2014-06-08
Bee.
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.
For 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.
