Thank you all for your compliments.
I have been working on captions , for me something like trying to get to grips with bio-chemo-geology on the fly. I.m not quite shure I understand it, perhaps better leave the explaining to experts. But it's fun trying: It's incredible, how much information and research good images invoke. But then processing the image with good caption is a slow process.
reconnaissances in deep time and shutterspeed.
1. episetum wakes up, a bringer of oxygen spreads her wings
There are only scientific names for omnipresent creatures like the rock-eating bacteria 'Leptothrix Discophora' and 'Leptothrix Ochracea'. They are very old species, "first lifers" in geological 'deep time', they are some 3 billion years around.
L. Discophora bacteria get their 'breaths' by reducing iron. L. Ochracea 'breaths' by oxidizing reduced iron.
Leptothrix Discophora makes a film on iron-rich groundwater. Perhaps the film looks like a pollution, but it ain't, it's just mother nature's cauldron at work, fused by sunlight.
2. with a swift wink of her juwels
Two species of Leptothrix feasting on iron.
'L. Discophora' reduces, with the help of light, oxidized iron to metallic iron. The electrons released in the process are its "breath" and fuel the metabolismn. Cought in an oil-like film on the water, young bacteria reflect in interference-colours, mainly in a silverish blue. Later, older films can rimple and reflect with dark metallic hues.
The ochre bacteria-mats on the bottom, 'L. Ochracea' do the reverse, they use oxidation. The electron that is released in bonding iron with oxygen is the fuel for their metabolism.
3. ores in the Highlands
A mountain-flow on Skye is rich in iron and low on free oxygen, ideal conditions for iron eating bacteria. The film of the 'Leptothrix Discophora' colony reflects in blue interference-light from its surface. The rust-coloured "Leptothrix Ochracea" covers the ground and colonizes in 'floccules'.
4. deep time in the Lowlands
In late autumn the ditches in the wetland have just been cleaned, the surfacing groundwater is to cold for algae and new growths. So L. Discophora and L. Ochracea have a good time and give shape to a prehistoric landscape. Their works result in deposits of iron-ore. In former times this 'bog-iron' was harvested and blasted to steel in furnaces.
5. deep time in the present
You might say that 'L. Discophora' and L. Ochracea breath iron.
The blue film on the water ain't no oil, it is a colony of bacteria ‘Leptothrix Discophora’ floating on the water while reducing "rust" that is solved the water. The ochre-reddish blobs in the water are colonies from it's counterpart, 'Leptothrix Ochracea'. They oxidize iron.
Together they not only appear to make a natural electro-generator, but in the history of earth, they are the "first lifers" on our planet, they have been around for more then 2500 000 000 years. By reducing rust it was L. Discophora (and family) who made the first 'free' oxygen for our atmosphere. It's counterpart L. Ochracea is responsable for large deposits of iron-ore, e.g. hematite.
6. in to the cauldron
It is High-summer. The ditches and ponds in the wetlands are teeming with life. While exploring those inhospitable places you have to cover your bare skin and wear a mosquito-hat to survive the insects. This image was made during the 'blue hour'. Then the sky makes a blue canopy without uni-directional light, so the blue is reflected in the film is without the extreme contrasts that sunbeams produce.
Because sunlight has a direction, interferece-colours can only be seen from an angle. It is impossible to photograph them parallel the watersurface. An angle of 90o to the light-ray is needed to observe the phenomena.
The recepie for this concoction is: neutral to base groundwater, that has gone through iron rich layers in the ground, some organic material, warmth and light. The mars-red floccules are colonies of probably L. Ochracea, that came afloat thanks to the gasses that are produced as 'waste' in the floccules.
7. moonlight interference
Ode to Claude Monet.
