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"Art: The expression of what is beautiful or appealing"
2 August 2007, New Brunswick, Canada.
Tabanus nigrovittatus; length 11mm
Print size 13.5 x 10.5", approx. 34 x 27 cm

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A nice image but surely it would be more beautiful alive?

BBC wildlife Photographer of the year competition would surely support your claim that photography, and by extension, therefore dipteralogical photograpgy can be art. As a poet I can assure you that defining the word art in a universally accepted way is probably imposible.

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I think it's probably just as beautiful dead. It would be almost impossible to get such a clear, crisp photo with depth of focus, if the fly were alive and moving about, and presumably outdoors, rather than in a controlled lighting environment - indoors.

Brilliant stuff:)

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Thanks Nigel, I needed that:).


Yes these beasts do need outdoor sunshine for their eyes to glow; trouble is they are painful biters - difficult for the photographer to keep still even if the fly does (while sucking your blood).