Re: OT: Photographing insects
On Wednesday, August 24, 2005, at 12:47 PM, keithw wrote: Like someone else said, it's most likely a click beetle. Check here: http://www.insects.org/entophiles/coleoptera/cole_005.html Nope. Click beetles only click when flipped onto their backs. They don't just sit around clicking. It's either some sort of grasshopper or cricket, perhaps a False Katydid. Definitely not a cicada if it sings at dusk. They're day singers. Bob
Re: OT: Photographing insects
Bob Shell [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: On Sunday, August 21, 2005, at 09:35 PM, Mark Roberts wrote: My SO and I moved to Pittsburgh 3 years ago. Every summer, beginning in August, we've heard (but not seen) what we have taken to calling a clickety bug. It makes an click-click-click-click-click noise (from 5 to 25 clicks) and then pauses for a minute or more. Unlike crickets, for example, these bugs don't seem to exist in great numbers, as we can usually detect no more than 4-5 of them in the immediate area. Any suggestions as to what it might be? Just curious - and we have been for 3 years ;-) Indoors or outdoors? Outdoors. Here's what they sound like: http://www.robertstech.com/temp/clickety.mp3 I think there are two of them going in this recording. You can hear the click-click-click-click noise in the background behind all the crickets and traffic noise, etc. :) -- Mark Roberts Photography and writing www.robertstech.com
Re: OT: Photographing insects
If it's outside, perhaps it is a cicada? On Aug 22, 2005, at 7:50 AM, Bob Shell wrote: On Sunday, August 21, 2005, at 09:35 PM, Mark Roberts wrote: My SO and I moved to Pittsburgh 3 years ago. Every summer, beginning in August, we've heard (but not seen) what we have taken to calling a clickety bug. It makes an click-click-click-click-click noise (from 5 to 25 clicks) and then pauses for a minute or more. Unlike crickets, for example, these bugs don't seem to exist in great numbers, as we can usually detect no more than 4-5 of them in the immediate area. Any suggestions as to what it might be? Just curious - and we have been for 3 years ;-) Indoors or outdoors? There is something called the Deathwatch Beetle, a wood borer that is sometimes found in old houses. It makes a clicking sound that people used to think sounded like a pocket watch or clock ticking. There was a superstition that this was the countdown to someone in the house's death. The beetle makes the sound by banging its head against the wall of its tunnel in the wood. If outdoors, I'm not sure. Probably something in the grasshopper or cricket clan. My specialty was butterflies, and they're not very noisy! Bob
Re: OT: Photographing insects
Illinois Bill [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: If it's outside, perhaps it is a cicada? I thought it might be an odd sort of cicada, or one making a different sound, but I found a lot of cicada sound samples on the net and none like this. More data: This insect appears (or starts making its sound) in early August and generally continues through September here in Pittsburgh. It seems to only make its sound around dusk - from just after sunset until around 9:30-10:00. -- Mark Roberts Photography and writing www.robertstech.com
Re: Re: OT: Photographing insects
From: Mark Roberts [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: 2005/08/24 Wed PM 02:49:47 GMT To: pentax-discuss@pdml.net Subject: Re: OT: Photographing insects Illinois Bill [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: If it's outside, perhaps it is a cicada? I thought it might be an odd sort of cicada, or one making a different sound, but I found a lot of cicada sound samples on the net and none like this. More data: This insect appears (or starts making its sound) in early August and generally continues through September here in Pittsburgh. It seems to only make its sound around dusk - from just after sunset until around 9:30-10:00. It's your neighbour trying to light the barbecue with the piezo-electric spark thingie. He doesn't know the cylinder's empty. Better tell him. - Email sent from www.ntlworld.com Virus-checked using McAfee(R) Software Visit www.ntlworld.com/security for more information
