Lackford Autumn Sunshine

Lackford Lakes looked at their best in the sunshine yesterday and the hundreds of Migrant Hawkers were certainly enjoying the warm conditions. A lot of the time, I was shooting into the light giving dark backgrounds and contrasty subjects but this first shot allows all the detail of the markings of this male. Other species were Willow Emerald, Ruddy Darter, Water Boatmen, Pond Skater, Sand Wasp, Small Copper, Peacock, Speckled Wood, Green-Veined White, Tachnid Fly and Ivy Bee. 

Bugs Galore

Yesterday's warm moist air brought a lot of the insects to surface including a very large number of different species of plant-sucking bugs. This Mullein seed head turned out to be the equivalent of a high-rise building in a densely populated city area with at least eight Nereis bugs in the frame with the Corizus bug. Using a macro lens or a hand-held magnifying lens, it is possible to distinguish some of the very similar looking species as in image 3 and 4. The Lacewing larva and Stenocranus plant hopper are two of my favourites of the session along with the last image - a Hornet taking a wasp from ivy flowers. Id sheet at end.

Wrest Park 3

I was using a full spectrum camera at Wrest Park, which is a modified camera that has had the internal infrared (IR) blocking filter removed, allowing it to capture the full range of light—ultraviolet (UV), visible, and infrared (IR). Often these cameras are used with different wavelength filters to capture particular wavelengths for monochrome work. I was using mine without filters and doing adjustments to colour in lightroom. 

Wrest Park 2

A few more images from the 720nm infrared Sony RX100 conversion, processed to give high-contrast monochromes.