The Lawn Mower

A few blocks down the street from the “Butterfly House” is a University Heights resident whose origins I know nothing about. But she is a fixture for anyone riding, running, or walking by. The tortoise makes old-timer Fess the cat look like a kitten. A dino-era relic doesn’t get this big without a whole lot of years behind it.

Unsurprisingly, the big fellow follows the sun throughout the day and keeps the owner’s lawn nice and trim. I am surprised by the creature’s speed—not stereotypically slow but surprisingly spry. Hehe, which is why I shot a short video of tortoise eating grass in slow motion. It makes me laugh. And you?

Tortoise

Okay, let’s talk photos. I used iPhone 6s Plus to shoot the featured image and the rear view (last of the three) yesterday (March  18, 2016) and today, respectively. The second comes from the Fuji X-T1 and Fujinon XF18-55mmF2.8-4 R LM OIS lens. The first means to give perspective of size and the others detail.

Tortoise Back

Vitals, in order of appearance:

  • f/2.2, ISO 25, 1/591 sec, 4.2mm
  • f/4, ISO 200, 1/950 sec, 55mm
  • f/2.2, ISO 25, 1/2481 sec, 4.2mm

I captured the video using iPhone 6s Plus, too—720p at 240 frames per second.

[vimeo 159659086]