc Radziu
Bardzo zabawna fotka z fajna historia w notce. Mowiles ze na razie przerwa z nietoperzami ;-)
Pozdrawiam
Krzysiek

Hello Radomir,
A wonderful shot on this Gypsy Moth. Beautiful antennae are well in focus and well seen. TFS this fine picture.
JC

  • Great 
  • red45 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2636 W: 74 N: 9091] (31094)
  • [2007-01-23 8:12]
  • [+]

Ha, ha, great story Radek! Wet half of success :-) I like your title, but 'I smell you' would be probably better :-) Superb macro - so detailed and sharp! POV is also excellent. Pity that it wasn't captured on plant or something more natural, but to the other side white BG helped to see more details. I like it very much!

Hello Radomir,

This is an excellent capture! One more proof that it is the photographer that makes a good photo, not the camera! Very well done!
Very simple composition with few elements (key to a great picture) and a great controll of DOF! There is nothing to distract from the moth! Focus is very accurate rendering the details very sharply. I especially like the unusually shaped antenae. The small color range make this photo look more artistical! It's almost black and white and then again it isn't! In a few words, it is a picture of great artistical value! I find the frame to be very appropriate for this image.
I also appreciate the detailed description of the whole process that led to this high quality picture. Very good and interesting note! A complete posting which makes me add it to my favourites! Outstanding job! I aggree with your last statement! Even in bad conditions one can take great pictures! Congratulations and TFS!

With Friendly Regards,
Eddie

  • Great 
  • Argus Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 5038 W: 260 N: 15594] (50626)
  • [2007-01-23 10:10]
  • [+]

Hello Radomir,
Excellent illustration of what some male lymantrid antennae look like. This is sharp and well presented against a suitable BG.
TFS and regards, Ivan

Hello Radomir,
I am struck dumb with wonder after looking at this absolutely fantastic capture of a moth.
This is simply unbelievable; you must have lain flat on your belly to get that perspective. With those peculiar antennae sticking up above that interesting face in perfect focus, this picture turns out to be the best insect picture I have ever seen on TN.
Your well written note adds spice to the experience of looking at this great picture.
Regards,
Ram

  • Great 
  • jaycee Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2454 W: 10 N: 8044] (25460)
  • [2007-01-23 11:57]
  • [+]

Wow - what a shot! The details are fantastic. The antennae are amazing!!!

TFS

Jane

  • Great 
  • RAP Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2524 W: 345 N: 2373] (7405)
  • [2007-01-23 17:01]
  • [+]

Excellent point of view Radomir showing many details of this so showy moth for their antennas.

Composition: ****
Sharpness: *****
Color: *****
Lighting: *****
Background: *****
Framing: *****
DOF: *****
Focus: *****
POV: *****
Frame: ****
Note: *****

Another excellent post... TFS.
Regards... Ricardo

  • Great 
  • horia Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2158 W: 224 N: 4749] (16656)
  • [2007-01-24 2:28]
  • [+]

Hi Again, Radomir

This is a splendid post!
The sharpness here are simply terrific and the details on the antennas and "face" of this superb moth are fantastic.
I really liked the story, too...it happens a lot to us, too...imagina trying to catch snakes or lizards in the rain...hahaha...impossible ;)
Anyway, we biologist have to do our work and you managed to use a method that did wirk and gave you some results...maybe not as many as you hoped, but...better than nothing, huh? ;)
Returning to the shors, i really like the POV here and the very good DOF.
Also the contrast between the moth and the BG is excellent and the composition is great!
Very well done!

Bravo and TFS
Horia

Hello Radomir,
impressive frontal approach, perfect demonstration of these magnificent antennae. Well placed focus and falloff in sharpness, and a very well decided point of view to make that image looking pleasantly amusing as well.
Nice to read your story. On rainy days of summer night active moths can be a blessing for those regretting to enjoy very little activity at day time, and light traps are really exciting to visit. Only once I had that kind of pleasure on a night trip with some biologists. We could definitely watch hundreds of moths of many many different species sitting down on that blanket or next to it - and we had millions of mosquitoes around and on us as well.
Cheers, and best regards,
Peter

This view of the moth shows the antennae remarkably clearly - great macro shot, witha camera that i think is not really even intended to do real macro work. Well done!

Hello Radomir,
This is a wonderful image, so well done!
Point of view really adds something here, and the details in the insect are stunning...
Well framed, excellent presentation!
Greetings,
Pablo -

:-) OK-

  • Great 
  • Janice Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3277 W: 148 N: 6163] (18832)
  • [2007-02-06 21:27]
  • [+]

So this is a Gypsy moth - I have heard of the name but they are not in NZ. I love his Antennae, yes, very impressive... What an excellent capture it is, and for one who doesn't like moths (me) I think it is a really good shot Radomir, TFS
Janice

Essa foto é ainda melhor que a outra foto que comentei. Os detalhes estão simplesmente perfeitos. Tanto em nitidez como profundidade de campo estão muito bons.

Magnífica!!!

Hi Radomir,very nice and impressive picture,great sharpness on that macro pict. Good use of DOF.

Hi Radomir,
What beautiful angle of view. Very well captured with excellent details and composition. Now the weather is winter with 12 to 18 deg Cel. A good to photograph insects is in the morning between 9 to 11 am. I have also captured the same species with another color but due to my research with my new DSLR I am not posting those coolpix ones. I will post them as soon as i master this DSLR thing which is taking on my nerves. Thanks a lot for sharing.
Best Regards & wishes
Haraprasan
Your friend from Cuttack, Orissa, India

Dear Radomir
Excellent shot of this Gypsy moth,
Perfect focusing,DOF and BG,Superb shot.

Wish you best for 2008
Fartash

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