| Actual Image
Small, but High IQ (22)
JeanMichel
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 633 W: 87 N: 938]](http://i1.treknature.com/misc/g-g-g.gif) (2864) | FORMICA RUFA (formicidae).
By reviewing different themes, I found that ants were the poor relation of TN's gallery. This shot is not perfect, but at least, it's an ant :-). Ants are fast, always running. When they stop, it's for seconds. Never tired, and, sure an example of social efficiency. Everybody knows about that. Generally it's teached at school in natural science courses, so I won't develop. Let me just remind that ants live in large colonies, are particularly well organised in terms of work and defence. Some scientists are convinced that in any case of an ecological catastrophy or a cataclysm, ants will probably be the last living animals on earth.
This one is a female (9-12 mm). Brown color, while males are black. Starts in life with wings. They eat little insects and are expert in breeding plant louses and cochineals colonies, from which they recuperate the sap extrated from plants.
Ant's nests have a form of a hill, generally placed in woods and sunny spots.
When they stop running, it's the right time to shoot. Hope you'll like this one sunbathing on a leaf instead of milking her louses cattle.
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This kind of shot requires a soft lighting to reveal details without burning bright parts. Only handheld is possible, with a minimum speed of 1/125. Hence the reduced DOF that can be partly overcome by shooting laterally.
Cropped out at about 60% from it's original size, autocontrast, USM. NeatImage sharpening. |
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