Gallant Fox Gallery at the Arboretum

Today, Hub and I went to the NC State Arboretum in Raleigh.  It's an amazing place to go in the spring when all the trees are flowering, but we found the summer to have lots of neat foliage and blooms as well.  If you live in the area, it's definitely worth it to check it out.  It's free and is a great place to take photos and get landscaping ideas.  I had planned to spend the weekend working on my first letterpress prints, but as it turns out, I am still missing a piece for the press.  If I ever opened my mail on time, I would have known this 2 weeks ago.  But I don't open mail.  So, since I didn't end up being able to print anything this weekend, I've provided some photos from out arboretum adventure to tide you over.

 Hub was trying to get me used to using the tripod for my shots.  I am stubborn, so even though I know that Hub is right in his mantra that to get really great shots with a macro, you really should use a tripod.  Especially if you've got a tremor, which I do, and the camera is heavy to hold steady, which it is.  See Hub is a member of the Ansel Adams worshippers.  And I am not going to lied to you, his stuff is good.  In fact, Tom Hubscher Photography will soon be featured on the Gallant Fox Gallery (well, as soon as I figure out Dreamweaver...I was using simpler, but somewhat lame program before, so I am making the switch, well, um attempting to make the switch.)  Where was I....oh yes, I had given in, and was following Hub's instruction.  So I was lugging around the camera, and tripod, and looking sweaty and uncute in the 100 degree heat, when I saw this beauty.  A black and blue butterfly, and I've got a thing for butterflies.  But, he was taunting me and my tripod.  Every time I got settled in for the shot, he would move on to a different bloom.  So, with reckless abandon, I pulled the camera off the tripod and stalked the little bugger.  Gotcha!

This little guy was elusive.  But I once entertained the notion of being a spy...probably due to just a tiny La Femme Nikita obsession.  It didn't help matters that my friends and I actually called eachother things like "Libby Bond" and "oo9."  So, I can certainly get into stealth mode and do some recon.    Below, target on the move.

Once, I got my action shots, I moved on to more tranquil subjects With the tripod.