Dogbane Leaf Beetle

[brachypelma44]

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(Nikon D7200 + 60mm f2.8D) 1/60, f16, ISO 400

 

[Gongster]

Wow! That's a beaut!!

 

[MorganP]

Wow what a great shot. I think it's time to make a print.

 

[Icarus]

Wonderful capture. Beautiful colors on this guy.

 

[brachypelma44]

Thank you for the kind words.

 

[Cristobal]

Very nice insect!

 

[Mike-M]

Thank you for the kind words.

I don't think they are being "kind" they love the shot, and I do too. How big is this critter in real life and is this 1 shot or stacked??

 

[brachypelma44]

How big is this critter in real life and is this 1 shot or stacked??

They are 8-11mm long.

It's a single shot. I have never stacked. It just doesn't interest me, for a number of reasons.

 

[Mike-M]

You're getting great results without stacking. Think I will try stacking if it's not too tedious but I would rather be out shooting than sitting in front of the computer.

 

[brachypelma44]

You're getting great results without stacking. Think I will try stacking if it's not too tedious but I would rather be out shooting than sitting in front of the computer.

The computer part isn't even the challenging part of stacking, which I have seen videos of people doing. It's everything that happens in the field.

-Carrying a tripod around just isn't for me...I have major back and shoulder problems (7 surgeries worth) and even a carbon fiber tripod + camera + lens + macro flash is too much for long hikes

-Even a light breeze can make plants sway, which is a disaster when you're magnifying a tiny scene/subject, and even more so when trying to get all of them to line up perfectly in the frame for stacking

-Many macro subjects won't hold perfectly still, unless they are 1) dead or 2) refrigerated, neither of which is something I'm willing to do to get an image

-Plunking down your tripod in front of your intended subject and disturbing the nearby plants with it is likely to scare many subjects away before you get a single shot off

I'm sure that some people like doing it, and are really good at it, but it's just not my cup of tea.

 

[Mike-M]

Not worth it if it means wrecking your back.

 

[aolander]

Great shot of a beautiful insect! Sharpness is superb! I'm sure it's mostly due to your skill as a photographer, but is there anything you do in post processing to get your web images so sharp?

 

[Carlito FE2]

Wow. Just gorgeous. The prismatic effect on the shell (?) is really special. Thank you for sharing.

Karl

 

[brachypelma44]

is there anything you do in post processing to get your web images so sharp?

Most macro lenses are sharp as heck, so I can't really say that it was something I did in post. Stabilized the camera with a monopod during the shot, as I usually do.

Also, if you have the luxury of taking several nearly identical shots before your subject moves away, one of them is usually a little sharper than the others (probably due to our difficulty in holding the camera perfectly still for very long) so pick that image and discard the others.

 

[Woody Meristem]

Beautiful beetle and great photo. For what it's worth, I agree with your comments about using a tripod for macro photos of live insects. Live ones can be a real challenge and I've occasionally stooped to refrigerating them; as an ex-entomology major I don't believe refrigerating insects for a short while does them any more harm than a cool, not cold, night would do.