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Spores and the Mystery of Life


Spores and the Mystery of Life
Photo Information
Copyright: Francine Malo (NinaM) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 655 W: 0 N: 1623] (5300)
Genre: Plants
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2007-10-29
Categories: Lichens
Camera: Canon EOS 40 D, Canon 100 f2.8 Macro
Exposure: f/4.5, 1/125 seconds
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2008-02-08 8:09
Viewed: 506
Favorites: 1 [view]
Points: 42
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Horia wrote to me, in my last post, that I should post more macros. In fact, I have a few of them. I take photos in my garden, as a garden is a micro-landscape, half hand made, half surprise. On TN, we are not allowed to post pictures of cultivated plants and this stops me from posting a lot of what I do. I have fibromyalgia and sometimes it is a lot more easy for me to stand in my garden and my surrounding than running around in the woods and nature, as it requires to carry bags and gear, walk and go out in sometimes unfriendly weather. That explains why I post mainly pictures of my close surrounding as my body hurts sometimes and I am also sometimes too tired to go around.

As we also cultivate indigenous plants, I am proposing you this fern, which is a species growing in Quebec, but for identification, I looked in my book but never found it. I have a problem with identification, I'm sorry.

I photographed this fern because I was amazed at the quantity of spores on it. Usually, you find spores placed in a pattern but I had never seen so many spores, as the underside of the fern becomes velvety.

I wrote about different scales yesterday in my post and this picture, even though it is more of a close-up than a macro, is at a different scale because the leaves of this fern are not very big. I remember very well than pov, it was under leaves and branches, I was kneeling and not breathing to hold myself still ;-)

The lens was parallel, almost, to the ground in the middle of the plant. I love the green background on this one. I am always amazed, when doing macro, at the beauty of the new world that is being uncovered. The angles of view are multiple and give us an insight of what it's like to live at that dimension. I just love it. Those of you who have had the chance to see the French movie "Microcosmos" (available through Amazon France) know what I am talking about. Microcosmos begin by explaining the different scale of time and dimension insects live in compared to ours and is filmed for most part in a small prairie. It is fantastic as there are no words, not even a narration, just music, and you see the insects go on with their life. It is filmed showing the insects' world and their intelligence to live in it. A masterpiece.

This is the kind of work that has influenced me a lot in my way of seeing the world and wilderness. First Nations people and culture too have influenced me, for their view of how to "become" an animal, the totem animal, etc. They sure knew that animal life was to be respected and that they had such a high intelligence on their own to live the way they do.

The work of ethologists like Konrad Lorenz influenced by thinking too, being the first to recognize the importance of imprints in young chicks. This man spent his life with ducks and birds of all kind, becoming their "mother". Ethology is a field of study that interests me but I am only a reader of such things, and I only read "vulgarization" work. Superficial but very interesting. I am not a scientist and have no education in that regard either.

And Carlos Castaneda ;-) too influenced me a lot regarding nature and wildlife, in a magical way, like shamans of the First Nations. Their perception of the magical world is so fundamental and today, scientific researches only start recognizing some of the view expressed by these Ancient People.

The world is a huge huge mystery to me. It is so very complex, interconnected, waved, created, whatever it is, but it sure is a fascinating place to live in.

Hope you enjoy looking at those spores, warrant of life to this plant, seeds of the future. Thanks!

Francine

shot in jpeg, no cropping, no adjustments made
Resized for TN
CeltickRanger, uleko, Luis52, nglen, Jamesp, claudine, ppmiranda, wahclella, SunToucher, nellyemh, marhowie, horia has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To marhowie: Birth of a MosquitoeNinaM 1 02-09 17:30
To nellyemh: EthologyNinaM 1 02-09 17:20
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Critiques [Translate]

bonjour Francine

quelle belle composition en macrophoto,
j'aime la composition des couleurs et
de l'avant-plan et de l'arrière-plan,
excellente netteté, détails et profondeur de l'image, TFS

Asbed

  • Great 
  • uleko Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2585 W: 170 N: 7879] (24911)
  • [2008-02-08 8:22]

Hello Francine,
This is a wonderful piece of art!! I love the way you've captured this Fern to look so gorgeous and artistic at the same time as illustrating the botanical details. Great sharpness, lovely light and colours and a fine contrasting background too. A great composition well done!!!
Many thanks, Ulla

  • Great 
  • Luis52 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1026 W: 5 N: 2888] (10447)
  • [2008-02-08 10:05]

Hola Francine.
Una foto muy artisitica la que hoy nos presentas aqui.
I think Horia is right. You sould have more Macros here.
Your friend
Luis52.