Re: OT: Photographing insects
On Wednesday, August 24, 2005, at 08:46 AM, Mark Roberts wrote: Outdoors. Here's what they sound like: http://www.robertstech.com/temp/clickety.mp3 I think there are two of them going in this recording. You can hear the click-click-click-click noise in the background behind all the crickets and traffic noise, etc. :) Must be my ears or the computer speakers but I can't hear it in your sound recording. I just hear the usual crickets and such. Bob
Re: OT: Photographing insects
- Original Message - From: Mark Roberts [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: pentax-discuss@pdml.net Sent: Wednesday, August 24, 2005 10:49 AM Subject: Re: OT: Photographing insects Illinois Bill [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: If it's outside, perhaps it is a cicada? I thought it might be an odd sort of cicada, or one making a different sound, but I found a lot of cicada sound samples on the net and none like this. More data: This insect appears (or starts making its sound) in early August and generally continues through September here in Pittsburgh. It seems to only make its sound around dusk - from just after sunset until around 9:30-10:00. It really sounds like a couple of isolated dogday cicadas. Not to be confused with the periodical 17-year/13-year cicadas. The dogday cicadas have been chirping up a storm in my neighborhood this year. We get dozens of them in chorus which is much louder and you can't really pick out individuals. This is a sound of a different type of cicada that sounds like yours: http://insects.ummz.lsa.umich.edu/fauna/Michigan_Cicadas/Michigan/WAVsounds/vitIL72.WAV Christian
Re: OT: Photographing insects
Mark Roberts wrote: Illinois Bill [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: If it's outside, perhaps it is a cicada? I thought it might be an odd sort of cicada, or one making a different sound, but I found a lot of cicada sound samples on the net and none like this. More data: This insect appears (or starts making its sound) in early August and generally continues through September here in Pittsburgh. It seems to only make its sound around dusk - from just after sunset until around 9:30-10:00. Like someone else said, it's most likely a click beetle. Check here: http://www.insects.org/entophiles/coleoptera/cole_005.html keith whaley
Re: OT: Photographing insects
Christian [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: From: Mark Roberts [EMAIL PROTECTED] Illinois Bill [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: If it's outside, perhaps it is a cicada? I thought it might be an odd sort of cicada, or one making a different sound, but I found a lot of cicada sound samples on the net and none like this. More data: This insect appears (or starts making its sound) in early August and generally continues through September here in Pittsburgh. It seems to only make its sound around dusk - from just after sunset until around 9:30-10:00. It really sounds like a couple of isolated dogday cicadas. Not to be confused with the periodical 17-year/13-year cicadas. The dogday cicadas have been chirping up a storm in my neighborhood this year. We get dozens of them in chorus which is much louder and you can't really pick out individuals. This is a sound of a different type of cicada that sounds like yours: http://insects.ummz.lsa.umich.edu/fauna/Michigan_Cicadas/Michigan/WAVsounds/vitIL72.WAV Sorta but not quite. Mine make ticks or clicks that are much more distinct and always come in short bursts separated by long periods of silence, rather than being continuous like the sample here. I'll keep searching! -- Mark Roberts Photography and writing www.robertstech.com
Re: OT: Photographing insects
