A louse by any other name

insect on grass

Continuing my campaign to convince certain people that bugs can be pretty, here are two images of a psocid, commonly known as a bark louse.  Psocids are very small, and easily overlooked.  This little louse was the star of a post way back in Autumn 2012, but for some reason I omitted these pictures that time.  As ever with my insect photography, the images are as much about the background as the bug itself.

insect

More carrelets

Gironde

ISO 50, 200mm, f/11, 86seconds

Some more carrelets.  The tour is called ‘Stilt Fishing Huts of the Gironde‘, so there will be many more pictures of these delightful little structures.  Also, a proper write up of the trip is in the pipe line.  I can’t remember exactly which filters I used for this shot, but I am guessing the following combination: .6 ND hard grad, .9 pro glass and circ. polariser.

Waterworld 2

Surrey floods

Walton Bridge

Last month I posted some photographs of the floods along my local stretch of the River Thames, between Weybridge and Hampton.

Surrey floods

Hampton riverside

As many will know, the Thames has burst its banks again, only more so.

Surrey floods

Walton Bridge from Thames Meadow

I took these photos today and yesterday. If you are not familiar with the area, these images will not have as much impact but, for locals, the inundated landscape is a weird and frightening sight, strangely beautiful at times, but bringing suffering to so many.

Surrey Floods

Fire Brigade rescuing people from flooded homes

The people I saw being evacuated were outwardly cheerful, putting a brave face on a horrible situation.

Surrey floods

Walton Quay

Sadly, more rain is forecast for tonight and the rest of the week – I fear the worst is yet to come.

Surrey floods

The Thames claims Walton Lane

Friday afternoon in the city

London street

Muffling up for the journey home


Yesterday, I popped up to London to capture a few moments in the end-of-week commute.

London street

No room on the bus


I enjoy street photography, although I am still very much a newbie at it.

London Street

Messages for the messenger


Street seems to suit a grittier style than my more usual genres. I still find myself tempted to tweak and beautify. I find it difficult to shake off the need to have detail in the highlights and the darks, which means my street shots often lack the striking contrasts seen in the work of established street photographers, like Christophe Agou.

London street

The evening headline


Some of my favourite street images by other photographers work as sets or photo essays rather than as stand alone images. There is definitely a different art to the photo essay, and it’s one I’d like to learn. The images I made yesterday hardly count against the work of the great, but it’s a start.

London street

Welcome to the weekend


For a superb collection of street images, see the work of Christophe Agou. I particularly like his Life Below series.

London street

The lost weekend

Study in yellow

chrysoperla carnea

f/4, 1/250, ISO 1000, 100mm


A shot from October that I had overlooked. Lacewings appear delicate but are formidable predators of aphids. According to my Collins Complete Guide to British Insects, ‘the larvae of some species camouflage themselves with the dead skins of their prey’ (p.106). I thought it was pretty, toning with the autumn colour of my dogwood tree. Lacewings look amazing in flight; a photographic challenge for this year perhaps…

chrysoperla carnea

Cropped for those who like their bugs up close and personal