Fantastic World World Fantastic Nature & Photography P.10
BEAUTIFUL BIRDS SKETCHING BIRDS MADE EASY
P.13 IDENTIFYINNG PLANTS AND ANIMALS I KNOW WHAT THAT IS!
P.15 LANDSCAPE PHOTOGTAPHY TIPS A NEW PERSPECTIVE
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A
L E TT E R
FR O M
TH E
EDITOR HELLO,
READER!
I’M DANIELLE ALFORD, AN ADMIRER OF NATURE, A LOVER OF ANIMALS AND PLANTS, A SHUTTERBUG ON THE SEARCH FOR THE EXTRAORDINARY AMONG THE ORDINARY.
I I
I
LOVE PHOTOGRAPHY, AND
ENJOY DRAWING AT ANY CHANCE CAN GET.
I
HOPE TO BRIGHTEN
YOUR DAY WITH HELPFUL INFORMATION, USEFUL TUTORIALS, AND BEAUTIFUL PHOTOGRAPHS TO MAKE YOU THINK AND WONDER.
SO, LET’S
JOIN ME, WON’T YOU?
TAKE A WHOLE NEW LOOK
AT THE WORLD IN WHICH WE LIVE ALONGSIDE UNDISCOVERED BEAUTY!
CONTACT INFORMATION
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EMAIL: DLALFORD@SEUNIVERSITY.EDU SITE: HTTP://WWW.BETWEENDREAMSMAG.COM/STRANGESCIENCE
TABLE OF
CONTENTS .Pa
g
e Pag
........... Seeing Eye-to-Eye-to-Eye e
Draw Beautiful Birds ............... Pa g e
Pa
............. Identify Flora & Fauna ge
Small World, Big Surprises ...........
A Final Note .......................... ................. Page 19
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S EEING EYE-TO-EYE-TO-EYE: HE WORLD FROM A BUG’S-EYE POINT OF VIEW
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Is t
hat
big s
cary
beet
le go
ne y
et...!
?
Ever wonder what it would be like to see from a bug’s-eye point of view? To see the world they live in, the things they do, and the way God made them to survive in such an enormous world.
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1:Green fly 2: Grasshopper 3: Dragonfly 4: Brown widow spider 5: Ladybug 6: Jumping spider
Insects and arachnids and everything in between see the world a little differently than you or I. Many insects have compound eyes, which enables them to see the world through a kaleidoscope of lenses, all of which are put together and understood by the brain of the creature. Jumping spiders have amazing eyes that work almost as well as yours or mine. They use this excellent vision to judge distances, enabling them to leap accurately and safely, living up to their name with ease. Animals like spiders and scorpions have lots of eyes to see where they’re going, and what prey might be available to feed on. While jumping spiders need their keen eyesight for pouncing
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upon an unexpecting meal at lunchtime, other spiders, like tarantulas and wolf spiders and even scary black widows need to see in order to choose a good place to build their webs or hide out safely to wait for food to fall into their trap. Scorpions; arachnids just like their cousins, the spiders, are just as swift and alert to their surroundings, wary of predator and prey alike. With a thrust of the mighty poisoned-tipped tail arced high above their fast-moving body, aiming carefully and precisely like a skilled marksman on the archery field. Without the ability to see, these animals would have a very difficult time finding sustainance to keep them alive and thriving to see another day.
Eyess are awfully imortant. As eings, we value our eyes human beings, very much, h, because they allow us to see so much of the world we call ut imagine if you home. But have two different sets of eyes! Insects do. They have wo the two great bigg eyes (orr in some cases, four!) which are the compound eyes that give them all a general sensee of sight - ultraviolet light, to be exact. These compound d eyes, coupled with a set of smaller eyes called ocelli elli (or simple eyes) these se eyes are a lot moree like a camera lens, or like the eyes you and I
have! They work in unison with the co compound eyes to create a strong picture of the surroundsu ing environment envi whi which asssists in finding shelter, fo o d , and even po potential mates when the time comes to prod produce offspring that will w carry the species onward through th the future. Insects, arachnids, ar and all the othe other species of creature we call “bug,� live life - vividly and dangerously - and every aspect of it is seen thro through eyes that work to help them sursur vive, day in and day out.
