Wildlife photography is a wide subject. You can specialize in photographing birds or mammals. Photograph wildlife in the plains of South Africa or in your own back garden. While I love photographing my garden birds my real passion is Macro photography. I was given a beautiful Sigma 105mm lens a couple of years ago for my birthday. I admit is sat in its box for a while but once I got passed the idea that to do macro photography you need lights, props etc, I found that it was the one lens that I loved using the most, in fact last summer I think it was the only lens I used!
Macro photography transports you into another world, one where the little creatures that we don't usually notice are in charge. It forces you to stop. To listen. To notice. You find yourself being tuned into a whole other fascinating world. I find myself becoming lost in this new world. I've lost count of the number of times I've lost track of time looking at the many different creatures on a bush that previously I would have walked passed without a second glance or the times I've been so engrossed in what I'm doing that I haven't been aware that someone is standing right behind me.
Sawfly Larvae by the River Esk, Eskdalemuir
It can become addictive!
The photo on the left is of a Sawfly larvae that I found one morning along the River Esk at Kagyu Samye Ling. He was happily munching his way up a blade of grass and I managed to get quite a few shots. Once back home and the photos were uploaded on the computer it was so easy to see his little face. Suddenly it was more than just a little grub. I think it was this photo that made me see how much fun macro photography can be.
Since returning home to the Scottish Borders I've found a couple of locations that may prove to be quite productive for this type of photography. The first is the local community woodland, 'Shunter's Wud'. Plenty of butterflies there and I spent a very enjoyable couple of hours up there a few days ago chasing grasshoppers in the sunshine!
Grasshopper
Another place I plan to spend quite a bit of time at is Lindean Loch in Selkirkshire. It's a beautiful loch in a fantastic setting. Plenty of habitats to explore and my first visit there this morning was not wasted. I had only left the car park and I had dozens of damselflies zipping around me. Sedge Warblers were singing their hearts out in the bushes and dozens of Chimney Sweeper moths were darting around the flowers.
I have been told that it is a brilliant location for various different butterflies - Common Blue, Northern Brown Argus, Ringlet and so on - so I will be back there on the next sunny day to explore!
One of the highlights was this lovely little Weevil that I found when I was photographing the damselflies. Another example of the hidden beauty of those little brown bugs that we mostly ignore..
Weevil
to be continued.......
