[Markdogas]

A new month and a new thread for your photos (now that we have worked out how to best post photos).


First up here's a dragonfly (a male Austroaeschna unicornis) I saw perch in the afternoon as the clouds rolled over. It stayed there all night and by the morning it was covered in dew.


In the evening I was in the Snowy River National Park and tried to stalk frogs by torch-light. I actually had some success finding them and was even lucky enough to be able to photograph them croaking. I always remember a photo posted on scribblygum a few years ago where someone posted a really cool photo of a frog croaking under a mushroom and I was awestruck. Finally I managed to catch one too. I can't identify frogs so please help if you can. I will post a short video tomorrow once I upload it.

[Suentiend]

Wow! That dragonfly pic is AMAZING!

[Buincchotourbss]

Fantastic dragonfly and lovely frog
AusDigi you've left me speachless In awe of your macro skills are you willing to let us into your world and give us some info on how you took the shots: lens, camera, iso, f stop and speed etc or is that giving away too many secrets

[GeraldCortis]

There are no real secrets.

first.. you need an insect that sits still.. second you need a lens or lens arrangement that can capture it.. thirdly you need to be able to hold the camera still.

shutter speeds matter less than aperture.. as long as the light is right(if everything stands still for at least 1/60th/sec..) that is.

Fairly sure this is shot at or less than 1/60th sec.


dragonfly boom by roughbarked, on Flickr

If you want to go to four and five.. you need a flash and a tripod.. but to do this, you basically need to bring the insect to the camera.

[Rounteetepehryn]

first.. you need an insect that sits still.. Indeed. Photograph the dragonfly that sits still, not the one you want to sit still.

Here is a photo I took in January, only just manages to get it off the point and shoot.


Flat out... by dark orange, on Flickr


In good news, I have my real camera back, and it works.

[Markdogas]

Thanks for your nice comments about my photos. I do preserve most EXIF information for my images which is available by simply adding ?exif to the end of any image, eg.
http://photos.rnr.id.au/2012/03/29/d...-0330.jpg?exif

Basically I want good depth of field for my images, which means upping the F-stops. This unfortunately means decreased light so I take most of my photos with flash.

Also, here's a video of the same species of frog croaking away merrily (with another echoing in the background). If anyone can ID it I would be pleased. This was filmed hand-held by torch light so the quality isn't all that great.

[fygESytT]

Thanks to YOU for reminding about that information ... it is valuable for learners.

[Markdogas]

EXIF information for my images which is available by simply adding ?exif to the end of any image

I should qualify that - that's only for images on my server. For other images on servers that don't provide exif info you need to download them and use an exif viewer (of which there are numerous free ones).

[zibTefapparia]

Try Crinia signifera

[TriamiCaw]

[TriamiCaw]

[RooxiaNof]

Nice pictures Jing Joh!

[fygESytT]

A taste of Ucontitchie Hill, today.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/justjjoke/

google earth "Ucontitchie Hill, Cocata SA, Australia"

[Berta]

look what I had the pleasure of photographing !

Yellow faced Whipsnake probably my favourite local snake ..and not only because they are safe to have around

[fygESytT]

oh lovely, binjy. elegant

[Markdogas]

Try Crinia signifera

Thanks - sounds looks and tastes about right. (okay, maybe not that last one)

[GeraldCortis]

Others liked this photo.. so I thought maybe others would like it too
early starter by roughbarked, on Flickr

[Berta]

This morning I saw a nardoo sporocarp which had burst and was surrounded by gel/spores. Almost made it worth getting out of bed!

[Markdogas]

nardoo sporocarp

Looks a bit strange but how cool is that. I was going to ask "how big" but reading this article I see they are "up to nine millimetres long".



A few days ago I spent some time in a rainforest gully in east Gippsland (southern Snowy River National Park to be more precise). Apart from looking for dragonflies I also spent some time photographing cool fungus:

Here's a species I have a soft-spot for (even though its quite common): Boletellus emodensis - I just like their charismatic shaggy "hairdo".



Another Bolete I encountered (for the first time I might add) is this orange one (there were quite a few groups scattered in this part of the forest). At first (from a distance) I mistook it for the common Orange Bracket Fungus Pycnoporus coccieneus as it had the same bright-orange color as fresh specimens of those. It doesn't appear in either Fuhrer (2005) or McCann (2003).



I also encountered an olive/green topped white-gilled mushroom which looks a bit like it could be a Russula of some sort, but once again one of this color isn't these books. I found similar ones on the web (like R. cyanoxantha and R. heterophylla but I don't know if these are known for Australia. EDIT: maybe Russula iterika?




PS. What's the difference between the old Fuhrer guide and the new one - seems to be just a reprinting with a different cover?

[RooxiaNof]

Made a new diffuser this is my test shot:



Now off to find something else.