Spider. Photo by Trevor Sharot.
My husband's photo of a forest was short-listed in a photographic competition run by National Geographic magazine contest for photos of forests. He was runner-up, with his photo displayed at the shop in Regent Street (shop now moved location). The outright winner won with a photo including a small living creature, contrasting with the giant trees.
Add Animals
You can enhance a photo of nature by adding a human being - your companion, a dog, or cat, or a car to get the scale of a tall tree. For a video add something moving such as a fish, or still, such as a spider. If nobody else is around, try a selfie. But in case you are too ugly, or your movement creates camera blur, have other photos without the living creature.
Before And After Photos
You can also do before and after pictures. Present them side by side as a pair. Or as a threesome. The scene changes when the visitor arrives. The scene is enhanced or destroyed by the happy campers. When they are gone, it is empty again.
Animals Facing Obstacles
I watched a video of a small porcupine eating a slice of banana. I had never seen a porcupine close up.
We would simply peel a banana. We would eat a small piece in one gulp. The little porcupine makes a five-minute meal out of a small slice. The little darling is struggling to hold it with teeny hands. A major challenge for the baby porcupine is to extract and eat the banana off the inside of the peel.
The Challenge For Animals
We have loads of things to do and for us often food is merely fuel. In one sense we eat to live but a cow lives to eat, eating all day, as does a bird (except when singing for a mate.) You could also argue the reverse. We eat to live. But the porcupine is totally engrossed, living to eat.
Analysis
A friend, Jane on Facebook, asked a question I have previously asked: Why do we find these animal pictures so appealing? She used the lovely word enchanting.
My first answer was: They concentrate so hard. They seem to be enjoying it. Their eyes are wide open. It's funny because they eat so fast, as if scared you will take it away.
Animals are oblivious to table manners. They eat with their mouths open.
Humans are trained not to be obsessed with food. We speak. We say please and thank you. But animals are wholly expressing their hunger or pleasure by gestures which exaggerate what we would do.
We also gain the voyeur's delight. They are concentrating on the food and don't realise we are sneaking up with an ulterior motive and secretly making a film.
We get vicarious satisfaction from their joy at eating the food. Plus the joy of being let into their secret world, never before seen.
We have a sense of power, control. They are tiny. Easily pleased. Kept in one place, in front of our camera. Put down a tiny piece of banana and we have a porcupine which is thriving, happy, obedient, devoted, the perfect camera model.
Animal Or Insect Alone
You can get over your fear or disgust at seeing a spider or a line of ants if you are concentrating on another task, getting a good photo. Instead of the wild word encroaching, invading, spoiling your day, the wild world has enhanced your experience and provided an opportunity for camera work.
Spiders
I never knew a spider's legs could come in three colours. I can identify the spider in Wikipedia, and be sure it is a 'normal' indigenous spider, not a dangerous spider.
Leave it outside, busy with its valuable work, catching flies. It sits patiently, waiting for the prey, as patient as a photographer.
Sharing With The World
If you have a great photo, you can share it on Facebook and numerous other websites. If you are wondering how to locate and sign up for Pinterest or another website, simple go to a news story on the BBC or another page and click on share. Up pop half a dozen media outlets and you can sign up for a new one.
Angela Lansbury
Travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.
See my other posts on this blog and my new blog
http://luxurytravelforless.co.uk
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