On Sunday, August 21, 2005, at 09:35 PM, Mark Roberts wrote: My SO and I moved to Pittsburgh 3 years ago. Every summer, beginning in August, we've heard (but not seen) what we have taken to calling a clickety bug. It makes an click-click-click-click-click noise (from 5 to 25 clicks) and then pauses for a minute or more. Unlike crickets, for example, these bugs don't seem to exist in great numbers, as we can usually detect no more than 4-5 of them in the immediate area. Any suggestions as to what it might be? Just curious - and we have been for 3 years ;-) Indoors or outdoors? There is something called the Deathwatch Beetle, a wood borer that is sometimes found in old houses. It makes a clicking sound that people used to think sounded like a pocket watch or clock ticking. There was a superstition that this was the countdown to someone in the house's death. The beetle makes the sound by banging its head against the wall of its tunnel in the wood. If outdoors, I'm not sure. Probably something in the grasshopper or cricket clan. My specialty was butterflies, and they're not very noisy! Bob
Re: OT: Photographing insects
Bob Shell wrote: My specialty was butterflies, and they're not very noisy! that depends on the severity of the hangover. Tom Reese
Re: OT: Photographing insects
Mark Roberts Sun, 21 Aug 2005 18:21:54 -0700 My SO and I moved to Pittsburgh 3 years ago. Every summer, beginning in August, we've heard (but not seen) what we have taken to calling a clickety bug. It makes an click-click-click-click-click noise (from 5 to 25 clicks) and then pauses for a minute or more. Hi Mark, You might try listening to the sounds on this site. It could possibly help you identify your bug. Here is the link: http://cmave.usda.ufl.edu/~rmankin/soundlibrary.htm Charles
Re: OT: Photographing insects
Charles Braswell Jr [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Mark Roberts Sun, 21 Aug 2005 18:21:54 -0700 My SO and I moved to Pittsburgh 3 years ago. Every summer, beginning in August, we've heard (but not seen) what we have taken to calling a clickety bug. It makes an click-click-click-click-click noise (from 5 to 25 clicks) and then pauses for a minute or more. Hi Mark, You might try listening to the sounds on this site. It could possibly help you identify your bug. Here is the link: http://cmave.usda.ufl.edu/~rmankin/soundlibrary.htm The requested URL /~rmankin/soundlibrary.htm was not found on this server. -- Mark Roberts Photography and writing www.robertstech.com
Re: OT: Photographing insects
Mark Roberts wrote: Charles Braswell Jr [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Mark Roberts Sun, 21 Aug 2005 18:21:54 -0700 My SO and I moved to Pittsburgh 3 years ago. Every summer, beginning in August, we've heard (but not seen) what we have taken to calling a clickety bug. It makes an click-click-click-click-click noise (from 5 to 25 clicks) and then pauses for a minute or more. Hi Mark, You might try listening to the sounds on this site. It could possibly help you identify your bug. Here is the link: http://cmave.usda.ufl.edu/~rmankin/soundlibrary.htm The requested URL /~rmankin/soundlibrary.htm was not found on this server. Add an l to the end of it.
Re: OT: Photographing insects
The requested URL /~rmankin/soundlibrary.htm was not found on this server. Hi Mark. Try this one. When I copied and pasted it left the l off of html for some reason. http://cmave.usda.ufl.edu/~rmankin/soundlibrary.html Missed you at GFM by the way. Charles
Re: OT: Photographing insects
At 08:35 PM 8/21/2005, you wrote: Bob Shell [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Bob (who is actually an entomologist by original training) Fascinating. Mind if I ask an entomological question? My SO and I moved to Pittsburgh 3 years ago. Every summer, beginning in August, we've heard (but not seen) what we have taken to calling a clickety bug. It makes an click-click-click-click-click noise (from 5 to 25 clicks) and then pauses for a minute or more. Unlike crickets, for example, these bugs don't seem to exist in great numbers, as we can usually detect no more than 4-5 of them in the immediate area. Any suggestions as to what it might be? Just curious - and we have been for 3 years There is a type of beetle called a click beetle. This may be one. They are harmless. Pick one up and put it upside down on your hand or other surface. It snaps its wing covers in such a manner that it will pop up in the air and - hopefully - land upright. Gary J Sibio [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://home.earthlink.net/~garysibio There are 10 types of people in the world. Those who understand binary numbers and those who do not.
