Happily Ever After

Life in The Rural Retreat with a beautiful wife, three cats, garden wildlife, a camera, a computer – and increasing amounts about running

Earlier posts can be found on Adventures of a Lone Bass Player, where this blog began life. Recent entries can be found here.

The Trouble With Lizards

by admin - 22:53 on 18 August 2010

Now that our pine martens have become nocturnal visitors, not to be seen again until May next year, the most exotic creatures in the garden are the Clan MacPrescott. Hibernation will claim them in a couple of months, so one of the clan on his lookout post was a welcome sight when I returned from GNoME HQ today.

The Pentax happened to be on Mr Ford's back seat, so I was able to indulge in some instant snappery and attempt to take a portrait worth printing.

I failed again.

Holding the camera inches from a lizard's nose means a very shallow depth of field; combine that with an unsteady crouch and the result is a set of snaps as sharp as an egg. The one I kept looks fine on Flickr but is too woolly to put through the Epson. Drat.

I returned with the tripod but the lookout had gone. The tips of two tails hung from the hole in the gatepost but their owners looked settled in for a good snooze. I'll try again another time.

Of course, what I really need is a proper macro lens that can see the hairs on a bee's knees. One day, perhaps. In the meantime I'll persevere with the Pentax 18-55. I'll get lucky eventually.

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