View allAll Photos Tagged Cryptic
Found this cryptic and fine mantid (ca 32mm long, Sibylla pretiosa, Sibyllidae, Mantodea) in the miombo forests of Mikembo sanctuary (DR Congo, Katanga, 35km NE of Lubumbashi, January 2015). I actually disturbed it, otherwise I wouldn't have seen it.
Fieldstack (late afternoon) based on 42 exposures, assembled in Zerene Stacker (mostly Dmap, Pmax). In spite of the dropping temperatures still lots of fine movements in front legs and upper body ... so it's a seriously retouched image.
Canon 5D mkii, EF 100mm macro f/2.8L IS USM, ISO-100, f/5, -1step, 1/2s, natural light, evening light. Magnification close to 1x (on ff).
Western Toad
Las Virgenes Canyon, 7 months after containment of the Woolsey Fire
It was so good to see some amphibian survivors of the fire. The area in which these amphibians were found was completely decimated during the fire. Where once there was almost always a small perennial pond surrounded by a stand of trees and thick vegetation, there was nothing left but charred dirt. Since the fire, the pond has returned and there is a bit of shrubbery though the trees are gone.
They have unusual leaf-like femoral projections near the joints of their four walking legs. Adults are distinguished from most other mantis species by their leaf-like wings, generally the only green portion of the mantis's otherwise brown and mottled exoskeleton. The thorax of the cryptic mantis is very thin and elongated, similar to that of the wandering violin mantis, Gongylus gongylodes. Adult females generally reach 5–6 cm (2.0–2.4 in) in length, while the males are generally about 1 cm (0.4 in) smaller. The lifespan of the wild cryptic mantis is unknown, but they have been known to live up to nine months in captivity (wild mantises likely live slightly longer, a year and a few months).
I call it the Exam-butterfly. Every year, it just starts to hatch out when my exams are imminent, which is of course the worst possible time, as I have to choose between going out and seeing these, and studying for exams. Hard choice, eh?
wink emoticon
Its real name is the Cryptic Wood White (Leptidea juvernica), a small, delicate butterfly found in Ireland but not in Great Britain. It's a frail thing; a light breeze will keep it down sheltering in the grasses; and when it does fly in the sunshine, it does so with a slow floppy character as though its wings were made of cherry petals.
I am fortunate enough to have a small, newly formed colony of these in the field where I live - they only survive in good quality unimproved grassland. The weather didn't seem to know what to do today, one minute raining, the next sunny; sometimes both at once. This made for nice conditions to photograph this female CWW on an old dandelion seedhead.
A cryptic orthoperan from the rainforests of Sumatra (kindly identified as belonging to the Chorotypidae by Artour_A).
Hi.
Welcome to “Alchemy”.
I’ve been told that my writing is cryptic. I say I mostly communicate in 2 layers. “Alchemy” is my hermetical statement.
Hermeticism has a long tradition of cloaking their written ideas in a labyrinth of coded jargon set with traps to mislead the uninitiate. Alchemists were forced to write about a spiritual discipline under a materialistic guise in order to avoid accusations of blasphemy from the church and state. Their entire philosophy revolved around their belief that man's soul was divided within himself after the fall of Adam. By purifying the two parts of man's soul, man could be reunited with God (or in psychology, Jung’s divine marriage: coming into wholeness as a human being). Generally Alchemy is centered on the transmutation of base metals into noble ones. For Hermeticism, Alchemy is fundamentally concerned with spiritual enlightenment and illumination. In this sense, the transmutation of lead into gold is an analogy for personal transmutation, purification and perfection of the soul, the evolution. Groups like the Rosicrucians and Freemasons have a continued interest in alchemy and its symbolism.
“Alchemy” is a series of visual allegories, besides being former experiments (on the border between science and charlatanism) meant to detract you from a physical plane and deliver you into mysticism via transformation and criticism.
As far as the etymology goes, the term Alchemy means Black Earth as the antique name for Egypt – borrowed by Greeks: Chemia, then by the Arab culture: Al Kimiya, arrived to Latin languages: alchymia. Modern Greek turned it into Chymeia (mixture) that would stand for today’s chemistry. The ultimate goal of Alchemy was the artificial creation of life including human life and the search for the philosopher’s stone (or grand elixir of immortality in the Chinese culture) which other is not but a metaphor for a hidden spiritual truth or power that would lead to that goal (passed by God to Adam).
