Challenge #58:"Fairy Wings of Insects"-Evaluation Complete & Winner Announced

A photo challenge starting January 5th 2009. One image only, normal size restrictions apply (1000 pixel maximum width or height recommended - if vertical we suggest 700 pixels maximum width). No followup images (comparisons) except by those who have not already posted their one image. Discussion welcome - please only repeat images in discussion posts if absolutely essential. Aster has been appointed moderator of this forum in recognition of her commitment to making it great fun. This does not prevent others from setting challenges!

Moderator: aster

Forum rules
One image only, normal size restrictions apply (1000 pixel maximum width or height recommended - if vertical we suggest 700 pixels maximum width). No followup images (comparisons) except by those who have not already posted their one image. Discussion welcome - please only repeat images in discussion posts if absolutely essential. Participants should provide basic camera data (body, lens, ISO, mode, exposure over-ride or WB settings), and details of raw processing and subsequent PP.
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Re: Chalenge #58:"Fairy Wings of Insects"-Evaluations & Winner announcement

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15./ Marcell Nikolausz with "The male Beautiful Demoiselle Damselfly - Calopteryx virgo "

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Re: Chalenge #58:"Fairy Wings of Insects"-Evaluations & Winner announcement

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16./ Marcell Nikolausz with "Hoverfly- Syrphidae- Simosyrphus grandicornis". Unfortunately does not qualify as a proper entry for this challenge, for not having any details of the wings from dorsal side of the hoverfly. The multi-faceted eyes are magnificent and the shot is taken sharply under straining conditions, being while the fly is hovering. : ) Well done!

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Re: Chalenge #58:"Fairy Wings of Insects"-Evaluations & Winner announcement

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Hi David Antony; :)

Evaluation: Thank you for contribution to Challenge #58, with a Vanessa atalanta butterfly. It was a last-minute and shows your dedication and kindness which I appreciate very much. We always have something to learn from you. :)
The butterfly is nicely shot in its natural environment and must have suffered an escape from a predator since a small segment of the right-side hind wings are missing. The photo is a little soft which is the reason why it wasn't among the winners.
Hope you join us in other challenges and please don't refrain from starting a challenge of your own.

Thanks,
Yildiz


17./ David Antony with "Red Admiral Butterfly - Vanessa atalanta".

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Re: Chalenge #58:"Fairy Wings of Insects"-Evaluations & Winner announcement

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Hi Yildiz, we'll done for discovering the names of so many of the winged and nearly winged creatures!

Very interesting about the meadow brown mimicking the Door Mouse. Door Mice are quite rare now in the UK and I've never seen one in the wild. It is impossible to not see them as 'cute' in pictures though. :)
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Re: Chalenge #58:"Fairy Wings of Insects"-Evaluations & Winner announcement

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Birma wrote:Hi Yildiz, we'll done for discovering the names of so many of the winged and nearly winged creatures!

Very interesting about the meadow brown mimicking the Door Mouse. Door Mice are quite rare now in the UK and I've never seen one in the wild. It is impossible to not see them as 'cute' in pictures though. :)

:D Thank you, Birma.

I had no idea that field/harvest mice were also called 'door mice'. I believe that by mimicking a field mouse's head and eye, in general, the Meadow Brown is trying to protect itself from possible predators like birds or lizards that may be targeting them from a certain distance. But of course, the subject in question is open to views and discussions. :) Nature is all about survival, no matter what. :)

Thank you once again,

Yildiz
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Re: Challenge #58:"Fairy Wings of Insects"-Evaluation & Winner Announcement (in progress)

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Hi Yildiz, by chance I listened to a programme about Door Mice just the other day :). Apparently the "Door" is an English corruption of the French 'dormir' for sleep. The Door Mouse hibernates for up to 7 months in the UK to conserve energy when its main food stuffs are hard to find, hence its reputation for sleepiness. If you are familiar with Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland you may remember the Door Mouse falling asleep in the teapot at the Mad Hatter's tea party :) .

Who would think we would get to the Mad Hatter's tea-party from a butterfly!
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Re: Challenge #58:"Fairy Wings of Insects"-Evaluation & Winner Announcement (in progress)

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Birma wrote:Hi Yildiz, by chance I listened to a programme about Door Mice just the other day :). Apparently the "Door" is an English corruption of the French 'dormir' for sleep. The Door Mouse hibernates for up to 7 months in the UK to conserve energy when its main food stuffs are hard to find, hence its reputation for sleepiness. If you are familiar with Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland you may remember the Door Mouse falling asleep in the teapot at the Mad Hatter's tea party :) .

Who would think we would get to the Mad Hatter's tea-party from a butterfly!

