![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Sunset, Friday. Edinburgh, June 2014.
Jun. 8th, 2014 12:42 pm
Jun. 8th, 2014
You know "feed a "dead" bumble bee" thing a few weeks ago?
Well, this morning meeting behind some shaded (indoor) plant pots, I saw a moribund, motionless bee. Its leg-pouches were full of pollen.
I fetched a teaspoon and filled it with water and a pinch of sugar, and placed it beside the bee.
It immediately stuck its proboscis into the water and drank for many minutes, become quite mobile.
Before it started flying, I manoeuvred it out of the open window, into the sunshine. It hesitated and flew off.
I was awfully pleased. And watching it drink with its proboscis was rather cute!
Well, this morning meeting behind some shaded (indoor) plant pots, I saw a moribund, motionless bee. Its leg-pouches were full of pollen.
I fetched a teaspoon and filled it with water and a pinch of sugar, and placed it beside the bee.
It immediately stuck its proboscis into the water and drank for many minutes, become quite mobile.
Before it started flying, I manoeuvred it out of the open window, into the sunshine. It hesitated and flew off.
I was awfully pleased. And watching it drink with its proboscis was rather cute!
Selfie. Ish.
Jun. 8th, 2014 07:05 pmFor everything that has been written about selfies in the last few months, one could be fooled into thinking that using oneself as a model is a new phenomenon. Of course, it isn't: artists have been creating self portraits for centuries - perhaps, as I recall reading somewhere - because the artist is the one model always available, for free.
I haven't taken formal portraits - of my self or anyone else - for a long time, but last week I needed to attach a photograph to a form; ages ago, a friend said that they thought my online avatar looked like someone wanted by the police.
So I set out to take a new self portrait, setting up the tripod and positioning myself against a plain coloured wall. The form required no shadows (nor any hint of emotion), and I used a flash for that.
But for the avatar, I was happy to switch the flash off and, lit from the window to the side, emphasise the shadow.
The avatar uses a colour version, but I have just thought of stripping the colour out to create a harsh black and white image, which I prefer. Derivative (Bailey, perhaps?), but I rather like it.
I haven't taken formal portraits - of my self or anyone else - for a long time, but last week I needed to attach a photograph to a form; ages ago, a friend said that they thought my online avatar looked like someone wanted by the police.
So I set out to take a new self portrait, setting up the tripod and positioning myself against a plain coloured wall. The form required no shadows (nor any hint of emotion), and I used a flash for that.
But for the avatar, I was happy to switch the flash off and, lit from the window to the side, emphasise the shadow.
The avatar uses a colour version, but I have just thought of stripping the colour out to create a harsh black and white image, which I prefer. Derivative (Bailey, perhaps?), but I rather like it.
