A week ago I discovered a small pool near my home that had frogs in it. I didn’t have any good frogs shots in my “portfolio” yet so i decided then that I would have to come back and try my luck. My first attempt was today. I was curious to see if i could find a way to make a frog look interesting….
here is what i got so far…
You know it is a slow day when i am shooting the local flora….but there is something appealing about this…
Shot of the Month – May 2012
This image makes me very uneasy. My eyes keep drifting past those rows of teeth. Past that mottled tongue. Back to that space where the two jaws meet. My gaze becomes locked as I imagine what this view means for creatures unfortunate enough to see the inside of a crocodile’s mouth.
I photographed this Nile Crocodile in Botswana from quite far away. Very far away actually. I was in a vehicle, on the other side of a large river. I felt uncomfortable then though the danger was nil. Even now, sitting safely in my chair a continent away — a sense of dread. My eyes dart to those teeth. Then to those eyes. The eyes are so tiny. They seem almost like an afterthought. A killing machine so massive and efficient, 55 million years in the making, that it almost doesn’t need to see? And then back, back, deep into the throat of the abyss. My eyes are unable to look away. My mind seized in the grip of forced contemplation of my mortality.
My inability to mentally break free is well-founded in reality. Once in the jaws of a crocodile escape is all but impossible for mortal creatures. No other animal on the planet exerts as much force as the crocodile – in fact, the comparison is absurd. Rottweiler dogs can clamp down on your leg with 335 pounds/square inch of force. Ouch, bad dog. Hyenas can crush bones with their powerful jaws and can apply up to 1000 pounds/square inch. The great white shark has a legendary powerful bite and can exert 1,800 pounds/square inch (Dun-dun Dun-dun!).
Whatever.
If you want to break free from the bite of that pesky 1-ton crocodile pulling you into the water for a swim you will need to overcome more than 5,000 pounds/square inch of force. Good luck with that.
I am having a hard time finishing the narrative for this Shot of the Month. Normally I sit and look at the image and the ideas and words flow. In this case, the creative process grinds to a halt as my eyes lock and the mind turns. It is more portal than picture. To feelings and ruminations I rarely experience with a wildlife photo.
The journey is illuminating, motivating even, but dare not linger.
Until next month……
(note to self: next month find a photo of a cuddly, fluffy bunny to talk about….)
This is not the best shot from the day, but I like the archetype nature of the image.
Reg-wing Blackbird, nuff said…
Shot of the Month – April 2012
The well-known fairy tale, The Beauty and the Beast, is centered around two characters. The first is a young woman, aptly named “Belle” who embodies all that is beautiful in the world. The second character, the “Beast” is wild and grotesque and a perfect foil to Belle.
This month I offer you the African Jacana, a creature that could make this play into a one “man” show. (The one shown here was photographed in Botswana)
Starting from the top the Beauty is easy to see. The blue forehead and bill are in stark contrast to the black head and bright white neck. Look a bit lower toward the base of the neck and we find a lovely golden necklace that leads us to the body which is adorned in a dark, rich chestnut color.
Stop there, the end of Act One, and we have a truly lovely bird.
Act Two begins as our gaze continues lower, and here we encounter nothing but the Beast.
Check out those Gargoyle legs?! The disconnect is jolting. An exquisitely colored, delicate little bird which suddenly transforms into a Pterodactyl.
Although those feet are not terribly attractive, they are incredibly effective at allowing the African Jacana to walk across floating leaves or lily pads, where these birds spend much of their time looking for food. Those super-long toes spread the bird’s weight out over a large surface area allowing them to stay afloat. Jacanas are so adept at skimming across the top of the water (or so it appears at a distance) that they are also referred to as the “Jesus Birds.” (get it?) Perhaps more accurately, the jacana is also known as the “Lily Trotter.”
Here you can see those wondrous feet in action:
There you have it, the African Jacana, beautiful in form and in function, though perhaps not at the same time.
Until next month…..:-)
