Photo Adventures with Curiosity and Learning

Today was the start of our holiday and I am determined to figure out how to make focused photos of small insects. Today's adventure was to a small island off the east coast of Singapore, Pulau Ubin. Its basically a nature preserve and is pretty much as it was in the 50s and 60s. Here is the sign:

and Pulau Ubin - some say this is how Siongapore appeared in the 50s and 60. If correct - then what a remarkable building of a country and viable infrastructure in 30 - 40 years!!

Butterflys and insects and spiders (Nephila) and small flowers - here a brown butterfly. Joe Greenfield at Duke is my butterfly professor - and will help me identify them. Assuming, of course, that I can get some sharp photos (my current challenge - project)

Here is some osrt of insect walking on a flower after a short rain. Note how the left hind leg appears to be supported by sufrace tension on the water droplet

Here are a couple of ants crawling around. But look at the magnification provided by the water droplets

This was an interesting challenge as I usually over exposed the white -

And a red ant crawling down the stem of these purple flowers

More water drops

Here is another one of the red ants - with slightly unfocused eyes. These are a quite useful test to get my focus act together

An over exposed red ant with lunch - crawling on the underside of a leaf

and a yellow butterfly

With improved focus

and suddenly, on the path, a cousin of Nephila clavipes Here instead of blad fuzz at the joints of the legs there are yellow markings

Again over exposed head

Another view

A side view

A black and white butterfly -

and lagoon

Another photo fo the black and white

and from the top

Some more red ants

and this butterfly - never quite in focus but I tried many times

and a bee

an improved bee

Missing here is the Steve Testa Orange, Jack Foley and Michael Hebb - but Merry Christmas

a greenish insect

and yellow flower

And I should know but don't know this

C. Frank Starmer

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