I love red heads and I've been trying to get up close and personal with this one for weeks. Each one of those tubular looking things with a red head is smaller than a straight pin and about half as tall. It's awfully hard for me to get a good focus on these beauties. I've tried different times of the day and zoomed in from three feet away to a few inches from them without much luck. Hard to get clearer than this shot. Any suggestions for me? Course, it could be my peepers, too.
For my 365 friends in England, I found out these little beauties are called "British Soldiers" and they are the result of a marriage between two symbionts (something Star Trek fans really understand about Trills.) It is a beautiful and unique organism.
"British soldiers (Cladonia cristatella), a soil lichen with upright podetia bearing bright red apothecia at the tips. At the bottom of the centrifuge tube (left), the fungal component of this lichen (also named C. cristatella) has grown into a white, amorphous blob without its algal symbiont. In the right test tube, the algal symbiont (named Trebouxia erici) has grown into a mass of bright green cells. Only when these two symbionts form the "marriage" known as lichen is the unique structure of "British soldiers" formed. [Cultures courtesy of J.L. Platt, CSUSM, San Marcos, California.]"
@cmc1200 Thank you very much, Caryn! Always appreciate your kind and thoughtful comments. Honestly, I think I can do better - if I just knew how. =) Will figure it out some way.
@heidievans73 My weekend has been a little more productive than the last one. Thank you for the lovely comments, Heidi! It's a lichen and it's had my attention for a while now. LOL!
are these plants around your house?..amazing.. and this shot looks clear.. unless these guys are very ,very small...did you do some 'tilt shift" on this ?
@joeboxster They are lichens, Joe, and growing on some landscape timbers in front of my house. No tilt shift! I did do some HDR toning in Photoshop to bring out some of their details but, that's it. The focus is what the focus is and they are very, very, very small. Think of the size of a straight pin and then break it in half. That's about how big they are.
Wow can't believe they are so tiny! Great job capturing them and digging up all the info too! Red helmets...is that where the British soldier name comes in?
The size of a straight pin by half??? Sounds like you need a microscope to even find these. They are fabulous looking and knowing how small they are I think you did a brilliant job with the photo. Would love to see this in person - I love this kind of organism and all mosses and fungi.
@wannabe LOL! Thank you, Catherine! I think it's because the British were called "red coats" and these little lichens have red heads.
@meisen325 Monica, it was the little clump of red that caught my eye and I had to investigate further. I will have to get a shot of them with a ruler next to them. When I can figure out how to get a much better shot than what this is. Thank you for your very kind comments! Much appreciated! =) I might even try to video it and the reindeer lichens all around it, too.
@joeboxster LOL! No monks marching into a canyon, guy! ROFLOL! Thank you, Joe! I really do want to do a better job with a shot of these British Soldiers though.
@marlboromaam .. when I saw the thumbnail.. I thought it was one of those color blindness tests, you know where you're supposed to see the secret numbers or something....... lol...
These look very clear to me, Maggie. Nice photo. I can see where you might not like what you shoot as the foreground is a bit blurry but that is the way it is supposed to be. Your subject, the middle area is nice and clear. Love this photo. Amazing that they are so small.
British solders where know as red coats,... & still wear the red coat when on parade outside Buckingham Palace etc ..which you perhaps will have seen on tv .... I would imagine that way back when these were named the red coats were not that popular ..LOL... really nice photo , I think you would need a macro lens to get any better than you have captured, with your camera ..so well done (o;
this is one of my favorite photos ever! I love the little red heads... perhaps bc of my own red head?! The processing is super and composition fabulous!!!!!!! Great job!!!!!!
@steveh Thank you so much, Steve! You may be right about needing a macro lens, if there's even one made for my cheap camera. Oddly enough, I have gotten really close on a tiny briar which makes me wonder how I did it and what settings I used, as it was an accident. I will keep trying though! I'm determined to get this one right. =)
@traciwood LOL! So you are my only fav for this pic. I was wondering! Thank you, Traci! So you're a red head... nice to know! Thank you for the fav and most of all for your thoughtful and kind comments, gal! Really appreciate you! =)
@sgoodin1 Ha ha! It is a pretty cool word and such a different world from plants and animals. Thank you for your lovely comments, Sara! Much appreciated!
If you're interested, I posted a couple of more pics of these beauties on my Facebook profile. One with a penny to give you a better perspective on the size of these little British Soldiers, and maybe one that's a little better than this one.
Here's the link... http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.195572980550135.41827.100002923041390&type=3
@deens Thank you very much, Nadine! Always happy to read your comments! A marriage of two lichens and one with fungal side in order to make these little beauties is pretty amazing. =)
What a great symbiotic union they have going there . . I love lichen too. These are beautiful . . looks like a miniature little forrest of reds and grays. Beautiful photo . . great macro. Wonderful lighting and textures. Great work, Maggie.
