Super Full Moon

On Satuday, 19 March 2011, the moon arrived at perigee at approximately 19h09 - at that point in time the moon was only 356,575 km from earth.   From what I 've heard over the radio the moon appeared 14% bigger and 30% brighter than usual.

Stretch and I drove to a koppie close to our house to take this photo.  It was really a beautiful evening with very little wind.  The only thing that spoiled it was some idiot who parked his car a few meters from mine  hampering my efforts to get a shot of the moon through some tree branches. I  cursed him all the way home - so, I guess by now his suffering from acute diarrhea!!! :D

Result after using some of the gimp filters/plug-ins and scripts.

Garden Locust (Acanthacris ruficornis)

Found this nymph (lenght approx 4cm) feeding on a marjoram plant in my herb garden. I only noticed him between the green leaves when he started jumping around as I watered the plants.

Adult garden locusts are dark brown in colour with a midline cream stripe running from the thorax  to the  wings.  White and red spines are found on the hind tibea.

The best way to distinguish between adult males and females is to look at the shape of the tip of the abdomen. The tip of the male's abdomen is smooth and rounded, whilst the female's is jagged.

In some parts of Africa these locusts are considered a delicacy.

Magnificent Thunderstorm - 8 March 2011

Here's some photos I took of Tuesday evening's thunderstorm over Port Ellizabeth.  This was another first for me. 

I could barely contain my excitement when I heard the first few rumbles.  Stretch, our dog, saw us scrambling into 'his vehicle' and started to whine uncontrollably - so we decided to take him along for the ride.

We drove to a little koppie in Lovemore Heights, where we eagerly awaited mother nature's brilliant light display.  Within minutes it started to rain and white flashes could be seen all over the city. 

So, there I was camera in hand, no tripod and a plastic bag to protect one of my most prized possessions against the rain. 

It's really a shame that I selected the wrong settings for this type of photography - but I suppose the only way to learn is by making mistakes.

As the storm approached us Stretch got very agitated and we decided to return home. 

Not wanting to lose out on a good thunderstorm, I decided to take some photos from our porch.  Initially I thought that the angle would not be good enough, but I don't think it turned out too bad.

Taking these photos was an exhilarating experience - I felt lik a real life storm chaser!

Heard over the radio today that on 19 March 2011 the moon will make its closest approach to earth since 1993.  It was said to expect some extreme weather conditions and possible a few natural disasters such as eartquakes.

Although I really hope that the latter part of the predictions don't come true, I do hope for a clear sky so that I can attempt taking decent photos of the moon.

February Sunset

If someone told me this morning that I would photograph one of the most breathtaking sunsets today, I would probably have laughed at them!   It was one of those hectic days, and  the lack of caffiene in my system made it even worse. 

Upon returning home, I decided to play with Stretch in the backyard. Soon we were both so tired that we fell down onto the grass.  That's when I noticed a large cloud being illumenated by the setting sun. I rushed indoors to get my camera and within seconds I forgot all about the hectic day I had.  Soon mist and smaller clouds started rolling in, and before my eyes the trees 'caught fire'.

I only sharpened and cropped the following photo - just to give an idea of what the sunset looked like (also have to mention that I used a polarized filter): 

The majority of the photos to follow were edited in Corel Painshop Photo Pro X3.  Editing photos is my least favourite part of photography, although I have to admit it makes a big difference....

The following result was achieved by changing the contrast and brightness settings.  It's one my favourite photographs to date.

Using the kaleidoscope effect:

Now this is what I call a perfect end to a VERY LONG DAY!!!

"The rising sun
blesses my mind
with joy.

The setting sun
blesses my heart
with peace."  

Sri Chinmoy

A cat and four dogs...

As I was driving into our complex this morning I noticed a cat taking a nap under the branches of a tree.  Needless to say, I grabbed my camera to take some photos. There was no time to swap lenses, but who cares!  I'm doing this for the fun of it...

“Some people say that cats are sneaky, evil, and cruel.  True, and they have many other fine qualities as well” Missy Dizick

This post will not be complete without some of photos of dogs, so here goes:

  

Last, but not least, a photo of my beloved son, Stretch.  He's very camera shy, so this was nothing but a fluke!

“A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself.”  Josh Billings

 

Hiding amongst the grass...

“She sat down in a weed patch, her elbows on her knees, and kept her eyes on the small mysterious world of the ground.  In the shade and sun of grass blade forests, small living things had their metropolis.”  Nancy Price

Robber Fly (possibly Pegesimallus pulchriventris)

Elegant Grasshopper (Zonocerus elegans)

Bagworm larva hanging from a strand of silk

Head of the larva protruding from its case 
made of silk and grass

Silver-Striped Hawk Moth (Hippotion sp.)

Silver-Striped Hawk Moth (Hippotion sp.)

For the last couple of days I have searched in vain for interesting insects and spiders to photograph.  So, imagine my suprise on Saturday when I came across this Hawk Moth in our garden seeking shelter from the sweltering heat.  

The wingspan of the moth was +/- 70mm.  Its hind wings had beautiful pink bases, whilst its abdomen was covered in silver flecks.

These moths are found all over Afria, and are known to migrate occasionally. 

Unfortunately this was the only photo I could get of the moth's coiled proboscis.

Whilst photographing the hawk moth, I spotted this recently hatched grasshopper nymph on one of the succulent plant's leaves.  Approximate size was about 13mm.

Sunday afternoon ended on a high note when I discovered an Elegant Grasshopper feeding on a grass blade.  I will try my best to upload those photos within the next few days.

Have a good week all!