Re: OT: Photographing insects
On Monday, August 22, 2005, at 05:06 PM, Gary Sibio wrote: There is a type of beetle called a click beetle. This may be one. They are harmless. Pick one up and put it upside down on your hand or other surface. It snaps its wing covers in such a manner that it will pop up in the air and - hopefully - land upright. There is a really big one in the American tropics that has lights on its wing covers. They're very bright. We're talking a three-inch beetle, so not like the tiny ones we see in the USA. Someone brought one back from South America and turned it loose in Paris in the mid 1800s, and caused a panic. People were reporting a ghost making its way around the streets. Ultimately someone caught it and identified it. These beetles have developed a pretty nifty way of getting upright if they get turned on their backs, this arching and clicking that throws them up in the air if you put them on a hard surface. Although butterflies were my first love, beetles were second, particularly the gigantic ones found in the tropics. BTW, there's a really nice article in the latest Studio Photography Design magazine about Paul Eekhoff, a photographer who takes great photos of insects. You can see some of them at www.pauleekhoff.com, although the best ones from the article don't seem to be there. If you don't get Studio Photography Design and you make any of your living from photography, you should sign up. It's free. www.imaginginfo.com It's well designed and beautifully printed. Bob
Re: OT: Photographing insects
Charles Braswell Jr [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: The requested URL /~rmankin/soundlibrary.htm was not found on this server. Hi Mark. Try this one. When I copied and pasted it left the l off of html for some reason. http://cmave.usda.ufl.edu/~rmankin/soundlibrary.html Thanks. I'll try to find something on that page. Missed you at GFM by the way. I needed to be in three places at once this past weekend. Sadly, I could only be at one of them. I had some business matters to attend to in Rochester and the opportunity to get a couple of shots I needed for a client as well. And I had an invite to a really good party Saturday night :) -- Mark Roberts Photography and writing www.robertstech.com
Re: OT: Photographing insects
Bob Shell [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Bob (who is actually an entomologist by original training) Fascinating. Mind if I ask an entomological question? My SO and I moved to Pittsburgh 3 years ago. Every summer, beginning in August, we've heard (but not seen) what we have taken to calling a clickety bug. It makes an click-click-click-click-click noise (from 5 to 25 clicks) and then pauses for a minute or more. Unlike crickets, for example, these bugs don't seem to exist in great numbers, as we can usually detect no more than 4-5 of them in the immediate area. Any suggestions as to what it might be? Just curious - and we have been for 3 years ;-) -- Mark Roberts Photography and writing www.robertstech.com
Re: OT: Photographing insects
On Saturday, August 20, 2005, at 09:27 AM, Juan Buhler wrote: What this guy did is very cool: Setup: http://users.skynet.be/fotoopa/laser_module1_E.htm Pictures: http://users.skynet.be/fotoopa/beestjes/beestjes_page1.htm Is it just me, or does it seem to others like this guy went to one hell of a lot of trouble to produce photos that really aren't that great? I used to photograph insects with Novoflex follow-focus gear and an old Medical Nikkor and got some really good results. Bob (who is actually an entomologist by original training)
Re: OT: Photographing insects
Hmmm.. Well put, but a few pictuer are really great. This is some kind of A studio on a camera outfit! Regards Jens Bladt Arkitekt MAA http://hjem.get2net.dk/bladt -Oprindelig meddelelse- Fra: Bob Shell [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sendt: 20. august 2005 16:53 Til: pentax-discuss@pdml.net Emne: Re: OT: Photographing insects On Saturday, August 20, 2005, at 09:27 AM, Juan Buhler wrote: What this guy did is very cool: Setup: http://users.skynet.be/fotoopa/laser_module1_E.htm Pictures: http://users.skynet.be/fotoopa/beestjes/beestjes_page1.htm Is it just me, or does it seem to others like this guy went to one hell of a lot of trouble to produce photos that really aren't that great? I used to photograph insects with Novoflex follow-focus gear and an old Medical Nikkor and got some really good results. Bob (who is actually an entomologist by original training)
Re: OT: Photographing insects
I think his photos of flying insects are very good. In fact, almost all other insect photos I've seen are of critters at rest. I would say this work is quite an achievement. Paul On Aug 20, 2005, at 10:53 AM, Bob Shell wrote: On Saturday, August 20, 2005, at 09:27 AM, Juan Buhler wrote: What this guy did is very cool: Setup: http://users.skynet.be/fotoopa/laser_module1_E.htm Pictures: http://users.skynet.be/fotoopa/beestjes/beestjes_page1.htm Is it just me, or does it seem to others like this guy went to one hell of a lot of trouble to produce photos that really aren't that great? I used to photograph insects with Novoflex follow-focus gear and an old Medical Nikkor and got some really good results. Bob (who is actually an entomologist by original training)
