Robert’s Ramblings

Solitary stigma surrounded by six furry anther. Lilies display beautifully their crown jewels!

Until the next post, take the time to notice the little things in your world! …Robert 🙂


Photo: Robert Rath: Lily Macro

Yesterday I waited for the sunset at West Beach, hoping the sun would peek out through the clouds just before setting. Alas, no such luck. Not even a hint of a gleam before the sun was no more and a sullen twilight settled upon the beach and the ocean.

We’ll perhaps no dramatic sunset this time but there is always a photograph to be taken no matter where, no matter what the conditions so snap away I did!
More photos from the evening can be found here in my Facebook Album.


Until the next post, snap away! …Robert 🙂


Photo: Robert Rath: Moody West Beach Twilight

As much as most of us have an innate dislike of spiders they are undoubted fascinating and even if we want them as far as way from us as possible the fascination remains. This photo is of the much maligned white-tailed spider Lampona cylindrata. In this example a juvenile with a body only 2mm in length. The beautiful banded colouring and translucent appendages are due to this spider being so small and will disappear as the spider matures.

This little spider has been unfairly labelled as the cause of horrid necrotic ulcers which never heal after a much publicised study back in the 1980s. In fact more recent studies have demonstrated that bites from this spider have only minimal short term effects. On the bad side however the white-tailed spider is a wandering nocturnal hunter and as it likes homes it is probably the biggest culprit of domestic spider bites we have here.


Until the next post, face your fears take spiders you find in your house back out into the garden rather than squashing them! …Robert 🙂


Photo: Robert Rath: Juvenile White-Tailed Spider

The wonderful thing about photography is how it makes the ordinary, extra ordinary. I was in our garden this afternoon and thinking about how much it needed a good tidy. Soon I started noticing all the little things which make a garden beautiful with out that extreme manicured look so common in home and garden magazines. This single camelia flower is a beautiful example.



Until the next post, enjoy your messy garden and take the time to notice the beautiful things! …Robert 🙂


Photo: Robert Rath: Camelia bloom

It did not take long to review the photos. In fact I think this one came just as much by popular demand as by our choices. Either way it’s the one we will be using in Jennifer’s promotional material.

Until the next post, … Robert 🙂



Photo: Robert Rath, Jennifer Liston, poet, musician and super-model!

We all have heard of the bush tucker treat, the witchety grub, but how many know what happens to a witchety grub when it grows up and gets its wings? Today my daughter brought home this beautiful giant moth found in the school yard. We set it down on the kitchen table and I took a couple of photographs before it when out into the garden.

After a little bit of research we discovered it was an adult witchety grub or wood moth. There are about 60 species of wood moths in Australia of the family Cossidae, the largest having a wingspan of more than 25cm. The life cycle of the ‘witchety moth’ is rather interesting with the grub living for up to two years before becoming a moth which will live just a few days. This one will only live for a day or two more.

Its always fun to take photos of unusual critters and this little guy was a poser for the camera!


Until the next post, pull out your bush tucker books and enjoy! …Robert 🙂


Photo: Robert Rath

Yes, the rumors really are true; Jennifer has a third collection of her fabulous poetry completed and now with the publisher for production. There will only be a limited run of these so to make sure you do not miss out you can pre-order your very own copy at White Wave Press.

The other good news is that 10% of the sale price of each copy of Jennifer Liston’s third poetry collection will be donated to Ovarian Cancer Australia.

Once again be prepared to be entertained, amused and perhaps at times a little challenged with her beautiful and thought provoking words.

… Robert 🙂

Jennifer is about to launch her third collection of poetry and we decided to take some fresh new photos for her author profile. Here is just one of the many I took Sunday evening down on the beach at sunset. A few more can be found on Facebook but to be honest we really have not even started reviewing them.

One thing I tried for these images was using Canon’s 100mm F2.8 macro. The one I usually use for those little undersea critters. Well as a portrait lens wide open at F2.8 this lens is as sharp as a tack with just enough depth of field to be manageable.

This photo of Jennifer was taken right on sunset with the sun kissing the horizon with only natural light. She looks gorgeous, doesn’t she!

Until the next post, take care out there and enjoy beautiful sunsets as I regularly do …Robert 🙂

Photo: Robert Rath, Jennifer Liston, poet, musician and super-model!

Make yourself a coffee and head over to Jennifer’s new website, http://jenniferliston.com, which is her own little cobwebby corner of the poetry world!

Be prepared to be entertained, amused and perhaps at times a little challenged with her beautiful and thought provoking words.

… Robert 🙂

Yesterday I took a set of images from Edithburgh specifically experimenting with shooting into the sun. Please excuse the backscatter, no cleaning up has been done.

More photo’s from the ‘Edithburgh Sun Shots’ dive can be found here at Edithburgh Sun Shots (Facebook Album) or my slideshow on Flickr.

Until the next post, take care out there and keep diving ( if that’s what you do! ) …Robert 🙂

Photo: Robert Rath, Leafy Seadragon, Edithburgh. Please ask if you want to know more about how this image was taken.