queen wasp sarcophagus

I think that the philosopher Rousseau was correct in his critique of Descartes “Critical Historical Method” (Cartesian Method) when I see this picture. Rousseau might have said, if we kill the frog to understand it in terms of science, we can’t really understand the frog in its complexity. A frog is made of more than muscle and sinew, which is all you have when it is dead and under the microscope. It jumps from lily pad to lily pad catching its food, sunning and generally doing Froggy things. Even in understanding the frog’s behavioral aspects, it may also have something unique and immeasurable such as a soul.

This dead queen wasp’s sarcophagus lies on my studio window ledge, to remind me of my own temporal existence. I had to kill this queen’s nest last summer, in order to trim a tall cedar hedge where its very large paper hive was hung. Devoid of life, its empty shell lays here collecting dust. It saddens me.
If art is catharsis then here is my celebration of this queen’s life gone by.

Nikon D300, AF-S VR Micro-NIKKOR 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED
1/60s @ f/22, ISO 200
SB800 Flash TTL-mode
cropped, CS3ext post processing, sized

_______________________
I feel better already – thank you camera and thank you lens.

Gerard