Bug Life Via Kodachrome

Way back in the 90s I like to hunt insects with my camera.  Tripod, Nikon F4, lens 105mm macro, and used Kodachrome slide film.   Sometimes I would perch on a flower and just wait to see who/what showed up.   Above, I saw a spider on a thistle and just watched.... he/she was waiting for some unsuspecting pollen gatherer and this poor bee happened along.  Nature is sometimes brutal.  Below, this guy landed/crash landed vertically . 

Above and below; Common Sulfur getting a drink - above from a thistle, below from clover.  Much more gentle than above.   

 

Spring On The Forest Floor

These flowers, called Spring Beauties, come up toward the end of March and only last for a couple of days.  They are very tiny, only as large as an average thumbnail.

 These photos were taken with a Nikon F4 film camera using Kodachrome 64.  105mm lens, tripod, shot at ISO 80.   Scanned on an Epson 3200.

Insect - Aside Volume 7

                                             

                                       Come into my parlor said the spider to the fly.

And, some bees on a thistle.

Insect - Aside Volume 6

 More from the world of the tiny.

Insects - Aside Volume 5

A mixture of insects and spiders, predators and prey.  Kind of a miserable life when you are born/hatched and then spend the rest of your life hiding from death.

Swept wing dragon fly....

If you're not large, be scary. 

 Think you had a bad day; at least you didn't get eaten. 

 His/her Mom thought he/she was cute. 

 Firefly

 Daddy Long Legs and dinner. 

Spider yoga

Insect-Aside Volume 4

Aphid ranching, predation, and SPIDERS.

Above and two below, ants herding aphids.  Ants feed and protect the aphids and the aphids in turn provide a sweet, nutritious secretion for the ants.  Everyone is happy. 

American Hover Fly getting a taste. 

SURPRISE!!!

The shot above shows a spider which lay in wait for the hapless honey bee on a thistle..

Insect-Aside Volume 3

More from the insect world.  The shot above was taken by reversing a 50mm lens using an adapter.  Turns it into a super macro.  You have to get really close though and a lot of bugs won't put up with that.

 All photos taken with the Nikon F4 using Kodachrome 25 or 64.

 Just enjoying the view.

 Above and below, bugs in love..... nsfw

Insect-Aside Volume 2

More from the tiny life of bugs.  All shots either Kodachrome 64 or 25, Nikon F4, Nikon 105mm macro lens.  Some available light, some flash.

Below, ants as herders.  Ants have a symbiotic relationship with some aphids...protecting them from parasites and predators as the aphids produce a sugary substance the ants crave...it's fascinating behavior. I'll have more images of this behavior in a future post.