Fragments From Floyd

I gave up the possibility of macro shots too easily a few years back when the Nikon Coolpix died. I thought that was a part of my photographic toolkit I could do without, that I would make up for by the improved speed and control I gained with the D70 in April, 2004.

But since regaining the ability to look with a bug's eye view at nature's form, pattern, structure and intricacy again with the Powershot (thanks for the occasional loan, wifey!) I'm realizing what an important form of photographic expression it still is, has been these past two years.

Thinking back, my first year's worth of digital images was largely closeups. More than 1000 of those images disappeared forever when my hard drive melted down as I was installing a CD burner so I wouldn't lose any of my precious pix. Sigh.

So it is gratifying to have my eyes back, to see, to share and appreciate details that would otherwise be beyond the power of my tools to bring back. But of course, in this case, it might have been just as well had I left my macro-vision out in the pasture. Still, these are beautiful-hideous beasts seen at close range, wouldn't you agree? (My apologies to this hapless couple caught coupled during a pasture picnic on a remote milkweed where they expected to have a few moments of uninterrupted togetherness. Who'd have thought some weirdo with a camera would come along during a compromising moment of arthropodic intimacy! Note the smaller male above--a condition not that unusual in the animal world.)