Ant pollinating

acerola · Post by **acerola** » Sun Mar 25, 2007 3:47 pm

I just came across this ant on a veroncia. It rested there so I was able to make more shots from it. After a while it finally moved and went away.

I did not decide yet whitch one is better.

Canon 20D + EFS 17-55 reversed @45mm f5,6

Mike B in OKlahoma · Post by **Mike B in OKlahoma** » Sun Mar 25, 2007 4:06 pm

Very nice!

In the top one, more of the thorax of the ant is in focus, plus the ummm....stigma? Whatever it is you call the appendage at the top of the flower center is in focus.

rjlittlefield · Post by **rjlittlefield** » Sun Mar 25, 2007 4:54 pm

Peter, Yes, very nice! I definitely prefer the top one.

It has good focus on both one anther and the ant, and the angle of view makes things easy to understand. In the second one, I find I'm distracted that only a little bit of one anther is focused, while the other one is so blurred and seen sideways that I wouldn't even be sure it's there except for the first pic. In the second pic, there's also something about the overlap of the style and the leg of the ant that confuses me. (Maybe I'm just easily confused today!

)

Mike, the purple heart-shaped thing with the white powder on it is an anther with pollen. It and the white filament that support it make up one stamen. Veronica has two of those. The style is the white stalk next to the ant's head, and the stigma is the white lump at the end of it. (Google search on flower parts gives nice diagrams!) There's a picture of the Veronica flower here, that shows the overall structure very well. Seems odd that we don't have one in our own forums, but I came up dry searching both old and new.

--Rik

acerola · Post by **acerola** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 7:32 am

It is hard to decide for me because I think the color and overall composition a little better for the second picture. The first however is technically better.
Thanks for your opinion, and thank you Rik for the detailed description.

Cyclops · Post by **Cyclops** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 7:53 am

I think the first one would be more likely to please the 'judges' as the stigma is in focus and stands out more.
Great shots both of them!

beetleman · Post by **beetleman** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 2:34 pm

I think you were lucky the ant stayed in one spot for so long. They usually do not hang out to long. I like picture #1, the DOF is on more interesting subjects.

MacroLuv · Post by **MacroLuv** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 2:54 pm

Péter, the first one is better IMO.