Does anyone know a good site for identifying moths, we've got one in the house at the moment thats got to be one of the biggest I've ever seen, its a good 3" long with the lower part of its wings not attached.
Mother of Moths
- Thread starter Lithril
- Start date
http://www.ukleps.co.uk/ has an image gallery of adult moths, but you may want to try http://www.ukmoths.force9.co.uk/ as they have a search facility where you can type in the moths characteristics and it will try and find a match.
Ed
Ed
Yup, scared Sam last night when it was flying around and I've got to say I jumped when I turned around in the shower and it was sat on the top of the cubicle.
My wife Kay found one in the bedroom last night and was suitable freakedLithril said:
I managed to let it out and followed it out into the garden. After sometime it settled and I got a few shots (not easy in the pitch dark )This was a Lime Hawkmoth (Mimas tiliae)
The colours of it's wings and body are pretty amazing, including tints of pinks and greens:
You can see on this detail the tiny scales which cover the wings and provide the actual 'colour' (or reflected/ refracted light as colour) as small silvery dotswhich is the actual scales reflecting the flash. I think the Lime Hawkmoth is really lovely with it's characteristic angular, delta wing shape.
Really beautiful creatures Hawkmoths, as are their caterpillars. They are generally pretty common in Britain with a number of species.
Another decent site is:
UKMoths.org with some "1615 Species illustrated (3427 photos)" accompanied with short written text descriptions.
Just the question I was going to ask and whether it was a separate or integral flash - Come on Simon, spill the beansBob said:Moonraker
Excellent photos - were they taken with a digital or 'traditional' camera? If digital which one as I've rarely seen ones of such quality?!
Regards
Bob
Thanks for the kind words BobBob said:Moonraker
Excellent photos - were they taken with a digital or 'traditional' camera? If digital which one as I've rarely seen ones of such quality?!
Regards
Bob
Digital.
I have owned a Nikon D100 (6.1 Megapixel) digital SLR for 2 years now. I use a reasonably priced Nikon AF-S Nikkor 24-85mm (remember that digital cameras mean that the actual lens is 150% higher focal length than a normal SLR so it is roughly equivalent to a 35-125mm) that came as a kit offer 1:3:5-4.5G lens (around £300) for nearly all my work as I can't afford specialist lens for macro work. It is a well built camera and I went for Nikon for the build quality and decent lens glass. It gets quite a bit of abuse being lugged around the countryside and I am not good at keeping it spotless being more a practical outdoor photographer than anything.
As with everything digital, the same quality can be had for half the price I paid then
(you can get the Nikon D70 Digital SLR Camera Kit including decent AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-70mm Lens for around £700 and get £100 cashback off that from Nikon, better features although slightly less 'solid' but an excellent pro-sumer SLR model. They also do a D50 now a bit cheaper, less features).I use some 1GB Microdrive Memory cards with it so I can take around 1000 Finest quality (3008 x 2000 2MB JPG) out in the field (I use a firewire card reader which downloads very very fast to the computer and not expensive). I have a optional battery pack with 2 lithium batteries which last for ages and a spare or two). With this I can be out for several days without needing electricity to recharge etc.
I just use the built in Flash as I can't afford a Speedlight and try to avoid using flash if at all possible for more natural colours and save the batteries, but like the moth shot it works very well for close work. If I had the cash I would buy a dedicated macro lens rather than a separate flash. Also the more 'kit' you have the more you have to carry or lose!
I found a GREAT difference with any close up work or landscape shots using a tripod now. I avoided using one for ages as I do not want the bulk or weight. I used a decent Manfrotto tripod last year as I tend to drive around the country tracks which go everywhere here so weight was not an issue for long treks. But I found it really too bulky for any distance and also not able to get down close to flowers etc.
At Christmas I sold it on eBay and got a new much lighter tripod which packs down really well, yet can extend up for my6' 3", is stable enough for my needs. It is a Velbon Ultra Luxi F which weighs 1.32 kg including head and packs down to just 39 cm including head. It will always be a compromise between weight, cost and stability but this really is a great tripod for outdoor photography (going down to 19 cm from the ground) and isthe right weight and size/ shape for a rucksack.
