Robber fly - Dioctria species stack

lauriek · Post by **lauriek** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 3:26 pm

This is not the same specimen I posted in the Nature forum, that was shot last year, I just caught this one - pretty little fella! Full size of subject is around 11mm long.

Shot with reversed OM50/1.8 at f5.6 on OM bellows. E-330 camera. Stack of 47 images, aligned in CZM and stacked in Tufuse! (Downloaded CZP, planning to have a play soon!)

ETA link to other thread.

ps Look out for an interesting stack from me soonish, I caught a horsefly this evening which appears to have really interesting eyes! I really hope I can get some good stacks of this one!!

beetleman · Post by **beetleman** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 4:20 pm

The shot with the full antennae really makes the picture outstanding Laurie. Great detail and lighting. These are my favorite flies. These flies are very agressive.

nto · Post by **nto** » Wed Jun 11, 2008 2:13 am

Good shot Lauriek, contour shadow right eye is good

Harold Gough · Post by **Harold Gough** » Wed Jun 11, 2008 11:53 pm

Superbly harmonious background colour.

A slightly more full-on view, with the antennae held like that, could make a stunning symetrical composition.

Harold

Aynia · Post by **Aynia** » Thu Jun 12, 2008 1:00 am

That is a great shot(s)!! The antennae and the hairy bits on the bottom are great - kind of like an alien with wooly legs.

lauriek · Post by **lauriek** » Thu Jun 12, 2008 11:57 am

Thanks all!

Harold - My background is a piece of standard coarse sandpaper, placed far enough behind the subject to be completely OOF. I vary the distance slightly to adjust the relative brightness of subject and backdrop. I've found this to be a pleasing backdrop for lots of bugs - though not all! Currently trying to build up a set of alternative backdrop colours, but at this time the sandpaper is my favourite and most used..

Harold Gough · Post by **Harold Gough** » Fri Jun 13, 2008 3:09 am

lauriek wrote:Thanks all!

Harold - My background is a piece of standard coarse sandpaper, placed far enough behind the subject to be completely OOF. I vary the distance slightly to adjust the relative brightness of subject and backdrop. I've found this to be a pleasing backdrop for lots of bugs - though not all! Currently trying to build up a set of alternative backdrop colours, but at this time the sandpaper is my favourite and most used..

Lauriek,

One of my most successful shots (on film, no scan in my personal possession) was of a brown mantid on a twig of birch with overwintering persisitent, dead, brown leaves of silmilar hue. The background was an out-of-focus sheet of hardboard, rough side showing.

For close-up and moderate macro, I have been intending to take some defocused green or brown vegetation against blue sky (ca 50/50 green/brown and blue) and have a print made. That will both give and acceptable background and help to deliver auto exposure with flash. The green or brown would be selected according to colour of the subject.

Harold