Photos of the Week – Betty Rembert

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Two Katydids in One Day

Betty Rembert - Scudder's Bush Katydid Nymph

Betty Rembert – Scudder’s Bush Katydid Nymph


Betty has been active in the ACC since its beginning some four years ago but not as a photographer. A year and a half ago she could resist no longer and picked up a camera to give it a try. Rarely has a day passed since when she didn’t head out for a shoot, concentrating on landscape and local scenes. Lately she has discovered the joy of macro work and the fascinating creatures that can be found everywhere. The two images below were captured in her small garden just a few feet from home. It was a cloudy day, perfect for this type of shot, with even a very light rain falling for the first image. She believes this colorful creature to be a Scudder’s Bush Katydid in an earlier nymph stage(experts out there are free to confirm or deny this). The rain enhanced the colors to a ceramic glow and the perfectly round, reflecting water drops add a prehistoric feel. The head reminds one of a horse on a merry-go-round.
The image below is the same katydid but at a later, mature stage.
Betty Rembert - Scudder's Bush Nymph KatydidBoth images are well framed, with sharp focus where it matters. The surrounding blossoms, leaves and soft backgrounds do not detract from the main subject.
Both were captured using a tripod with a Canon 5D and a 100mm macro lens. Left click each image for a closer, more detailed look.

Photographer’s Choice – Randy Porter

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Watch Me! I Can Do It!

Randy Porter - A young "hooper" at MerleFest

Randy Porter – A young “hooper” at MerleFest

Many ACC members have decades of experience in photography, others are taking up where they left off years ago and still others may be approaching the art for the first time. Regardless of the experince, all have asperations to create something memorable and unique. To succeed one needs to think creatively and be willing to invest time and energy to master the tools necessary to fulfill this creativity. It’s also a requirement that the journey itself be as enjoyable as sharing the successes will be with with one’s family, friends and fellow photographers. You only need to look at Facebook, Smugmug or other similar sites to realize how much photographers want to share their work with others (oohs and ahhs always welcome).
What does all the above have to do with this excellent portrait captured by Randy at this year’s MerleFest? He joined the ACC in June of this year, has been working on mastering his camera and technique for several months and perhaps doesn’t realize how much progress he has made, thinking more on how much there is yet to learn. He’s therefore hesitant to share his work, perhaps lacking confidence in his ability to “compete”. These weekly postings are not a competition but a way to share, to gain confidence and take another step up the ladder. Randy has done that by agreeing to share with all the members (and the world, I suppose. We had 615 pages viewed from China and 336 from Sweden during August). It will be easier the next time.