Overall digital offers me what I want. Ease of use, Instant (I can check shots on the monitor, play with settings etc there and then) ability to take lots of shots to experiment (angles, exposure, composition etc) without the cost of film, 'digital darkroom' work on the computer with no smelly chemicals
, I am comfortable using my Mac and programmes like Photoshop to 'develop' the image ( I always shy away from overblowing images and work on the photos whilst the real-life colours etc are fresh in my mind and work as close to that as possible) and the advantages of an SLR camera over fixed lens compacts. Especially as the end use is principally for the web although prints are good too.I have no doubt that at the highest level of photography still/ film/ medium-large format still produces the ultimate quality. One day no so far away there will be no discernable difference except perhaps for real purists (like in music with LP's v digital media). For us mere mortals I think 99% could not tell the difference even now. In certain situations digital will not function as well as a film camera such as extreme cold (although I have used mine down to -23C last February in the Hedmark in Norway and just kept the batteries in my trouser pocket for warmth and it worked fine)
I have toyed with the idea of getting a compact digital camera to really make it a light set up and many close up photographers use them , as do birdwatchers now, combined with their scopes. Probably one reason I keep with my heavier Nikon D100 is that I am scrabbling around a lot and it gets a fair bit of bashing which it can take whereas a smaller compact would probably suffer more. Also I just like the bigger bulk of a SLR to hold.
I get a lot of pleasure from getting outdoors and wandering around with the camera. I find I am much more aware of my surroundings as I subconsciously scan for flowers or animals or butterflies or a nice composition. Also, a lot of pleasure being able to share those discoveries and sights with others
Sometimes I just pack it away and enjoy what comes along too.I would love to get together sometime with other people here who enjoy photography and bushcraft
In the end though, THE biggest single factor is not the camera or what type it is, but the person using it and what they do with it.....
Moonraker said:I get a lot of pleasure from getting outdoors and wandering around with the camera. I find I am much more aware of my surroundings as I subconsciously scan for flowers or animals or butterflies or a nice composition. Also, a lot of pleasure being able to share those discoveries and sights with others
I would love to get together sometime with other people here who enjoy photography and bushcraft
In the end though, THE biggest single factor is not the camera or what type it is, but the person using it and what they do with it.....
Moonraker,
A truly informative and inspiring reply. I now feel very guilty for leaving my camera and tripod indoors so much and and only taking "snapshots" with my compact digital camera. Thanks for reminding me and I suspect others, what can be gained by having and using a camera. Just trying to repack for the weekend and find space for the Digital SLR, tripod and Lenses now
Good for you Kevbeachlover said:Moonraker,
A truly informative and inspiring reply. I now feel very guilty for leaving my camera and tripod indoors so much and and only taking "snapshots" with my compact digital camera. Thanks for reminding me and I suspect others, what can be gained by having and using a camera. Just trying to repack for the weekend and find space for the Digital SLR, tripod and Lenses now
Look forward to seeing some of the results.Simon
Thanks for your reply - as already said very informative.
I've yet to 'convert' to digital SLR (a lack of money being the main reason at present) but I must say I'm tempted now!
Tripod-wise I can recommend those made by Benbo. These are perfect for wildlife / still / outdoor photography. I've used a Benbo 'Trekker' for years - you can get down to ground level and I've never yet been in a place where I couldn't set it up (each leg moves independently). They are also very light and strong.
Keep up the good work!
Regards
Bob
Thanks for your reply - as already said very informative.
I've yet to 'convert' to digital SLR (a lack of money being the main reason at present) but I must say I'm tempted now!
Tripod-wise I can recommend those made by Benbo. These are perfect for wildlife / still / outdoor photography. I've used a Benbo 'Trekker' for years - you can get down to ground level and I've never yet been in a place where I couldn't set it up (each leg moves independently). They are also very light and strong.
Keep up the good work!
Regards
Bob
