How many ways to photograph the Moon?

If I have to name a single subject that I compulsively keep photographing, its probably Moon. Attraction to moon feels almost hardwired and as I try to justify that, it doesn't seem too difficult. Moon not only influences a large set of things around us but also makes it easy to see its influence. Tides or life, astronomy or astrology, festivals or something that can inspire poets, there are thousands of ways to see Moon affecting us and no wonder human mind finds it fascinating. I was trying yet again (and again largely unsuccessfully) to take a moon shot and thought can share a collection of Moon shots so far. first, its moon as seen most usually. Illuminated by direct sunlight. While it looks most common shot, its still rarely repeating shot except when its full moon. every time I get a moon in my frame, its illuminated differently - phase, side from which Sunlight is coming etc highlights terrain differently and so having a shot or two of the moon is absolutely no reason to ignore it next time.

Illuminated by direct sunlight during an eclipse (10 Dec 2011).

Capturing back filtered and refracted Sunlight illuminating eclipsed part of moon.

and putting it by hand in the frame where its not actually a moon shot - Crescent Venus with Moon for scale.

okay, this shot is about venus, not moon. moon exists here only for scale and to make the picture interesting. Venus exhibits phases like moon. Currently its waning and crescent will become thinner in coming days culminating in Venus Transit on June 6. Venus transit occurs at intervals of 8-121.5-8-105.5 years and after June 6, next one will be in 2117. This rare event was of interest in earlier days to determine distance between Sun and Earth. This great interest in the event even resulted in unfortunate story like that of Guillaume Le Gentil.
Its actually lot brighter than what one may think of a planet. (I learned it after so many shots failed to show the crescent). Above Venus is taken at f/8, 1/60s, ISO 100. Shot is taken at 400 mm but I have stretched the size to make it more convenient to view.
And, below is the shot I tried for the nth time few days back. I have been trying a good Earthshine shot for quite long now and think unless I get below the sky with less air and light pollution, may not be possible to better it :-(.

Telling time by flowers

Came across this Hibiscus mutabilis flower few days back. It starts the day as pure white and slowly turns pink to end the day as dark pink.

Morning

Around Noon

Afternoon

While this was a new way of being able to say time looking at flower to me, I was learning for few weeks now that flowers do tell time. There are Morning glory and day flowers that you can see in the morning, some prefer Sun at its best and some wait till nightfall. I found diamond flowers and few others display only if Sun is shining well. One flower that I found showing such tendencies was below. Dont know its ID though. (and probably it wasnt wild plant here but existed as decorative plant.)

 

Overall, while I haven't yet managed to know and remember flowering times of different flowers around me but have learned one basic thing about taking a flower photo. If you see a flower but don't have appropriate lens for it, either go back and get the lens immediately if you can or note time you are seeing it and come back around same time. It has happened few times that I noticed a flower at one time and when I went back in few hours with appropriate lens, it has wound up its display for the day. and what is worse, for those macro sized weeds, its sometimes difficult to see closed flower and that leaves you wondering if you remembered location right. (ok, I should be able to identify plant and not just flower, but right now, it seems too much too fast.)

As I watched flowers, got curious about them and some googling gives me hint of how complex decision making based on lots of parameters must be employed by a plant to decide its flowering attributes - season, time of the day, colour, smell etc. manipulating which it strives to attract its pollinators and achieve best reproduction results. and it may not be as simple as "okay, my pollinators are moths, so my flowering time should be night when they are active, and let me not bother much about colour as in the dark its not going be visible anyway so simple white is best but fragrance can be helpful so give more weight to it, and that's it. I am done." There could be more complex strategies employed that may promote flower constancy among its pollinators or more dynamic decisions like whether or not to participate in synchronised flowering. And, these all are just for one of the life event - flowering. When I try to think of all the things they must be doing to optimise- starting from when to germinate to how to make best of light and water, how to react to changing temperature, humidity, predator attacks, how to forge co-operative alliances and what not, I remember Asimov's 'Each an explorer' - One of my favourite short stories from him. though of course, there are many Asimov's stories that fall in that category. 

P.S. If you haven't read the story, I recommend you don't read wikipedia or other other spoiler text giving out story outline. Asimov is best read in his own words.

P.P.S. I am aware that some well meaning visitor here may want to suggest I understand evolution a bit before talking like in last para. at this point however, I just want to apologise for his/her irritation and clarify that its not that I don't understated what 'the theory of evolution' says, its just that I don't believe in it. Someday I may come back to it and for now, take this as just representing how awestruck I am as I look at life.

P.P.P.S I actually managed to talk about this 'evolution' thing three years after this post - here.

Wild flowers

I had left my monsoon flowers list pending last time so here are remaining flowers. No, not necessarily I covered all monsoon flowers but monsoon is gone and I guess some of the flowers I see now are already indicating that winter is around. 