Hi Andy; :)

I see now. Of course! Dormir-->Door. I'm familiar with the French verb. Now it makes more sense to me. : )
I'm also familiar with Caroll's book "Alice in Wonderland", which I recall he had started to write to kill his little niece's boredom and keep her occupied during a hot summer's day. I also remember seeing the 3D animated movie in 2010 where Johnny Depp played the Mad Hatter and was interesting to watch for his eccentric interpretation of the book's character. I still remember how the Door Mouse curled in his tea pot.... :) Good memories.

Nature is very inspiring... :D
Thanks for reminding the story because originally I was more occupied with the finding of the truly-mimicked animal and now I wonder why the butterfly found no place in the story.

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Re: Challenge #58:"Fairy Wings of Insects"-Evaluation & Winner Announcement (in progress)

Unread post by sury »

Yildiz,
Wow. I thought I was participating in a challenge. Who knew it would be challenging lesson (to learn). :)
Thank you for the identification and narratives to go with it and yes, who thought we would leap from
butterflys to fiction.The whole experience is a fascinating learning experience for me. Thank you a million.

With best regards,
Sury
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Re: Challenge #58:"Fairy Wings of Insects"-Evaluation & Winner Announcement (in progress)

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sury wrote:Yildiz,
Wow. I thought I was participating in a challenge. Who knew it would be challenging lesson (to learn). :)
Thank you for the identification and narratives to go with it and yes, who thought we would leap from
butterflys to fiction.The whole experience is a fascinating learning experience for me. Thank you a million.

With best regards,
Sury

Thank you for the enthusiastic response, Sury. :D

I actually was about to apologize for taking so long in putting together the evaluation and winner announcement; unfortunately life had other plans for me for a while. I hope I offended nobody which was not my intention at all.

We do stand in awe when nature is allowed to tell its own tale, don't we: it's not only beautiful and intriguing, it's also inspiring in engineering and fiction of our daily life. :)

Thanks for your patience,

Yildiz
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Re: Challenge #58:"Fairy Wings of Insects"-Evaluation Complete & Winner Announced

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Congratulations to Marcell - that damsel fly looks like it was carved from jem stone - the wings are lovely; a deserved winner.

Thank you very much for the kind words about my Meadow Brown, Yildiz. :) It is also great know the Field Mouse / Door Mouse connection.

We are all very lucky for the massive amount of work you put in to the challenges - a big thank you from me! :D
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Re: Challenge #58:"Fairy Wings of Insects"-Evaluation Complete & Winner Announced

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I echo Andy's sentiments.
Once again thank you for putting massive amount of time and energy into the process, Yildiz.
As for delay, no apologies needed, IMHO. The details you provided to me means it just takes that
much time. It is like cooking rice, increasing heat does not make it cook any faster. :lol:

With best regards,
Sury
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Re: Challenge #58:"Fairy Wings of Insects"-Evaluation Complete & Winner Announced

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Birma wrote:
Congratulations to Marcell - that damsel fly looks like it was carved from jem stone - the wings are lovely; a deserved winner.

Thank you very much for the kind words about my Meadow Brown, Yildiz. :) It is also great know the Field Mouse / Door Mouse connection.

We are all very lucky for the massive amount of work you put in to the challenges - a big thank you from me! :D
sury wrote:I echo Andy's sentiments.
Once again thank you for putting massive amount of time and energy into the process, Yildiz.
As for delay, no apologies needed, IMHO. The details you provided to me means it just takes that
much time.
It is like cooking rice, increasing heat does not make it cook any faster. :lol:

With best regards,
Sury

It was all good photos and interesting fun for me and I thank you for bringing these lovely creatures to our attention. :D
You're very welcome, Andy and Sury. : )

Sury, the "cooking rice" analogy is so right, I couldn't have put it better. I suppose our cultures that both eat a lot of rice cooked in many different ways, make the rice analogy very close to heart and taste buds. : ))


Thanks,
Yildiz
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Re: Challenge #58:"Fairy Wings of Insects"-Evaluation Complete & Winner Announced

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:) :) :)
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Re: Challenge #58:"Fairy Wings of Insects"-Evaluation Complete & Winner Announced

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sury wrote: :) :) :)

:)


Yildiz
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Re: Challenge #58:"Fairy Wings of Insects"-Evaluation Complete & Winner Announced

Unread post by Marcell Nikolausz »

I feel really honoured to be the winner (among so many good photos). This subject is really my favourite and this year I planned to have a little project to take photos of damsel and dragonflies with various camera set-ups. Unfortunately I had only few days during this summer but taking photos of this Calopteryx virgo specimen was the highlight of it (next year I'm planning to take more photos on this subject). Thank you Yildiz for your efforts to organize this challenge and for your thorough evaluations.
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