Owner: David's Nature Photography Gallery URL:http://davids-pics.blogspot.com Join Date: Thu, 31 May 2007 06:16:08 -0500 Rating:0 Site Description: An extensive and regularly updated gallery featuring all kinds of nature photography - flora, fauna, landscapes, macro, wildlife and more. An essential resource for nature and photo lovers alike. Site statistics:Click here
WOW! Another Millennium already! 2007-05-30 01:59:00 Breaking news: I just got my 2,000th visitor! It's only 42 days since I got my first thousand, which was 4.5 months after my blog started, so this site has taken a huge leap in popularity since then.Again, I thank all the people who have visited my blog or posted comments to contribute to this millennium - you help keep this site alive. Any feedback is welcome, so send in your ideas about what you think could be improved. I recently installed a content rating system at the bottom of every post, so please take the time to give a rating to any pictures you find interesting.To finish, here are some statistics for my blog:Total posts: 109Total visitors: 2,000Most popular search engine query: agapantha flowerTotal comments: 45Estimated maintanance time spent: Over 2,700 minutes (about 50 hours)Average visit length: 1:52 minutesAnyway, gotta go now, I've just about set up my linux system so I'll be back posting any day now!P.S. When I get the time, I'll make a "best bits" collection of t Read more:Millennium
I'm still alive! 2007-05-27 18:03:00 This is just a quick post, I'm backing up my computer and migrating to SUSE Linux at the moment, so I haven't got much time to post stuff for a while. I wanted to put a photo up with this post, but Blogger and Picasa have both crashed on me! Oh well, you might want to take a browse through some of my old photos until I've sorted all this stuff out. Just take a look 'round the "categories" (scroll down - it'll be on the right side of the page), or use the Search box at the top right to look through the 80+ photos to date.See ya soon,DavidOther blogs:
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Odd one out - Camphor-laurel leaves in contrast 2007-05-25 01:06:00 Single green Camphor-laurel leaf in contrast
with many brown leaves
Green Camphor-laurel leaf amongst dead ones This is a very contrasting picture of a green camphor-laurel leaf resting amidst many brown leaves. It was taken with a desaturizing filter to remove some of the color from the dead leaves, but the single green leaf still stands out clearly from the rest.Related Posts:Prawns Anyone? (seafood scraps)Prickle resting on a leaf - A sign of contradictionFollowing in his footsteps... (pawprints in the sand)Drought (cracked earth)Posted to http://davids-pics.blogspot.com on 25th May 2007Other blogs:
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Prawns anyone? (Prawn Heads) 2007-05-23 04:26:00 Prawn Heads
and other scrapsLeftover prawn headsHere is a very different perspective on this well-known seafood! This is a close-up photo of the scraps left over after a meal of prawns. The prawns' heads and tails are all that is left.The large black eye is the most outstanding part of the prawn heads shown here, especially the center one. The natural body curves are also a feature of this photo, and the detailed look at this common but little-examined creature provides plenty of interesting items for examination.This is yet another example of what amazing photographic subjects can be found just by looking around us. So much of what we see is a wide-angle view of the world - sometimes we can discover many more insights when we just stop and look under our noses!This photo was taken with the Kodak C330 camera.Related Posts:Bee landing on lavender flowerHairy Processionary CaterpillarKangaroo caught mid-air during jumpNote: Remember to rate this picture (see below)!Other blogs:
The Big Read more:Prawns
, Prawn
New Content Rating System 2007-05-21 02:07:00 I've been asked a few times whether there is any way to rate the pictures that people see on this site. So far, there hasn't been any way to rate an individual picture (apart from writing a comment), so I got working on a way to assign each picture a "star rating", giving users a chance to share their opinion on a photo.I have set up a rating system with spotback.com which does just that. At the bottom of each post, there is a small "widget" showing the overall rating of the post, and each user can simply click in their own rating if so desired.If anyone has any feedback on this rating system, you can post a comment or email me with your ideas for improvement. One major area of consideration is the page load time - does anyone find that this page loads extra slowly?DavidOther blogs:
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, Rating
, System
Calm lake with green mountains in background 2007-05-19 22:00:00 Calm lake with green trees by side and mountains
in background
Rocky Creek Dam - Lake with trees and mountainThis landscape vista of a lake was taken at Rocky Creek Dam, Lismore. The area is very green, due to recent rain. A dense area of lily-pads is visible at the bottom left of the image.The composition of the photograph is such that the eye is drawn along a zig-zag path into the picture, reaching an apex at the intersection between the mountains and the cloudy sky. The areas of light and dark trees tend to alternate across the picture, combining with the curves of the lake's (or dam's) water to draw the eye from side to side into the distance.As you can see, I'm testing a post rating system. If you just choose a rating in the box below and click "Add my Rating", you'll see public rating of this post.This photo was taken with the Kodak C330 camera.Related Posts:Sunset Vista"English" Aussie CountrysideSunrise at the BeachValley Vistamore...Other blogs:
