Spidey Sense

Photo Information

Taken:	12 May 2007, 16:43 at Inks Lake State Park
Camera:	FinePix V10
Exposure:	ISO 200
	13.6mm, 0 EV
	f4.2
	1/350

Backstory

Suna and I were hiking with some friends at Inks Lake State Park near Burnet, Texas (pronounced “Burn it,”  dern it) when we came across this lovely tarantula. It was a tad shy and retreated into its home. I love the structure of the web, but I wouldn’t want get caught in it. Look how it forms a tunnel back into the shelter of the plants against the karst.

I wish I knew more about arachnids. Perhaps someone can identify this lovely for me.

I think Suna took this photo. At least, it was taken with her camera.

–24 April 2012

Who’s Studying Whom?

Photo Information

Taken:	22 May 2007 12:23 at the family farm near Yorktown, Texas
Camera:	Olympus C200Z
Exposure:	ISO 100
	9.1mm, 0 EV
	f3.7
	1/650

Backstory

I think this may have been Kynan’s first exposure to cattle. I know it was the first time these cows ever saw him. Makes you wonder who’s studying whom. I also like how the dark brown cow is watching me.

In the background you can see Dad’s old fuel tank and the house that was.

–26 April 2012

Suna’s Red Shawl

Photo Information

Taken:	21 May 2007 16:46 Brushy Creek, Texas
Camera:	Olympus C200Z
Exposure:	ISO 200
	8.5mm, 0 EV
	f3.6
	1/50 (indoor, auto flash)

Backstory

Suna is wearing a red shawl she just finished knitting. The image is a bit flatter than I had hoped. The flash didn’t help much here.

The original picture features Dec’s unkempt (and mostly unused) project table in the background—something I thought detracted from the artistic merit of the shawl. I removed the background by hyper blurring it with Pixelmator.

Pixelmator is a Photoshop equivalent available for a fraction of the cost on the Mac App store. It does almost everything Photoshop does, but the selection tools are not as robust as you can tell by some of the hard edges on the shawl. I guess you do have to lose some functionality when you use a $39 app instead of a $800 one. That just means I’ll have to be more careful in selecting the edges next time.

–16 May 2012

That’s Why Perhaps They All Wear Chaps…

Photo Information

Taken:	12 May 2007 17:12 at Inks Lake State Park
Camera:	FinePix V10
Exposure:	ISO 64
	6.3mm, 0 EV
	f2.8
	1/450

Backstory

While I’m not a big fan of the prickly pear cactus—I much prefer the ones I call “prickless pears” because of their lack of thorns—I do admire its lush flowers. They are large, abundant, and bright yellow. They are also a micro-ecosystem, full of various life forms. You can see a larger bug of some kind in the topmost flower of this bouquet. Smaller bugs adorn some of the other blooms.

–25 April 2012

What’s Black and White and Red, Just Not All Over

Photo Information

Taken:	12 May 2007 15:34 on a Hiking Trail at Inks Lake State Park
Camera:	Cannon Rebel XT / EF-S 18-55mm lens
Exposure:	ISO 100
	6.3mm, 0 EV
	f2.8
	1/240

Backstory

I spotted this little feller while hiking at Inks Lake State Park. It was making good time across the rocks of the hiking path.

I’m not sure what kind of caterpillar it is. The closest picture I could find wash’t an exact match and was asking for help identifying the critter. The closest identified match was a Black Swallowtail butterfly caterpillar, but that guy has yellow spots, not red.

Some caterpillars change colors at pupation. Individual differences? A space caterpillar from another planet? If you have a clue, please leave a comment.

–1 April 2012