Peacock butterfly

This morning I was planting some cyclamen in my garden when I spotted an exceedingly pretty butterfly: a peacock. Fortunately, my compact digital camera was only a few strides away and I had it out of the case in no time at all. I was zooming in the lens as I tip-toed back to my specimen. As I took the first shot I was trying to estimate how close I needed to get to be able to blow it up clearly for a computer image; butterflies are small! I started to bend my knees and ease myself down closer to the butterfly which was lying still on the earth, with its beautiful wings outstretched. It must have sensed my presence, since it brought its wings up together. In this pose, it looked like a very small twig from where I was standing. Clearly this tactic will have been evolved genetically to provide a survival advantage. I backed off and after a minute or so it spread out its wings once again. As I moved in for what I hoped was a closer shot, it rose up and fluttered away.

Peacock butterfly in my garden

In at least some of the sciences it is accepted that the act of observation can affect that which is observed (I believe this roughly-speaking relates to the Heisenberg principle in physics). The spirit of the maxim is certainly applicable to behavioural and social psychology. This morning, it has applied to photography and, indirectly, to internet blogging.

I have been very dissatisfied with the way I have been playing Billy Joel’s Piano Man in my shows. I keep mangling the first part of the chorus. This morning I talked to my piano teacher, Jeanette, about this and she figured out that the problem lay in my right hand fingering. She sorted this out for me and so I shall now go and practice for a while. Hopefully there will be an improvement in my playing in time for my gig at The Ragged Edge on Thursday. Bye for now, my dear blogophiles.