The Big Byte
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I
Bee landing on lavender flower 2007-05-16 22:16:00 Honey Bee landing
on lavender flower
Close-up of bee landing on lavender flower On the subject of lavenders, I have this photo of a bee just landing on a lavender flower. The blurred bee gives the impression of split-second motion, and the relatively high ISO gives the image a soft grainy texture. Just after I took this photo, I got another photo of the bee on the lavender flower.Photo taken with the Kodak C330 camera (4.2MP).Related Posts:Bee resting on lavender flowerAn interesting perspective on a lavender bushBalloon vine tendril grasping a lavender flowerPhoto of a lavender flowerOther blogs:
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Photo of a Lavender flower 2007-05-15 18:21:00 Photo of a lavender flower
with water dropletsWater droplets on a lavender blossomThe dark tones of this picture blend nicely, creating a natural over-saturated effect. The lavender blossom in the foreground has small droplets of dew on it, from some early morning rain. The flower in the background is nearly a mirror image of the foreground one, giving another interesting effect.This photo was taken with the Sony DSC-H1 camera (5.1MP, 1/500 shutter, 3.8 aperture).Related Posts:Balloon vine flower with water dropletsFlower with water dropletsClose-up of a balloon vine flowerLavender
flower with beemore...Other blogs:
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Balloon vine flower with water droplets 2007-05-13 03:06:00 Balloon vine flower
with water
dropletsWater droplets on balloon vine flowerHere is another photo of a flower just after the rain. This one of a balloon vine flower, has water droplets on it, giving a totally different feel to the same photo taken a few days before. This photo was taken with the Sony DSC-H1, with 1/500 shutter speed and f3.2 with bright lighting, making the flower bright enough, but the background is darkened.Related Posts:Soft-focus flower (favourite)Silverbeet leaf with water dropletsPrickle Resting on LeafDandelion flowerOther blogs:
The Big Byte
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Read more:Balloon
Flower with water droplets 2007-05-13 02:46:00 Flower with water
dropletsWater droplets on white flower This morning we got some rain here, so I've been out snapping some of the wonderful pictures you can get when this vitalizing event occurs. This is one of them - a small white flower covered with water droplets. The detail is amazing, and the lighting was perfect with a thick fog producing and even light with gentle shadows. This photo was taken with the Sony DSC-H1, on 1/500th second shutter speed and f2.8, focal length 6.0mm.Related Posts:Water droplets on balloon vine flower (favourite)Water droplets on flower (same as the flower in this post!)Dandelion flowerSoft Focus Flower (favourite)Silky Oak Tree flowerAgapantha flowersOther blogs:
The Big Byte
WOWebbs blogs
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Prickle resting on leaf - A sign of contradiction 2007-05-10 04:37:00 Prickle Resting on a leafPrickle resting on balloon vine leafSorry for the slow update, I thought blogger had uploaded my post but it hadn't, so these past few days I haven't been able to get a post up! I think I've fixed the problem now, so here goes.This photo is an excellent example of contrasting composition being used to draw attention to the central object of the picture. The leaf in the center of the photo draws your attention toward the right hand side of the picture, while the prickle ("bindie") in the center of the leaf points it's spikes toward the left of the picture. The leaves in the background rotate around the center of the image, making the whole picture focus on the object in the center. The colors also contrast to bring out the prickle.This photo was also taken with the Sony camera, on a high shutter speed and aperture again.Related Posts:(coming soon)Other blogs:
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Close-up of a Balloon Vine Flower 2007-05-06 22:30:00 Balloon vine flowerClose
-up of a balloon vine flowerA nice close-up (macro shot) of a balloon vine flower in full bloom. This photo was taken with a high shutter speed and aperture setting, creating sharp edges on the flower while keeping the background softened.---Note:I am considering the purchase of a new digital camera - the old 4.2MP Kodak C330 point-and-shoot model is great for general-purpose shooting and landscapes, but I need something a bit more advanced to get the best shot in other situations. The camera I am thinking of is the Fujifilm F6500fd, which is designed to look and feel like and SLR, while only costing AUD$499. It features 6.1MP, 10x twist-action zoom, and manual shutter and aperture.Before buying, I have had the opportunity to try a similar camera - the Sony DSC-H1. This 5.1MP camera has 12x optical zoom, and manual features, making it comparable to the Fujifilm. This macro photo of the balloon vine flower was taken with the Sony camera.Related Posts:Soft focus f Read more:Balloon
Tropical twilight 2007-05-06 01:31:00 "Tropical
Twighlight" - Moon through palm treesPalm trees framing the moon I took this photo some time ago when I was on the East coast of Queensland. The twilight shadows and the moon framed by the palm trees combine to create a peaceful effect. Although this isn't exactly in a "tropical" location, the palm trees make it look like that!Other blogs:
