1st Nature winning pix: earwigs hanging on the grass

For a Nature image to be competitive, it must show animal behavior, portraits of wildlife in natural habitat, plant life, natural dramatic landscapes, weather or people interacting with nature. Photographs of pets or domestic animals and images of captive animals photographed in zoos and commercial game farms are also prohibited, however, photos from state and national wildlife preserves are allowed. Most of the time, the winning image often shows animal behavoir than a cute portrait of a bird or flower.

I have some Nature Projected winning image but never got a 1st placer... not until June 7, 2010 when I know that my Earwigs (Forficula auricularia) Hanging on the Grass will be a great entry for that night's competition.

Earwig is an insect that has elongate bodies and slender many-jointed antennae and a pair of large pincers at the rear of the abdomen. The tail is like a forcep that have been observed in use for holding prey and in copulation. The forceps tend to be more curved in males than in femalesEarwigs are generally nocturnal, and typically hide in small, dark, and often moist areas in the daytime. They can usually be seen patrolling household walls and ceilings. Some people erroneously believe that earwigs crawl into people's ears at night and make burrows. Earwigs are harmless to people.

So, here it is, my very first ever - 1st place Nature Projected Basic winning image the Earwigs (Forficula auricularia) Hanging On The Grass.

judge commentary: Very nice capture and very funny to look at them. Such small creatures appeared li'l bigger. But cropping this image will work best. Great focus on the earwigs and right depth of field.

my commentary: This was was taken last Memorial weekend when we went for 2 days 20 miles hike/backpack in Ohlone Wilderness from Sunol to del Valle Livermore. Half-way from Sunol to Rose Peak, we were hiking on a grassy trail where earwigs are everywhere. The 1st earwig on the grass was hard to photograph because of the wind - the grass kept on swaying and the earwig kept on moving. I decided to give up on that guy, moved on and I know that I will see more of them on the trail. Not too far from the first one, I saw two earwigs struggling to hang on the grass. Looking from my camera's viewfinder and trying to get a good focus (with my 25 lbs backpack on my back), the behavoir of the two earwigs caught my attention: the one on the right was looking to the one on the left as if saying " hold on tight, the wind is so strong, don't fall". While the one on the left was looking at me telling me that he's ready for my shot.

Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better. ~Albert Einstein