Wild Planet Photo Magazine

Just a brief post to recommend Wild Planet Photo Magazine (WPPM), a new digital magazine devoted to wildlife photography. The magazine fills what was a clear gap in the market - although Outdoor Photography partially covers wildlife photography there was no magazine solely devoted to wildlife photography.

The first two issues of the magazine have been excellent. They cover a broad range of wildlife, include interviews with leading wildlife photographers and even feature a regular slot devoted to Meet Your Neighbours (you may see an article from yours truly in the not too distant future).

While I still like the physical feel of a print magazine there seems little doubt that digital magazines are going to become the norm in the not too distant future. And WPPM really does look great on an iPad!

The first 3 issues can be downloaded for free from the WPPM website here.

Common Blue Butterflies

There are certain insect species that I can't resist photographing even though they already feature in a large number of my images. Ladybirds and jumping spiders would be 2 contenders for my 'most photographed species' but another would be the Common Blue butterfly. For me, summer wouldn't be summer without seeing these stunning blue butterflies flitting around a flowery meadow in the sunshine.

True to form, I therefore took a number of Common Blue images this summer of which the following are a selection:

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I was particularly pleased to get a few images of Common Blue females with their wings open. The females have predominantly brown wings.

...whereas the males have very striking blue wings.

and one or two with their wings closed for good measure.

Ruby-Tailed Wasp

One of my favourite insects is the Ruby-Tailed Wasp (Chrysis ignita). They're only small (approx 10mm) and if the sun isn't shining on them they look like a fairly mundane small, dark hoverfly, but a closer look in sunshine (or flash) reveals them to be incredibly colourful and jewel-like. 

I only tend to see them once or twice a year and they are very difficult to photograph as they are highly active, rarely pausing at all. However, one evening in early August I found one in my conservatory and it let me photograph it in my garden for a few seconds (literally!) before it flew off. I managed the following 2 images:

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