Re: OT: Photographing insects
I would never say I could do better But... This shot, for example, is NOT an achievement: http://users.skynet.be/fotoopa/vlb_foto/vlb_29653.htm I think what he's done on a technical standpoint is pretty damn cool. I could never put such a rig together. I think what he needs is more practice and a better sense of what to show as results. I was expecting sharp images and most looked to be highly cropped blurry images. Christian - Original Message - From: Paul Stenquist [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: pentax-discuss@pdml.net Sent: Saturday, August 20, 2005 1:46 PM Subject: Re: OT: Photographing insects I think his photos of flying insects are very good. In fact, almost all other insect photos I've seen are of critters at rest. I would say this work is quite an achievement. Paul On Aug 20, 2005, at 10:53 AM, Bob Shell wrote: On Saturday, August 20, 2005, at 09:27 AM, Juan Buhler wrote: What this guy did is very cool: Setup: http://users.skynet.be/fotoopa/laser_module1_E.htm Pictures: http://users.skynet.be/fotoopa/beestjes/beestjes_page1.htm Is it just me, or does it seem to others like this guy went to one hell of a lot of trouble to produce photos that really aren't that great? I used to photograph insects with Novoflex follow-focus gear and an old Medical Nikkor and got some really good results. Bob (who is actually an entomologist by original training)
Re: OT: Photographing insects
On 20/8/05, Juan Buhler, discombobulated, unleashed: What this guy did is very cool: Setup: http://users.skynet.be/fotoopa/laser_module1_E.htm Pictures: http://users.skynet.be/fotoopa/beestjes/beestjes_page1.htm Mary Mother of God Cheers, Cotty ___/\__ || (O) | People, Places, Pastiche ||=|http://www.cottysnaps.com _
Re: OT: Photographing insects
At 10:53 AM 8/20/2005, Bob Shell wrote: Is it just me, or does it seem to others like this guy went to one hell of a lot of trouble to produce photos that really aren't that great? I thought some of the images were nice enough. I think he mostly needs to be more selective in which images he actually publishes. I get the impression that his gadget actually determines when to take the picture. That eliminates the benefit of human intelligence controlling the composition. I suspect he gets lots of poorly composed shots, and only a relatively few nice ones. Still, I can't imagine getting a high percentage of nice shots of FLYING insects, no matter what technique you might use. I also agree that he went to a LOT of trouble to get them. It seems to me that his circuitry and laser arrangement is much more complicated than it needs to be. For example, instead of using 8 laser pointers, why not use one laser diode and several small mirrors to create a grid of laser lines which get broken when the bug flies through the plane of focus? It should be far cheaper and easier. Also, going to the trouble of rapidly pulsing the lasers, to prevent the sensors from being fooled by sunlight might not be needed if the sensors are simply AC-coupled, which is much easier and cheaper to arrange. (Admittedly, pulsing would reduce the power consumption somewhat, and would be handy if he intends to leave this rig running unattended for long periods of time using only battery power.) Some people love creating their own electronics, and it's easy to get carried away with adding complexity. He probably got as much fun out of designing and building his Laser-Guided Bug Blaster(tm), as he's having with the photography. I happen to be an electronics technician, and I've been planning to build some remote triggering devices for my *istDS (but not for flying insects.) I don't think I will be building anything so complicated as what this fellow did. take care, Glen
Re: OT: Photographing insects
I have browsed his site with admiration, and indeed, I think his major achievement is catching flying insects. http://home.versateladsl.be/debakker/uitrusting_frame_set.htm This page on his site will probably not be understood by most of you, as it is in Dutch, and even I don't really catch the whole story, as this guy is not really writing in a structured way, but from what I understand, he tries to trigger a camera by a bullet, fired from a gun, cutting through a wire. I only assume that he wants to shoot the bullet during it's flight or during impact. Anyway, if he's doing that kind of high-speed-photography, flying insects should be a piece of cake. Groeten, Vic Glen wrote: At 10:53 AM 8/20/2005, Bob Shell wrote: relatively few nice ones. Still, I can't imagine getting a high percentage of nice shots of FLYING insects, no matter what technique you might use.
Re: OT: Photographing insects
from what I understand, he tries to trigger a camera by a bullet, fired from a gun, cutting through a wire. I only assume that he wants to shoot the bullet during it's flight or during impact. Anyway, if he's doing that kind of high-speed-photography, flying insects should be a piece of cake. ...except that the path of a bullet is more predictable than the path of an insect. Fred
