Turn on the Light and They Wiill Come

One of the interesting things about living in a forest is the amount of moths that are found here. From mid spring to fall if I leave an outside light on at my house by morning there will be an amazing amount of moths gathered around it. Though not as colorful as butterflies they come in a stunning array of patterns and beautiful earth tone colors. While not always the gardeners friend they are extremely important. Moths are a cornerstone species in that they provide food at a critical time for migrating bats and the protein in the form of caterpillars and larvae for baby birds. It helps illustrate how important a role the simple moth can play in the grand scheme of things. For without them entire populations of birds and bats can suffer. Here are a few images of moths from my backyard after leaving the light on. God's precious love to all, chris All images created with a Canon 7D and a 100mm macro lens. Manfrotto 055XPROB Tripod with a Bogen 3055 Ballhead. Camera Settings- AV mode, ISO 400,F16.0-F22.0 , shutter speed varied.

Simple Wednesday Sunset

Sometimes the best sunsets are after the sun is already down. Tonight I went to watch the bats catch moths. They are fascinating to see and they really stand out against the night sky when you have a clear horizon.
As I was watching them flutter about I noticed the sunset was very soft and subtle and had a strong graphic element to it. Naturally I had to photograph it. I didn't bring my tripod so I had to brace my camera against a fence post to steady it for the long exposure.
I hope you enjoy its simplicity.

God's precious love,

chris