As I attempted to ID these flowers, I was in a nice surprise. One of my new interests include Ayurved and I had been thinking for sometime that I should try to get to know some plants used in Ayurved. Plant identification however appeared very very difficult to me (specially given my laziness preventing me to learn it systematically.). Now, when I find IDs for my lovely flowers, I see that many of the weeds actually what are used in Ayurved. ok, just knowing flower and not plant would be highly insufficient but its a nice start anyways.

Vajradanti

Bhringraj

Grey Francolins

One of the most illusive birds for me has been one which is always around. Grey francolin. Their presence is often felt as they scurry away inside dense vegetation or occasionally take off from only few feet away where they were hiding to disappear in no time. Seeing them in open is a rare treat. On those very few occasions that I did see or even photographed them previously were all on ground. Few days before however, they (2 or 3 of them at least) were in mood to make loud calls each morning and I was surprised as once in a while a call appeared to come from a tree. one of those days I got lucky to spot an individual on tree and take a shot from some distance. Soon after that, on seeing me, two individuals decided to fly from the ground to be on a tree that they felt was safe from me and didn’t try to hide/fly away once there as I took shots from below.

Grey Francolin (Francolinus pondicerianus)

Can't keep your berries and cant eat it too?

A tiny little bird chirping happily as if echoing happiness of surrounding that is all eager to welcome its winter visitors with pleasant temperature, cool breeze, passing clouds, abundance of greenery lands on a tree that hosts fully ripe, bright red, yummy little berries. Sounds a perfect world?

P.S. After posting this initially, I was looking at my bird-guide and it said Pale billed flowerpecker feeds chiefly on mistletoe berries. and as I google for mistletoe berries, understand above pictures more fully. its not only bird in action there, its also the mistletoe. Wikipedia says its a parasitic plant and that 

"Mistletoe seed germinates on the branch of a host tree or shrub and in its early stages of development is independent of its host. Later it forms a haustorium that penetrates the host tissue and takes water and nutrients from the host plant....

Depending on the species of mistletoe and the species of bird, the seeds are regurgitated from the crop, excreted in their droppings, or stick to the bill, from which the bird wipes it onto a suitable branch. The seeds are coated with a sticky material called viscin. The viscin survives such treatment and any bare seed that touches a stem sticks tenaciously. The viscin soon hardens and attaches the seed firmly to its future host, where it germinates and its haustorium penetrates the sound bark". Indeed if you look at above pictures, one fruit has already managed to stick out there. and the one that is hanging in the last upload also managed to stick to the same host tree as I watched.

My Struggles to win attention of owlets

There was a pair in a tree I passed by and they made so much noise for so long that I had to walk back. but then, seeing me, one of them flew away and this individual was left kind of confused. All it understood was to move away from where it was (it flew from a well hidden position inside leaves and perched on here) and try to locate the reason why other flew away. Now, I am standing below focusing on him, expecting him to turn his head towards camera and he is searching in all the directions including in the sky except where I was. after thoroughly searching all other directions, at last, it looked in my direction.

Spotted Owlet (Athene brama)

Above owlet however, was still making an effort and therefore not very disappointing given my even worse track record with Owlets. for example, below individual had made it quite difficult to take a shot. He had seen me coming and had already gave a glance to find me utterly non interesting subject. Now, I was standing below him, positioning myself carefully between two dogs so as not to disturb their sleep, keeping him in the frame and he kept looking away from the camera. After some waiting, I finally whispered to him, 'pls give a look'. he didn't listen but a dog made a movement to make me feel guilty of disturbing him. so I had to wait until the Owlet looked at the camera on its own. btw, after taking the shot and moving on, I noticed he was too close and I hadn't zoomed out so he was too tight in the frame. for below shot, had to repeat the whole waiting process.

At other times, they give pose where I feel like clarifying that it wasn't due to boredom of my company but the heat why it was yawning.

Actually first two shots apart, I usually find being ignored quite flattering. It says that I am accepted and trusted as non harming part of their environment. Like in the below one. He is sitting on a small sweet-neem tree (curry tree), hardly 5 ft above the ground on this branch, and trying to find some prey on ground below. only, the ground is perfectly clean. there isn't anything at all, leave alone possible pray. After exhausting all possible directions only, he spared some attention for me.

Black-hooded Oriole

Today morning on a walk, I hear bulbuls happily playing and making noises as usual. I slow down to pass more silently without disturbing them much. and as look up to check if any other bird was hitchhiking with bulbuls, see a flash of bright yellow. Have seen Golden oriole pair spend their mornings chasing each other energetically there before, but this wasn't one. to my surprise, it was a black hooded immature. They are not seen here year around but only few days a year as they pass by in some local migration like movement, so wasn't expecting to see one. It was an extremely lovely Juv (ok, as all the Juvs in the world are). He did see me, but it didnt occur to him that he should be wary of the most dangerous species on the planet and continued his playful movements on the branches in his very endearing style. Makes a perfect morning. isnt it?

Black-hooded Oriole (Oriolus xanthornus)