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M yinterestwithinsectsgoesbackalongtime. Itbeganduringaholidaybacktomynative villageinthemountainsofNorthernItaly,ona familydayout,highupinthemountainmeadows. WhilemyfamilyandIwerehavingapicnicamongst thegloriousAlpineflorathatsurroundedus,Ibegan tonoticethatthelandwasalivewithhundredsof butterflies.AtthatmomentaParnassiusApollo settledonaflowernexttomeandIcouldn’tresist takingacloserlookatthisstunninginsectbusily feedingonaflowerhead.Whyitlandedthere,so closetome,onsuchanuninterestingflower,Iwill neverknow,butfromthemomentitglidedaway continuingitsjourneyIwashooked.Anyonewho knowstheApollocanappreciatemywonderathow stunningitlooks.Tomeitisstillthemostbeautiful butterflyintheworld. MyoldCanonFTBnowhadanewrole.Insteadof familypicturesitnowhadtocapturebutterflies, laterfollowedbyMoths,thenflowersandother insects.SlowlyoverthecomingyearsIupdatedmy equipmentandtookmanypicturesofinsectsand flowersbutmostlytheywereforrecords.Inever tookphotographyveryseriously.Itwasjustavery entertaininghobby. Insects of Europe - an FRPS Panel by Gianpiero Ferrari May Chafer taking off Leptura rubra Stag Beetles confrontation

Transcript of Insects of Europe - an FRPS Panel - Home - RPSrps.org/Insects of... · During this time, my ......

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My�interest�with�insects�goes�back�a�long�time.�It�began�during�a�holiday�back�to�my�native

village�in�the�mountains�of�Northern�Italy,�on�afamily�day�out,�high�up�in�the�mountain�meadows.While�my�family�and�I�were�having�a�picnic�amongstthe�glorious�Alpine�flora�that�surrounded�us,�I�beganto�notice�that�the�land�was�alive�with�hundreds�ofbutterflies.��At�that�moment�a�Parnassius�Apollosettled�on�a�flower�next�to�me�and�I�couldn’t�resisttaking�a�closer�look�at�this�stunning�insect�busilyfeeding�on�a�flower�head.��Why�it�landed�there,�soclose�to�me,�on�such�an�uninteresting�flower,�I�willnever�know,�but�from�the�moment�it�glided�awaycontinuing�its�journey�I�was�hooked.��Anyone�whoknows�the�Apollo�can�appreciate�my�wonder�at�howstunning�it�looks.��To�me�it�is�still�the�most�beautifulbutterfly�in�the�world.��

My�old�Canon�FTB�now�had�a�new�role.��Instead�offamily�pictures�it�now�had�to�capture�butterflies,later�followed�by�Moths,�then�flowers�and�otherinsects.��Slowly�over�the�coming�years�I�updated�myequipment�and�took�many�pictures�of�insects�andflowers�but�mostly�they�were�for�records.��I�nevertook�photography�very�seriously.��It�was�just�a�veryentertaining�hobby.

Insects of Europe -an FRPS Panelby Gianpiero Ferrari

May Chafer taking off

Leptura rubra

Stag Beetles confrontation

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In�the�early�ninety’s�I�went�to�see�one�of�MartinWithers�FRPS�presentations�on�African�wildlife.��Allthose�spectacular,�clean�and�crisp�images�of�life�onthe�Savannah�had�a�big�impact�on�my�photography.Martin�had�an�almost�superhuman�eye�forcomposition.��In�those�photos�he�presented�he�wasable�to�capture�the�essence�of�the�creatures�in�theirhabitat.��He�was�a�true�artist�with�a�camera.��I�wasthen,�and�always�will�be,�in�awe�of�his�work,�howeverat�the�time�all�I�could�think�was�“I�have�to�startimproving�my�photography”.

Martin�lived�only�3�miles�away�from�my�home,�soafter�meeting�we�soon�became�very�good�friends.Initially�Martin�was�more�a�mentor�from�whom�Ilearned�a�lot.��With�Martin�as�my�teacher,�mysubjects�extended�to�include�birds,�mammals�andfungi,�amongst�other�things,�but�more�importantly�Ilearned�to�pay�more�attention�to�details�likecomposition,�background�and�light�conditions.��AsMartin�was�fond�of�saying�‘quality�is�more�importantthan�quantity’.��During�this�time,�my�photographymust�have�had�improved,�because�Martin�suggestedI�join�the�RPS.��Two�years�later�I�successfully�appliedfor�my�ARPS�with�a�mixed�panel�of�Birds,�Butterflies,Moths,�Fungi�and�Orchids.��At�this�point�I�hadintended�to�stop.�My�ambitions�had�been�achievedeven�more�than�I�had�originally�expected�myself.

Following�my�retirement,�and�with�more�time�on�myhands,�photography�was�becoming�more�and�moreimportant�to�me.��Until�this�time�most�of�myholidays�had�been�taken�in�Europe�but�now�Istarted�travelling�further�afield�with�my�closestfriends�Martin�Withers�and�John�Tinning,�visitingAfrica,�USA�and�Australia.��It�was�during�this�last�tripto�Australia�that�Martin�began�to�suffer�from�illhealth.��On�his�return�he�was�subsequentlydiagnosed�with�Motor-Neurone�disease.�Hedeteriorated�very�quickly,�becoming�very�frail�andhouse�bound.��Thankfully�his�friendship�and�advicenever�stopped.