Francine,

Very interesting image,
I like the comp and framing,
Great detail,

fototab

  • Great 
  • nglen Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 2130 W: 9 N: 5960] (22528)
  • [2008-02-08 11:32]

Hi Francine.
You have captured a fine close up of this fern . the colours are very warm good use of the light. very good POV/DOF. well done TFS.
Nick..

Hi Francine,
Very beautiful image I like the twisted ferns and the tones of green and gold. Wonderful composition. TFs
Donna:o)

Hi Francine,

I really like the patterns and colours here. You have captured really nice detail in the fern and the background is stunning.

Mike

  • Great 
  • Jamesp Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1305 W: 0 N: 5107] (15234)
  • [2008-02-08 13:23]

Hi Francine

Horia was right because this is excellent. The colours alone are stunning, whilst the detail is wonderful.

james

  • Great 
  • joey Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1888 W: 245 N: 6180] (22002)
  • [2008-02-08 13:30]

Hi Francine,
this is a great macro!
The detail in the photo is incredible.
An interesting subject as well.
Nice colours and lighting.
Great composition.
I hope to see more macros from you soon :-D

Cheers,
Joe

Bellissima composizione, magnifici colori. Complimenti.
Ciao Maurizio

  • Great 
  • lizzie Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 214 W: 0 N: 635] (2847)
  • [2008-02-08 14:30]

Bonjour Francine,

Une très belle composition que tu nous présentes aujourd'hui, j'y vois un mouvement de danse très gracieux sur cette photo. De belles couleurs terre sur un background qui s'agence très bien avec les fougères. Bien fait!

Lise

Salut Francine,
C'est superbe comme macro. Comme dirait Lise, on sent le mouvement dans cette photo. Les détails et teintes de couleurs sont particulièrement agréables. La profondeur de champs crée un bel effet. Ta note est touchante aussi, je te souhaite bon courage... À plus!
Claudine

Hello Francine,
A great macro shot of these tiny ferns and spores. The bachground is absolutely beautiful...
Steve

Bonjour francine,
this is a very fine macro well presented with wonderful colouration on the composition
good sharpness and lots of details especially the wonderful notes
well done
merci
tony

  • Great 
  • Mana Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1812 W: 29 N: 5246] (17188)
  • [2008-02-08 22:41]

Hi Francine,
I will be back.
Sumon

Hi Francine,
Now I should write that you need to post more wide open landscapes. Just to bug my great friend Horia. :)
I love landscapes, but also like the more abstract close ups. This one is a beauty, with it fine details, its shallow DOF and the wonderful warm colors.
TFS,
Niek

Francine - I am very impressed with this shot and that you took it without a tripod and holding your breath! It's really perfect! I also appreciate your notes - I am intrigued with your readings - and I think I will check out this movie you mention. It sounds worth a look! Blessings - Penny

Extraordinaire, sobre riche et superbe composition, une très belle réussite.
Bravo
Marie

Hello Francine,
This is nicely done, I like it. Excellent detail, color, and light, lovely bokeh. Your title leads us in, and guides us to a higher plane of thought. We need to go there more often :)
I will look for "Microcosmos", it sounds like my kind of video.
Anyway, I sincerely enjoyed your notes/presentation.
Well done!
Howard

Bonjour Francine,
celle ci je l'ai loupée, elle est superbe, tout en finesse avec un grand sens artistique, ah là vraiment je dis: bravo!!! et je te la vole pour la mettre dans mes favoris
bravo

  • Great 
  • horia Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2138 W: 224 N: 3959] (13149)
  • [2008-02-11 11:48]

Hi Francine

Sorry to get to this one so late...
So i see Niek is up to no good :)))

This is a very interesting and original macro from you! I like it!
All the lines and curves that this fern makes are very artistic and the fact that you have used a shallow DOF and a low POV makes this photo very selective in terms of focus. I like that too because it adds depth and perspective.
Yet, i see those wonderful and extremely sharp details on the spores of the leaf - terrific sharpness there - and they give the image its other dimension: the biological one.
So in fact, what we have here is a great blend between biology and art...just what TN is all about!

Bravo and TFS
Horia

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