@karenann Aww! Thank you, Karen! Always enjoy reading your sweet and thoughtful comments. I still want to get a better shot if I can! If you have a moment, take a peek at the link above. I posted a pic with a penny for perspective. =)
I think you've done a great job, especially considering how small they are! Ive never come across them before, but ill be on the lookout so i can name them and come across all knowing HA! =)
Oh wow! I can't believe they are that tiny! They are really fascinating looking. I'm not sure about how best to shoot them, but you sure did a great job here. I still can't get over how small they are! They look huge in this picture. I like that you included some information about them too!
@ronphotos365 LOL! Thank you, Ron! They're lichens. Take a look at the pics in the link above. Appreciate your comments!
@jenp Aww! Thank you, Jennifer! If you've got a second take a look at the link above. I posted a couple of other pics there that will put them in perspective. Appreciate your comments!
@loragill I agree, very alien looking! Thank you for the comments and the view!
@twinsplusone Not as well as I'd like but, I'll keep trying! Thank you for the comments and the view!
@esmeanne Thank you very much, Ann! I will keep trying though. I like to learn about the unusual things I find. I pass it on in case anyone is interested. =)
@windridge Thank you very much, Susan! I think they are easier to find and see in the winter! That's when I spotted these! There are so many different ones. Just keep an eye out! =) Thank you for your comments and the view!
What an amazing capture! Just to look at it I never would've guessed that it was lichen, of all things. The only lichen I'm familiar with are crusty little greenish things that grow on rocks. The red is so brilliant on this. And it is right outside your door. How cool is that?!? Great job on this!
Thanks for the interesting lesson on these British Soldiers. I love the color and focus of your photo. It's interesting how they have a faint glow to them!
@cjphoto Thank you very much, Chris! I think the faint glow is a characteristic of HDR. I posted a link in comments above to a couple of other pics that really puts these little lichens in perspective if you're so inclined to take a peek. =)
@kdimagery Thank you so much! I still want to improve on this though. Have got to find a way. This pic really doesn't do these British Soldiers any justice!
@kdei Thank you very much, Kim!
@meisen325 Monica, it was the little clump of red that caught my eye and I had to investigate further. I will have to get a shot of them with a ruler next to them. When I can figure out how to get a much better shot than what this is. Thank you for your very kind comments! Much appreciated! =) I might even try to video it and the reindeer lichens all around it, too.
so in that case.. you did a super job on this pic!!
@corymbia Only, if when I get a better shot, you'll pin it and delete that one! How's that? =)
@joeboxster LOL! No monks marching into a canyon, guy! ROFLOL! Thank you, Joe! I really do want to do a better job with a shot of these British Soldiers though.
@corymbia I'm gonna work on that, too, Amanda! Maybe even a short video.
@debsulzberger Oh, Deb! God bless ya and thank you! I really want to get a better shot! I've seen your close ups and they're great!
@myhrhelper Aww! Thank you, Kathy! Still think it could be better. I'm going to keep trying anyhow.
@nicedof Wow! Now that is a very cool and happy coincidence, JP! Thank you for your kind comments and suggestions. Appreciate it very much!
@purdey Thank you, Sharon! Appreciate that!
@aleksandra Thank you very much! Really appreciate your comments and the view!
@princesicita Princess, you say the sweetest things! Thank you! I tried but, I still want to do better with this one. =)
@traciwood LOL! So you are my only fav for this pic. I was wondering! Thank you, Traci! So you're a red head... nice to know! Thank you for the fav and most of all for your thoughtful and kind comments, gal! Really appreciate you! =)
@cindyrez Aww! Cindy, thank you so much! =)
If you're interested, I posted a couple of more pics of these beauties on my Facebook profile. One with a penny to give you a better perspective on the size of these little British Soldiers, and maybe one that's a little better than this one.
Here's the link... http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.195572980550135.41827.100002923041390&type=3
@cimes1 Aww! Really appreciate every word you said! Thank you, Carole!
@pictureitbig Ditto for me and the UK! =) Thank you for the lovely comments and the view!
@jenp Aww! Thank you, Jennifer! If you've got a second take a look at the link above. I posted a couple of other pics there that will put them in perspective. Appreciate your comments!
@amers79 Thank you, Amy!
@cheyrebecca Thank you, ma'am!
@copperheadglass Ha ha! I used to be one, too... auburn like my mom. Thank you for your lovely comments, Meredith!
@laurentye Thank you, Lauren! Nice to see your pretty face today! Hope you and baby bump are well and everything is coming along as expected. =)
@twinsplusone Not as well as I'd like but, I'll keep trying! Thank you for the comments and the view!
@esmeanne Thank you very much, Ann! I will keep trying though. I like to learn about the unusual things I find. I pass it on in case anyone is interested. =)
@gdenoord Thank you! I will still try to do better, if I can! Appreciate your comments and the view!
@simonesta I like that description! Thank you very much for the comments and the view, gal!
Thanks for sharing I have never seen this before....