Manu NP part 4

Images of undisturbed subjects in their natural environment. All subject types.

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pbertner
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Manu NP part 4

Post by pbertner »

A wax-covered thread-legged bug has camouflaged itself as a piece of fungal debris and finds itself with a small spider:

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Mating golden roaches:

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A portly fellow, this brown egg frog (Ctenophryne geayi) buries itself in the leaf litter and is a voracious predator of ants and termites:

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Mating longhorn beetles displaying aposematic colouration:

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A hunting centipede (Scolopendra sp.) on the forest floor:

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While excavating a cordyceps I disturbed this centipede mother. Over several minutes, she excavated a new chamber and slowly moved her young to the new site in batches.

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Translucent green crab spider:

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Another species (Epicadis heterogaster) with cockroach prey:

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A marine toad (Bufo marinus) with mosquito (7 shot pano):

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Normally one would expect this froglet to quickly fall prey to this snake. However, under the circumstances, the act of taking the photo modified the natural behaviour and caused sufficient stress that normal predatory response was disrupted. As a photographer, it's always worth questioning one's own impact upon the scene. As a viewer it's also incumbent to ask oneself if the scene is truly natural, or whether it has been physically or digitally manipulated.

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Thanks for looking and commenting,
Paul

Pau
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Re: Manu NP part 4

Post by Pau »

Awesome pictures of most interesting diversity. Please keep posting these wonders!

In the last pictures I see a snake attacking another similar one, am I right?
Oops! I see the toad now! :oops: :D
Pau

MarkSturtevant
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Re: Manu NP part 4

Post by MarkSturtevant »

What an amazing series! The centipede mom is my favorite.
Mark Sturtevant
Dept. of Still Waters

Marcepstein
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Re: Manu NP part 4

Post by Marcepstein »

Normally one would expect this froglet to quickly fall prey to this snake. However, under the circumstances, the act of taking the photo modified the natural behaviour and caused sufficient stress that normal predatory response was disrupted. As a photographer, it's always worth questioning one's own impact upon the scene. As a viewer it's also incumbent to ask oneself if the scene is truly natural, or whether it has been physically or digitally manipulated.

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Thanks for looking and commenting,
Excellent images, lighting, color and detail captured very well. Your comment is well taken, and under the circumstance, I guess you have to ask: is/are the species at risk, threatened or endangered, will the product of the photography induce any harm, i.e., bringing attention to other predators, physical or otherwise, or is the photography a small disruption to a much larger population wherein the effort was a minor disruption. The images are so nice, I believe they contribute to nature conservation by illuminating these animals, posting for public consumption, and contributing to a broader conservation/appreciation. Providing some narrative to the images also offers some educational boost to the reader. Biologist often have to disrupt or disturb things to accomplish their goals in research or conservation. Some predators may return to a site after being disturbed.

BTW, are there some more individuals under the stick in the bottom left corner or part of the snake?

pbertner
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Re: Manu NP part 4

Post by pbertner »

Thanks for the kind words Mark and Pau!

Marc - Thanks for taking the time to offer a considered and thoughtful take. The ethical considerations is something that I've grappled with a fair bit in the last few years. Without delving too deeply into religion or philosophy (my position is probably closest to a Rawlesian Buddhist), I've been at turns disgusted and disappointed in the liberties that a lot of macro photographers take of their subjects. I often find that research, conservation, etc... is something of a veil of an excuse, and I've found through my own experiences and others', is that research leads more often to desensitization and abuse, rather than greater respect and sensitivity for the subject. These problems are exacerbated by social media, photo competitions, and any place where one traffics in prestige, ego and the dopamine hit of status and likes. Of course there are respectable, admirable photographers out there, but the industry and social incentives simply do not align well with ethically taken photos in my view.


Nb. There were actually a large number of these froglets hopping around, and although only the one appears in this photo, I do have a shot of 3 of them clambering over the snake's body.

Marcepstein
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Re: Manu NP part 4

Post by Marcepstein »

Interesting to know the value placed upon the way we make images, how much it bothers you, I can’t disagree about many approaches, except I’m curious about conservation but I see your point. Maybe preservation is a better way. Without much ado, my cringe worthy struggle has been the disregard for the land ethic, insomuch as to think that the materials and energy used to manufacture the instruments we use to make images, display them , hasn’t caused an impact may indeed be another vale. I guess “there’s no where to run or hide,” except to go forth and do good things. Not to worry, the effort (tueri) you put into documenting your images is truly exceptional. Hope to see more. Thanks for doing what you do!

Marc

JMB
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Re: Manu NP part 4

Post by JMB »

I think it is very important to consider the impact that photography (and research) has on the subject but also photography (especially macro) can raise awareness of the under represented part of the biosphere which needs protection. The problem is that I think nobody on this forum wants nature be diminished through their photography but how to educate the rest of humanity that there is much more (and in my opinion more important for ecologic and aesthetic values) of the entire biosphere which requires urgent protection past polar bear or lions.

pbertner
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Re: Manu NP part 4

Post by pbertner »

Hi JMB, thanks for adding your voice to the discussion.
I guess part of the problem is that it's being framed as an "either/or proposition", when it should be an "yes/and"; there's no reason not to do things ethically except that it takes more time and effort. Our aesthetic values have been perverted by people making nature do unnatural things, and then presenting it as though the photo mirrors the reality. Although photos do indeed have the power to raise awareness, there is a parallel course where people become inured, requiring greater and greater stimulation and simulation which becomes harder and harder to achieve without importing fantasy into the photos, be it editing, AI, or direct manipulation. How many times have you seen a beautiful landscape photo, only to realize that it's a tight crop and immediately outside of the photos' borders is an industrialized, modern landscape?
I would argue that this new social-validation aesthetic runs counter to the preservation, ecological model that you, Marc and indeed I, myself ascribe to (in addition to the many others on this forum and elsewhere). The former centres on the self, whereas the latter is more wholistic.

Marc- thanks for the encouragement. It's become increasingly difficult as the world accelerates and complicates, to choose which hill to die on, which values to value, and which to discard as they become untenable from yesterday to today. I don't begrudge anyone falling prey to the emotional hacking that this modern digital landscape has fostered. Updating our worldview in real-time is unrealistic as physical and digital technology, globalism and "world systems" (beyond a single individual's control or conception)... achieve escape velocity. Nature does offer a way out from that, so as much as I rely on technology to document and interact with nature, I also make a point to try to connect with it as much as possible experientially.

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