Pic(k) of the Month - July 2026

A month spent in town meant no photos of big-and-hairies, but the promise of warm weather to come and the dry season palette provided ample photo opportunities. “Seeing” photos in one’s yard is a fun exercise, and one that keeps creative juices flowing.

And the winner is… Stocking up

To retain detail in the bee and the aloe flowers, I stopped down to f/11 but kept the shutter speed at 1/1000s to compensate for movement. ISO was relatively high (6400) but noise was cleaned up perfectly by DXO Photolab 8.

Flowering aloes were a frequent target of my attention in July. Delayed gratification is the name of the game with aloes – they flower once a year and after waiting weeks for their flower spikes to mature and flowers to open, the entire inflorescence only lasts about 10 days. My favourite photo this month was taken one evening when I got home from work to find an aloe bathed in golden light and buzzing with activity. From all my shots, I liked this one best – the side-lit pose of the bee, the purple filaments contrasting against the yellow and orange petals and anthers, and the repeating patterns of the individual flowers.

First Runner Up: In a rush to change

A small aperture (f/9) was used to increase depth of field, and the slow shutter speed of 1/30s enabled a low ISO of 640 to reduce noise in the shadows.

We encountered a very young herald snake at the office earlier this year and occasionally find what we believe are its shed skins. Each skin is incrementally larger than the last, providing a glimpse into the snake's secretive growth. In July, we found a newly shed skin – still shiny and pliable – festooned over some protrusions in a rock wall and disappearing into a crevice. I took a close-up photo to show off the intricate scale patterns, the translucent skin, and the grains of sand that had adhered to the skin as it was shed.

Second Runner Up: A momentary connection

I kept my lens at its largest aperture and used a shutter speed of 1/1000s to avoid motion blur in case the bird moved. DXO Photolab 8 was used for denoising and post-processing.

White-browed robin-chats instantly transport me back to my childhood listening to Peter Rollason’s Wildlife Forum on the radio. Conspicuous by their song and not uncommon, these beautiful little birds spend time skulking in thickets, so getting a clear photo is surprisingly tricky. On a morning walk, I met a resident bird in its usual haunt; this time it hopped onto a wall and posed for just an instant. A quick snap netted an image that is not technically perfect but makes me smile because of that brief eye contact.

Do you agree with my selection? Would you have chosen differently?

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[Photos (c) The Rambling Zimbo.  Camera body: OM System OM-5 Mk1; Lenses M.Zuiko 75-300 f/4.8-6.7 II and M.Zuiko 12-45 f/4 Pro. Post-processing in DXO PhotoLab 8].