One�of�his�last�requests�of�me�was�to�apply�for�myFellowship.��Not�really�considering�my�work�to�beanywhere�near�the�standard�of�someone�like�him,my�reply�was,�as�you�can�imagine,�“You�must�bejoking.”�(with�a�few�expletives).��However�he�insisted,telling�me�that�I�had�a�special�feeling�with�insectsand�numerous�good�pictures�and�I�should�applywith�an�insect�panel.�Still�unsure�whether�I�was�upto�it,�he�gave�me�the�condition�that�I�either�do�itnow�while�he�still�had�energy�and�time�to�help,�or�I

Small Skipper - mating pair

Map Butterfly feeding on Forget-me-not

Darwin’s Heath on Bladder Campion

Camberwell Beauty feeding on ripened figs

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do�it�by�myself�later.��It�was�an�opportunity�toogood�to�refuse�and�with�that�final�push�and�furtherencouragement�from�John�I�began�digging�throughmy�archives�of�pictures.

From�the�many�photos�in�my�records��(it�was�here�Iwas�reminded�of�Martin’s�words�about�quality�notquantity),�I�selected�one�hundred�of�my�favouritepictures.��A�mix�of�butterflies,�moths,�beetles,spiders,�grasshoppers,�dragonflies,�wasps.�Martinstraight�away�reduced�them�to�fifty.��The�next�stepwas�to�further�reduce�the�selection.��But�how?��Theywere�all�my�favourite�pictures�and�I�could�notdecide�between�one�or�another.�So�I�enlisted�thehelp�of�John,�who�also�helped�me�to�compose�mystatement�of�intent�for�the�panel.��From�the�fifty,John,�Martin�and�myself�selected�our�best�twenty,and�compared�which�were�the�most�popularamongst�us.��To�do�this�we�had�to�really�analyse�thephoto�in�its�minute�details:�sharpness,�realisticcolour�and�composition.��After�this�process,�I�endedup�with�the�magic�number�of�35�pictures.��Notmuch�progress�after�all.

Next�I�researched�previous�submissions,�to�see�whatcould�be�learned.��The�results�were�discouraging.There�were�only�a�handful�of�successful�insectpanels�in�the�ARPS,�but�nothing�recent�for�aFellowship.��It�seems�most�FRPS�successes�comingfrom�birds,�mammals�or�mixed�panels.

Still�not�convinced�an�insect�panel�will�be�strongenough�for�a�Fellowship,�I�decided�to�send�myselections�to�Richard�Revel�to�see�if�my�pictureswere�up�to�the�FRPS�standard.��Richard�gave�mesound�advice�saying�my�work�was�good�enough�andincluded�very�interesting�subject�matter.��This�wasas�much�as�he�could�advise�without�prejudicing�hisposition.��The�rest�was�up�to�me,�which�pictures�Iwould�choose�and�how�I�compose�the�panel.

Finally�I�decided�on�30�pictures�and�printed�them.Using�these,�I�started�to�put�together�the�bestcombination�for�a�successful�panel�moving�thepictures�around�like�a�jigsaw�puzzle,�aiming�to�followthe�statement�of�intent,�discarding�the�ones�that�didnot�fit�and�again�enlisting�advice�from�the�DynamicDuo�of�Martin�and�John.�Reluctantly�I�even�had�todiscard�the�photo�of�the�love�of�my�life,�the�Apollo.

My�final�panel�was�put�together�with�a�variety�ofinsects�showing�behaviour,�colours,�matings�and

10The Iris - Winter 2013

Feathered Thorn Moth

Spanish Moon Moth

Eurranthis plummistaria

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camouflage�in�their�habitat.���With�my�final�20pictures�chosen,�framed�and�completed,�it�was�onlynow�that�I�felt�proud�with�the�results�of�my�workwhether�it�got�me�the�Fellowship�or�not.

Unfortunately�I�could�not�attend�the�assessmentday�due�to�family�commitments.��However�on�thefollowing�day�I�received�a�phone�call�from�Martin.The�words�he�used�were�“Congratulation�you�arenow�a�photographer�with�a�capital�F.”

All�I�can�suggest�to�any�photographer�who�wouldlike�to�try�for�a�Fellowship�distinction,�is�do�not�beafraid�to�ask�for�advice.��The�pictures�for�the�panelare�yours�but�advice�is�priceless.�It’s�the�best�thingyou�will�ever�get�for�free.

My�success�is,�in�part,�thanks�to�the�help�and�advicefrom�my�good�friends.��But�without�Martin’s�motivation,encouragement�and�request,�it�would�never�havehappened.��I�dedicate�my�Fellowship�to�his�memory.�

More�of�Gianpiero’s�images�can�be�seen�on�theback�cover�of�this�issue.

Statement of Intent

The images in my panel are intended to illustrate

the exquisite beauty of the European insect fauna

and some aspects of its fascinating behaviour.

Even within this comparatively small selection of

twenty species, insects display a huge variety of

different forms, colours and life cycles. Insects

have evolved many complex adaptations to their

habitat: they make use of their form and colour to

attract and win mates, camouflage themselves,

utilise warning colouration to frighten away

enemies and deflect potential attacks away from

vulnerable areas of their bodies. Many species

have become very specialized, relying on particular

plants for their food or reproductive cycle. I have

tried to include within my submission examples of

some of the most aesthetically pleasing insects,

actively engaged in interesting natural behaviour,

where they would normally occur.

11The Iris - Winter 2013

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Images from Gianpiero Ferrari’s Fellowship Panel

Top: Red Assassin Bug

Above: Queen of Spain Fritillary

Below: Pale Prominent Moth camouflage

Top right: Narrow-bordered 5 Spot Burnet

Bottom right: Small White mating pair