Out here in the California desert I certainly have heard of mosquitoes but have never actually seen one. Are they larger than sparrows?
The first time I visited the North West coast of Scotland I encountered the Scottish midge. Unlike the midges we have in England these bite and are like miniature mosquitoes. If you manage to kill a few of them, 10000 of their mates come to the funeral intent on revenge. After a few days I learned what weather conditions they dont like and managed to generally avoid them, but I would hate to live in that region with those about.
Only to warn me that the rattlesnakes were really thick in this area right now and they seek whatever shade they can... even near those ground plants I'd been leaping over.
In Alaska they are larger than ravens, and the black flies are the size of buzzards.
That's when it happened. Stabbing pains in my neck, my arms, my face, my ears and forehead. It was relentless! It was getting harder and harder to frame my subject and focus the camera. I tried to hang in there but it was becoming unbearable...I had to escape! ... And I now vow to never EVER be without Mosquito repellent!
Bees. I had bent over viewing the scene through the camera, and a bee had landed on me. When I stood up, I crushed the bee down on my side. Ouch! I found out that toothpaste rubbed on the sting site doesn't nullify the poison, but it does spread it out into a very mild rash. Now I carry a sting and bite kit.
But for mosquitos, you can use grapefruit seed extract. It's a dietary supplement, but one of the things it does is that it makes you unpalatable to mosquitos. You have to take it for about two weeks for it to have an effect, but after that bugs won't eat you. I had heard about it on a radio outdoor program, and I tried it for myself. Yes, it definitely works! Mosquitos won't bite at all.
Grapefruit seed extract is a commonly used treatment for thrush and systemic yeast infections. It's supposedly better as an antimicrobial and antifungal than many of the lab-produced drugs. I wonder what exactly the mosquitos are going for when they bite and whether people with higher microbes are more of a target?But for mosquitos, you can use grapefruit seed extract. It's a dietary supplement, but one of the things it does is that it makes you unpalatable to mosquitos. You have to take it for about two weeks for it to have an effect, but after that bugs won't eat you. I had heard about it on a radio outdoor program, and I tried it for myself. Yes, it definitely works! Mosquitos won't bite at all.
[DEET] helps with ticks too. It really puts a damper on picture talking fun to come out from under the darkcloth to find a tick crawling up your pants leg.
Mosquitos are nothing compared to Bridezillas during wedding shoots. They have preconceived notions of a Martha Stewart wedding. That's why I don't do them anymore. I'm not going into details of my last wedding shoot. Don't want to relive the trauma. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. In this case, Bridezilla.
Or clients that don't want to pay the last $300 of their wedding shoot so they have never seen their wedding photos...
I made the mistake of agreeing to take pictures at a friend's wedding. They had another aquaintance as the "official" photographer, doing the more formal and important pictures. I was just doing the more candid shots. Now, before you jump all over me for daring to take pictures on the back of another photographer, I raise the following points as my defense:
It was about 7 years ago so digital was pretty much the thing at the time but I still insisted on shooting B&W film. The photographer shows up before the ceremony will a Nikon D50 and a mid 90's Tamron 18-200 lens. Nothing else! Not a flash (other than the built in one), not a tripod or anything other than a tiny camera bag. I attempt to converse with her to introduce myself and indicate that I would staying out of her way. I get a "yah sure" look and nothing more. Crap! I made a mistake in agreeing doing this for my friends but I'm now committed.
- I was asked by them to do the candid pictures for them and their family during this auspicious event.
- The other photographer was informed that I would be doing the aforementioned activities and she said it would be OK. At least that's what I was told.
- My friends were paying her a flat rate for all pictures and they would only receive digital files from her. Nothing more!
Anyway, rather go into gory details, let's just say she didn't may my life easy taking pictures. I'm sure her irritation was exacerbated as people were contiuously mistaking me for the photographer with my gear (a F100 with vertical grip, SB-28 flashgun and a couple of fast lenses). Finally, the night ended and somehow managed to shoot a few rolls and live. I vowed to the Creator never to do something like this again.
A couple of week's later, I show up to their home with a framed 11"x14" B &W photograph of them togther looking beautiful and they're very delighted. Apparently, they weren't very satisfied with their chosen photographer (shocker!) and ask me if I can bring some other pictures. I spend a few days putting a book together and give it to them. The photographer got $650 for her trouble. I got dinner.
C'est la vie!
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