“Alchemy” in the Hermetic key looks for the philosopher’s stone inward. Find yourself and you’ll find God (As above so below – the Hermetic axiom). Cuz God is within you.
Lastly, the philosopher’s stone is created by the alchemical method known as The Magnum Opus or The Great Work. The Great Work of Alchemy is often described as a series of four stages represented by colors (changes of chemical processes).
- nigredo, a blackening or melanosis
- albedo, a whitening or leucosis
- citrinitas, a yellowing or xanthosis
- rubedo, a reddening, purpling, or iosis
This would explain the colors I chose to work with.
Below, I’m going to give a brief description of the things you’re going to experience:
1. Where art though? ~ op art for dimension jumping into a metaphysical plane.
2. Transparent Report ~ Garden of Eden of sorts. Here you can rest and question everything you read above, let yourself be tempted by the cryptic symbolism. When you’re chrysanthemum full you can take a trip to the other side.
3. How much river do you need?? ~ the actual crossing. I guess it takes some resources to break on through on the other side. (In fact you should jump and then turn around)
4. The Fall ~ drowning into an ascent. Ultimately we’re all here on Earth – SL – B.O. - October 2017 with the eyes turned skywards.
5. Random International ~ a series of craftless but pretentious images with the only purpose of taking you to the big forward. The resurrection.
(I hope you enjoyed the journey. Otherwise go to IKEA and buy a table. Then make a damn good cup of coffee. If this doesn’t work, please take drugs and come back. Blue Orange is a deeply marvelous place full of the talent of more remarkable artists:
- Theda Tammas
- Aicha-Tubal Amiot
- Gitu Aura
- Chibbchichi
- Byrn Oh
- Nicole X
- Rebecca Bashly
- Xirana Oximoxi
- Jadeyu Fhang)
Thank you for taking the time to visit and read this.
A special Thank You goes to ini for otherwise Inventory experiments I made months ago would have never come to light and is such a great honor to celebrate B.O. 1y birthday.
Have a luminous existence.
Hugs,
Nevereux
maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Empire%20State%20Island/24...
Vargo - Silence
Here are two shots of a tiny Crab Spider (Thomisidae) with cryptic colors that I found on a dandelion-like seedhead of native (but weedy) Telegraph Weed (Heterotheca grandiflora, Asteraceae) along the road in the canyon today. It's really tiny, just 580 pixels in these 1:1 macro shots, which comes to 2.3 mm - less than 1/10 inch. (See here for how I figure.) This is not one of the flower-loving Mecaphesa spiders that I've been showing lately, but something else. It might be a Ground Crab Spider in the genus Xysticus, but I think it's more likely genus Ozyptila. (And that's not to mention genera Coriarachne and Bassaniana!) It has stubby front legs with just two spines (I think) on the first tibia. Whatever it is, it's a surprising spider, so tiny! Arachtober 21a. (San Marcos Pass, 21 October 2019)
One usually sees these frozen in their cryptic posture, so it was great fun to see this one stalking prey, fluffing its feathers, etc. This species seems to have a lot of personality.
American bittern - Botaurus lentiginosus
Brumley Forest North, Orange County NC, USA.
Production photograph for Cryptic's Orlando, which was performed this year at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. This image was the publicity photograph for its performances in Glasgow and Edinburgh last year. My other work in theatre and opera can be seen collected in this set.
Glasgow, 2011.
Cryptic Holga shot, partial double exposure, angry nature with human intervention.
—
Camera: #Holga
Film: LomoChrome Turquoise
See more at my LomoHome: bit.ly/ADGlomo
Sidewalk markings show the location of underground utility cables etc. so they don't get wrecked from digging for construction. Apparently we're in for some construction in my neighborhood because this legal graffiti is everywhere. The red flag says "buried cable."
this was ridiculously fun to make, but not gonna lie, my lazy ass was tired after all that jumping around. California skies are so boring sometimes. i want cloudsssss. this was the top of my city. the only place i could find without trees or houses in the way of the background.
i made a stop motion video that goes with this that I'm gonna post on my Facebook. its pretty funny lol
the video is HERE