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CAPTURE EVERY PRECIOUS MOMENT EVERY ADVENTURE EVERY SMILE EVERY VICTORY
EVERY TIME.
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Make your memories last a lifetime.
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Drawing Beautiful Have you ever gone bird-watching and while admiring the colorful plumage and beautiful weathered wings, wanted to capture that beauty with your own hands? Look no further - this guide will help you on the way to becom becoming ming a better artist in no time at all!
Palm Warbler WE’LL START SIMPLE. IT’ ALWAYS A GOOD IDEA TO BEGIN WITH SOMETHING EASY AND BUILD UP ON
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Boat-tailed Grackle
THAT FOUNDATION.
HERE WE GO!
Birds
) ! Y AS
E E AD
(M
STEP ONE:
STEP TWO:
STEP THREE:
CIRCLES AND LINES
START SHAPING UP
FILLING IN FORMS
ASK ANY ARTIST: ALWAYS KEEP YOUR SKETCH LINES AS LIGHT AS POSSIBLE! THIS WILL MAKE THEM EASY TO ERASE IF YOU DON’T WANT TO SEE THEM IN THE FINAL PICTURE. THE CIRCLE-AND-LINE SKETCH WILL BE THE LIGHTEST, AND THE SHAPES YOU CREATE FROM THEM SHOULD ALSO BE PRETTY LIGHT.
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!
BR
ID
GE
TH
E
W
SH AP SO ES M TO E DE GE TA TH ER IL S TO WIT GI H C VE U TH RVE D IS L BI RD INE S RE T AL HA T IS FL M
OW
.A
DD
IN
!
HE AR N Y OU E A PA MA SH KE AP RT ES O Y - T F YO OUR HI UR SK S E S BI RD UB TCH J E HA EC T. S, L S EV OO CI RC K E F LE RY TH OR S, TH EG I N G E G SH SH IN AP NA AP E TU ES , A RE S AN D ND IS T R MA L I N ES D IA NG E U TH P LE OF AT S
LET’S TRY THESE TECHNIQUES WITH A BOAT-TAILED GRACKLE!
NOW FOR A CORMORANT BIRD!
FAINTLY SKETCH IN THE CIRCLES AND LINES YOU SEE.
ADD DETAILS, WHICH AR ARE STILL LITTLE MORE THAN SHAPES. THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IS THERE’S MORE OF THEM THAN THE FIRST SKETCH.
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SINCE YOU KEPT THE SKETCH LIN LINES SO FAINT WITH YOUR PENCIL, IT’S EASY TO CLEAN UP THE LINE ART AND DARKEN IN WHAT LOOKS BEST. YOU CAN NOW ADD THE DE DETAILS YOU LEFT OUT EARLIER.
Identify Flora &Fauna ies! l f r e
e t t Bu
How often have you walked along outside and seen a fluttering blur sweep by the peripheral of your vision on a warm,lovely day? Do you have a lot of milkweed plants outside your back door which attract a lot of colorful customers? How can you tell if you have a butterfly or a moth lingering around? Butterflies and moths are pretty easy to confuse with one another - but there are a number of differences to look out for when attempting to identify the species you’re looking at. Butterflies are diurnal creatures (they are active during the daytime) that have very thing antennae with a tiny clublike tip. They typically land and rest with
their wings neatly folded together and erect. Butterflies are usually brightly-colored and display flashy designs on their bodies. Moths, on the other hand, are nocturnal (active during the night) and tend to flutter around a source of light. The antennae of moths are much wider and look like feathers, compared to butterflies’ antennae. When a moth lands and rests, it lays its wings down, spread out, and typically blends in - they are typically colored
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with dull, neutral shades that enable them to fers between the two species. Butterfly larva disappear against tree trunks, fallen leaves, old (caterpillars) spin themselves into a protective buildings, and many other similar areas. casing called a chrysalis that hides them safely Butterflies come in all shapes and sizes, from the world until they can change into and each of them unique! Their broad and fancy fly away as a butterfly. A chrysalis is usually wings usually show some sort of vein struccolored brown or green to blend in with surture which is not as easy to see in moths. Both rounding flora. Moths, on the contrary, spin types of insects are endowed with themselves into silky cocoons a similar body type. Howevrr, that are usually tucked into moths tend to have furry, chubby cravaces or under the ground Butterflies come in abdomens while butterflies tend all shapes and sizes, to hide them from predators. to have a more streamlined figure This pupate stage is vital to the each of them unique! that isn’t so heavily coated with growth of the species and helps tiny little hairs. observers of nature to tell them You will also notice, apart fairly easily. if you’re lucky enough to find them, So, the next time you see a flapping insect that the transitional phase between daintily swooping around, try to get a closerr larva and full-grown form also diflook - you never know what you may find!
