Friday 15 August 2014

(Insects) Once more

I like reading stories and also like to read them again and again. In fact, my liking for stories started before I could read them myself and also enjoyed telling those I just heard if I find an audience - that I used to find in a friend sometime. I however remember once going mad when he insisted I tell him same Akabar-Birbal story 22nd time. Well, in all these years since then, my own track record is not a lot different or probably its even worse. So, now I see need to justify.. I mean, understand the behaviour. I had once googled and found some study saying that children who are exposed to same story repeatedly learn language better than those who listen to different stories. (clarification: I was exposed to English very late in the day so quality of my English has no link with me reading same stories again and again.) - but then, I still read same stories again and again. So, why does repetition sounds useful and enjoyable irrespective of age? I dont know about others, but with me, I guess, its simply because I forget things happily and reading them again gives same first time Aha feeling. and, that's not at all limited to stories. Also, I think in general repetition brings familiarity, which in turn feels like beauty, security etc and also taxes brain less and less wrt to things already understood leaving more resources/building better context to understand things missed out at earlier iteration - so all kinds of minds- those seeking security, seeking beauty, seeking depth or simply lazy or slow ones all are likely to love repetition? of course, of things you enjoy and which support at least one of the benefits that repetition gives.

Its good three or so years that I have been taking lots and lots of pictures but I never enjoyed or tried to learn photography. probably have spent some time learning about equipment but 'photography', never. Which means that I usually learn things that helps me bettering my photographs by random experiments or by chance. Now, one such learning was that high ISO is big problem only if you have underexposed too. I don't remember when I forgot that learning. and then, I had fallen to habit of stopping at ISO 1600. Recently however, when a friend mentioned same thing again, I remembered my old knowledge. and before I forget it again, I was faced with subjects I was looking for, and light conditions I wasn't looking for.


Second and fourth shots above are at ISO 12500, first at 6400. for shots I would not have taken at all, they I think have come out quite well - at least for web size. Noise at this ISOs is pretty bad for out-of-focus areas and even after wasting good amount of time on above, they do appear quite poorly post processed, but then for those who know how to do it, it may not be a big issue. Need to post process makes the high ISO again non useful for me (and probably that was the reason I forgot the earlier learning too), but still, it was good to once again learn something that I had learned previously also.
I had seen that insect last time, again always in low light. I somehow quite like its transparent like dotted appearance and was very happy to see three of them at different age in matter of two days. All ages look equally beautiful to me. Sorry for skipping the ID - I had found it last year but have forgotten now. may be will update later.
ok, between me taking above shots and uploading them here, I saw some other insects. Interestingly, red and black combination with green seems hit this days. Nature too loves repeating whenever she can :-)


No comments:

Post a Comment