Racing Cow and How to take photos of bees

Yesterday was a gentle farmy day. Queenie who spent most of the day on her string down the back in the long grass by the creek, and who protested loudly when she was brought back into the Corner Paddock, was in a high spirited mood.

And started to race TonTon around. See her tail up just enjoying the joy of the spring and the space to play.

It was only after I began to prcess the days shots that I realised that Ton was in almost every one of them.

Maybe he just throws himself into the view of the camera. Is he becoming vain? And Yes, you do see three hens who should be in the chook house, Son of Neanderthol Man staged a break out!

Mama had visitors most of yesterday. In the morning I was ready to pack her bag for the maternity wing, she was behaving most unusually. But then she settled back down and started chewing her cud again. Later in the day I led her and Mia to the rat house paddock for some green grass  and she chomped away until I led them back out. So maybe a few days yet. She still has a wee bit of room in there maybe. 

I told John I was not leaving the property until these lambs are born.  Well not unless my sheep babysitter is on alert. There is nothing but a mile of flat dry dirt between her house and mine so she can keep an eye on Mama using her binoculars!

Now, I received many comments on the bee bombers yesterday.  And questions too. So I shall share with you how I capture my little shots of  bees, insects, butterflies, roosters, birds and other fast moving objects with no special lenses or gear. Remember I have a very basic old camera.

1.Study your subject.  Where has he been and where is he going?  This makes a big difference. Anticipating where they will go next is enormous. And by no means a science, so get ready to be patient. However if you are aware of what is happening in your garden you are a step ahead already.

2. Set up  and focus in their favorite spot. In this case with the bees I focused on a flower that was heavy with pollen and close to where they were working. Water is my other favourite shooting spot.

3. Use a fast shutter speed. With settings for speed your depth of field is going to be very narrow. So note where this little channel of focus is.

4. Then get comfortable and wait. Shoot everything that comes into your chosen range.  Let the bee come to you. Anticipate where they are going to be and wait.

To put it in a different way. Focus first, then shoot what walks or flies into your field of focus as opposed to running around and around the bush as though You are the bee trying to chase a frantic target.

If you have spent some time studying your subject and your environment it will pay off. Often insects are not as random as you think.  There is a lot of waiting, absolutely still, with your finger partially depressed on that button. Sometimes this does not work either.  No-one comes.

The same applies for a dog chasing a frisbee or jumping a fence. Focus on the fence then call the dog. Throw the frisbee into your field of focus and start shooting when your dog hits that point. Hope that helps.

Good morning.

Though it is still dark outside it really is morning. Mama is sleeping Roundly in her little field.  The roosters are crowing from their beds.  The first of the birds are making tentative peeps. Yesterday John installed a very solid gate that Pat gave him, into  Pats Little Paddock  from the Yards (no need to jump the fence), so I am going to give Mama and Mia (her handmaiden)  a treat of a little munch in the clover today.  It is growing fast, but it is also important not to let them gorge for too long as their bellies are not used to that much green.  Feed has to be changed slowly. So everyone will get a short munch each, on a strict rotation. Except for Queenie who will be outside the fence on her leash. She walks with me like an enormous dog.  Leaning her head into my hip. I think she is trying to steer me.

Have a fabulous day. We will be home all day. There is weather talk of scattered thunderstorms.

I dreamt last night that clouds had nebulous ghostly strings and if you were lucky and found a cloud with a string, very slowly, you could very gently pull on the string and walk the  cloud like a tethered  zepellin behind you. Thus leading the benevolent rain cloud to your own thirsty fields.   Sometimes you have to walk a long way so it is a good idea to pack a lunch and wear strong shoes before going out to search for a cloud with an unclaimed string. You have to tow them back slowly and carefully and talk sweetly to your cloud lest he gains too much momentum and over shoots your field and floats away before raining.  Clouds do not tow backwards. Once you have him positioned above your field and still holding onto your cloud, you can don your long coat and rain hat and wait for the rain.  The other difficulty is of course getting into your raincoat while still holding on to the bobbing string.  Life is difficult sometimes.

I hear the cardinals, time to go to work.

Good morning

celi