Fish shops as inspiration.

For the second time in a month, I have been inspired by something that I have seen in a fish shop. A new business, recently opened in New Plymouth, is selling fish caught by their own boat, and sold straight to the public. Most days their boat arrives at around 2 pm.

Today, while there to buy a whole fish for a BBQ tonight, I noticed that they had an octopus for sale. It had been arranged so that one of its eyes was in the the middle, looking straight at customers.

I felt some sorrow for the creature, finding it hard not to think of how it must have died in fear. All the same I felt that if I was to have clear access to it, unlike the above snap, which I had to take through curved glass, there could be a photo there. Octopus eyes are not like fish eyes. They look full of intelligence.

So I need to, perhaps buy a whole octopus, arrange it myself, and see if I can do a much improved version of the above image. Or maybe I could pay the shop to give me freer access to it. I'm not sure.

The previous inspiration was in seeing a some frozen crustaceans with the magnificent name of Moreton Bay Bugs. They reminded me of fossils, and of the something from the movie Alien. Unfortunately, the ones that I saw were on Waiheke Island in Auckland and I've not been able to find any more since then, even going to biggest fish shops in Auckland.

Later in the year I have to go to Brisbane, where these animals, which look like a crayfish that have been through wringer, are a big delicacy. That could be my chance. They could even help pay for my trip. Below is a photo of one. The image that I am after would be in b & w to emphasise the fossil look. I am also much more interested in the underview because of the strange legs. This image shows very little of the possibilities that I saw.