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”
Little World
B IG S
Slow down, take a deep breath. It’s time to see a new side of this big, beautiful world!
URPRISES 15
I don’t think I need to point out that we live in a beautiful, vast world. It’s just that every time I stop and take it all in, I’m struck by the truth of just how big and impressive the entire planet really is. Have you ever had a moment like that? It’s easy to lose yourself when you stand on the shore of a gold-shaded beach soaked in the rays of a fiery, setting sun...or looki out over a gaping canyon gorge painted with a rainbow of earthy hues that elude description... This planet is a playground for fleeting moments of unique and unforgettable grandeur, just waiting for us to find them! Now comes the really mind-blowing part. In this great, big world we call home, are not only millions, not only billions, but trillions upon trillions of tiny other worlds and ecosystems we often overlook and forget are there. I want to break open the box that a lot of people tend to snuggle in, and help them to see outside of those boundaries in a new and exciting light. I personally never want to let the world around me grow bland and common. The moment that change occurs in the human spirit, cynicism creeps in and chokes out the light of creativity. On the next page, you’ll find a handful of mystery photographs I’ve taken of everyday things you would see. Some of them may be rather easy to recognize, and others may be tricky. It’s a great exercise to train your mind to think smaller...on a larger scale! It’s a reminder that even the big picture is made up of smaller, often overlooked parts that are often taken for granted but are no less important than the view we usually enjoy. My challenge to you, reader, is to let yourself get lost in the innate beauty of the world around you. Just take a moment, even if only a minute or two, to take in everything you see for what it is. Kneel down and admire a field daisy. Watch how the resilient skin of your hands creases perfectly as you flex your fingers to enable you to do so. When you accidentally forget to eat a meal during the day, be thankful you didn’t drop over dead because your body was made exactly to survive and use its own resources to keep you healthy. Every breath, every bat of an eyelid, every beat of your heart. They may only be small things that are easily forgotten... but they make up the big picture, and there would be no big picture without them.
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Think outside the box! Try to guess what each of these up-close-and-personal photos is a shot of. You might be in for a surprise!
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6 IF YOU’D LIKE TO KNOW THE ANSWERS, LOOK OVER ON THE NEXT PAGE.
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1. Dandelio on puff 2. Chocolatte with candy shell 3. Bird’s wing 4. Bicycle wheel reflector 5. Small ga arden snail 6. Blue gum mmy sharks
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A FINAL NOTE: I just wanted to personally thank you for picking up a copy of Fantastic World and I hope that it enriched you and brightened your day. There is always something new to learn, so don’t ever forget that learning is a lifelong journey - don’t let a day go by without seeking out a brand-new piece of information to add to what you y alreadyy know!
God bless!
Danielle Alford rd
Spe ecial thanks to: Special My M parents, for f encouraging me; my teacher, for sharing his knowledge and aid in the making of this magazine; my friends, for their support and advice; God, for making this incredible and beautiful world that is overflowing with endless possibilities for the pursuit of knowledge and creativity!
LOOK FOR A NEW PERSPECTIVE,
BECAUSE IF YOU DON’T,
YOU’LL NEVER KNOW WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE FOUND!
I found a tasty meal! EEK!
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