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Magnificent Bolas Spider 2007-05-03 04:59:00 I snapped these two pictures out in the yard today, and initially couldn't identify the spider and sac. On the net, I found that the spider is called the "Magnificent
bolas spider", and the picture below is one of it's egg sacs. For more information, visit the USQ's spider ID chart.The "Magnificent bolas spider"Magnificent Bolas Spider
The Magnificent Spider's egg sacOne of the spider's egg sacsOther blogs:
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Sun rays shining through spider web 2007-04-29 22:03:00 Sun rays shining through spider webSun and spider web Here is a rather abstract photo of the sun shining it's rays through a Garden Orb Spider's web. The strong back lighting produces excellent outlines on the spider web, and the curve of the web draws the eye between the sun and the top right corner of the image (not that there's anything there!).Related Posts:Spider web againSpider!The WebP.S. You might want to check out a new blog I have been helping to design: http://onepoint5.blogspot.comThis blog will be an ongoing chronicle of one family's adventures on their 1.5 acre block of land in town.Other blogs:
The Big Byte
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Silverbeet leaf with water droplets 2007-04-29 03:00:00 Silverbeet leaf with water
dropletsSilverbeet leaf with water droplets It's great what sort of photos you can get just after some rain. This photo of a silverbeet (spinach) leaf was taken in the early morning, when the sun was just beginning to cast it's light on the world.Other blogs:
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Sunset vista 2007-04-24 05:39:00 Sun setting in the outbackSunset
vista This is a nice landscape shot of the sun setting in an Australian outback scene. The clouds curve upwards to make a majestic image, and the treeline frames the lower section of the sky nicely.Photos featuring the sun seem to fit into a category of their own, and I have certainly taken a lot of them! Some of my previous posts related to this topic include:Morning SunSunsetSunshine Breaks & Solar FlareSun shining through leavesOther blogs:
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Small feet in pile of leaves 2007-04-23 21:28:00 Small feet in a pile of leaves
Small feet in pile of leaves Going on the recent theme of "feet", I took a photo of two small children sitting in a pile of autumn leaves and zoomed in on their feet to get this photo. Again, I have applied a soft focus filter to this photo in order to add focus to the feet in the middle of the image.Related Posts:Footprints in the SandFollowing in his footsteps...Other blogs:
The Big Byte
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Read more:Small
Another Hairy Caterpillar [Processionary Caterpillar] Photo 2007-04-19 02:40:00 Processionary Caterpillar Here is another photo of the hairy "Processionary Caterpillar" we have been observing (see my previous post Caterpillar Migration). We have been tracking these caterpillars (caterpillers?) for the past few days, and have seen them processing many times now. They seem to be moving back and forth between the middle of our drive way (a very inconvenient position for us!), and a few camphor-laurel trees we have about. They appear to be able to move very quickly when they want to! Hopefully they settle down soon to pupate, otherwise someone will run over them sooner or later!Other blogs:
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New life! 2007-04-07 06:45:00 New shootsSun shining through leavesTo celebrate Easter, I have this post illustrating "new life". (Top): Quite a good close-up of some new shoots springing from the soil. (Above): A photo of the sun shining through some new leaves. Notice the ant at the top left corner!For more on the origins of Easter, visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EasterOther blogs:
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Mushroom 2007-04-03 23:42:00 Large Mushroom
Mushroom This mushroom has quite a long stem to go with it's large head. Notice the small ring about 1/3 of the way down the stem. This photo was taken near Sydney, NSW.Other blogs:
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Soft-focus flower 2007-04-01 23:15:00 Pink flower
with soft-focusFlower with soft edges This is a beautiful picture of a many-petaled flower. A soft-focus filter has been applied to create the blur effect at the edgesOther blogs:
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She sells sea shells.... 2007-03-31 01:55:00 Sea shell in sandShell in Sand An interesting perspective on a sea shell at the shore in the sand!Other blogs:
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Grass waving in the wind... 2007-02-28 00:23:00 Green grass waving
in the breeze...Green Grass swaying in breeze A nice abstract photo of some green grass bending gently in the breeze. Most of the grass stems are leaning to the right, but some are leaning in other random directions, bringing contrast into the picture.Other blogs:
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Welcome! 2006-12-22 20:01:00 Welcome to my Nature Photography blog! This blog is designed to be a Digital Image Gallery for some of my best photos to be published. I will try to put new images up here regularly, so keep watching for new content! At the moment, all images are copyright, but I will hopefully get them licenced under the Creative Commons or another public licence soon.You can email me for the full-sized images if you would like to obtain them.Hope you enjoy my pics, and any comments would be appreciated! You can also email your ideas to me at davids-pics@temporaryforwarding.comDavidLabels: flora, fauna, landscape, hill, beach, agapantha, sand, sun shining through trees photoOther blogs:
