One of the joys of any special interest group is that every once in a while we encounter a visiting lecturer or judge with a real and infectious passion for their speciality. So it was last Thursday night when we welcomed Paul Fraser to Falkirk.
A Marine & Freshwater Biologist and Aquatic Ecologist, who graduated from the University of Glasgow, Paul began his career by studying the effect of water quality on freshwater invertebrates. He was captivated by the detail he could see, often through a microscope, and that led him to explore macro photography. To be clear, this is not the everyday macro photography of butterflies and other agreeable species this is, for example, the head of a wasp, various variety of beetle or of a number of different flying insects. An area only millimetres across complete with compound eyes, ferocious mandibles and …………. did you know that even the larvae of some of these insects have mandibles ? Seek out his Instagram page and you will see for yourselves.
Paul explained how he captured such fascinating images, while at all times, protecting the security and safety of the subject. One of his main guidelines is an early start as insects are less active in cooler temperatures so, be prepared to be out in the countryside before dawn breaks.
Paul remarked that he felt truly privileged to be invited to become an ambassador for the wildlife charity Buglife. To quote Sir David Attenborough on the Buglife website: “ if we and the rest of the back-boned animals were to disappear overnight, the rest of the world would get on pretty well. But if the invertebrates were to disappear, the worlds ecosystems would collapse. “
Paul is not only one of the most highly skilled photographers we have ever welcomed to our club, he is also one of the best communicators we have ever met.
On Thursday 26th September we hold the first of this season’s Member’s Nights. These nights are a great opportunity to explore topics requested by club members and next Thursday’s topics were nominated by club members last week. We meet informally in the café at Trinity Church from 7pm onwards, with the nights activities starting at 7:30pm. Hope to see you there.