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Blade of grass with water droplets 2007-06-03 00:41:00 Blade of Grass with small water
dropletsI'm back! I've finally got openSUSE Linux installed and functioning properly, so this blog is now officially live again!This is an extreme close-up photo of a single blade of grass
covered in small droplets of water. The photo was taken from about 1-2 cm away from the piece of grass - the closest focus range that the Sony DSC-H1 could achieve, and indeed the closest any camera could get without touching the subject!Looking at the composition again, the eye is immediately drawn to the sharply focused water droplets in the middle of the picture. The image gives the impression of freshness and beauty, and the crisp edges of the blade of grass in the middle also add a sense of capturing the moment. The deep greed of the grass stands out clearly against the rich brown of the undergrowth in the background.This image is yet another "post-rain" photograph - the high saturation and the presence of water droplets are typical of this style of photo.This p Read more:Blade
Twisting jungle of "Mother-in-law's Tongue" 2007-06-06 02:18:00 Twisting jungle of "Mother-in-law's Tongue" plantTwisting jungle of leavesHere is another picture with a lot of repetitive patterns in it. I just saw this mini-jungle of tall, twisting leaves and shot a photo of it on the spur of the moment - it just goes to show how not all good photos are "set up".Somewhat unkindly, the plant featured in this photo is commonly known as "Mother-in-law's Tongue", due to the fact that is is nearly impossible to get rid of! I'm not sure of it's real name, but I'll try to track it down soon. The leaves, although all very similar, also contrast in their details. The repetitive pattern on each leaf is slightly different from one to the other, defining the edges of the leaves and breaking up the visual "flow".This photo was taken with the Kodak C330 camera.Related Posts:Blade of grass with water dropletsOdd one out - Camphor-laurel leaves in contrastOther blogs:
The Big Byte
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Close-up of yellow Rocket flowers 2007-06-07 04:49:00 Yellow Rocket flowers close-upRocket plant with yellow flowersThis photo shows the flowers of the "rocket" plant, of which the leaves are edible and taste like spicy lettuce. We've had quite a bit of rain here lately (over 20mls, which is a lot in the current drought conditions!), so the lower leaves of the plant are sprinkled with water droplets.Notice that there are only two major colours in this picture - yellow and green. This is an interesting method of drawing the subject out from the background - the simple colour scheme helps to keep the eye attracted to the essential elements of the photo.The closing date of the "best bits" survey is approaching - I've only got 2 submissions so far, so please send in your favourite photos soon! See details in the "Alerts" section on the right. Thank you!This photo taken with the Kodak C330 camera.Related Posts:Blade of grass with water dropletsBalloon vine flower with water dropletsFlower with water dropletsOther blogs:
The Big Byte
WOWebbs Read more:Close
Best Bits - The best of Nature Photography on Davids-Pics 2007-06-14 19:50:00 Best Bits is finally here! This collection is a selection of the best photos posted to this blog in the past 2 months as selected by viewers. The ratings were gathered from a combination of the rating bar at the bottom of each post, and emailed submissions. There were a few firm favourites, especially the Odd one Out - Camphor-laurel leaves post, and others varied between submissions. I would like to thank all who submitted their favourites to this collection, especially Stephanie who made the first submission. Also thanks to those who use the rating bar below each post - this system has been a great success. Well, without any further ado, here are the best photos:Odd one out - Camphor-laurel leaves in contrast This one was a firm favourite. The single green camphor-laurel leaf in the middle of the photo provides a stark contrast to the dead brown leaves surrounding it.9 votesHairy Processionary Caterpillar PhotoThis photo of a single "Proce
Close-up of a hen-pecked Chook's feathers 2007-06-14 00:18:00 Hen-pecked chook's feathersStumps of feathers from a hen-pecked chookOur 12 laying hens have recently been attacking each other to various degrees, and this is the result of a few close encounters with sharp beaks. It's an unusual subject for a photo, but that's a big part of photography - taking a different view at everyday things. This photo was just taken on the spur of the moment when I saw one of the hens being transferred to a new cage.The curves of the feather stems concentrate towards the middle-right section of the image.They form a sort of recurring pattern which does seem to have some order about it. The single remaining feather in the middle of the bunch of short "stumps" brings the sense of contrast in again. The whole picture centers on the basis of curves and two colors - blue/gray and brown/orange.Well, it's already the 14th - entries to the "best bits" survey closed yesterday. I'm sorting through the entries and creating a collection of the best photos from the pa Read more:Close
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