Ladybug Living On The Edge.

[Daniel Cadieux]

There has been an invasion of sorts of these guys in our backyard, looks like they are attracted to the cracked apples that have fallen off our tree as almost everyone of them has a ladybug on it sipping apple juice:S3:. I had a bit of fun placing them in better surroundings for photo ops...

Canon 7D + 100mm f/2.8 macro lens, manual exposure evaluative metering, 1/400s., f/8, ISO 800, flash @ -2 FEC, about 80% FF, a dark area at bottom right corner filled-in via clone. In hindsight I shoulda tamed the reflection just above the head too...

[Mitch Haimov]

Nice lady image, Daniel. Everything's sharp that needs to be, good detail, pleasing BG. Some of the whites on the head and pronotum seem a bit hot. Sometimes the bullseye position works well for these face-on images, but I think I would prefer this one with the subject nearer the UR ROT position or, if not that, at least a bit higher in the frame.

[LinzRiverBalmer]

hmmm I had no idea ladybugs had this much facial detail, amazing what cameras can see.

Great image.

Going by your title, I'm guessing she was on the edge of a leaf?? If so, maybe make the edge of the leaf a bit more stand out to really encompass that feeling. I see it on the right, but not so much in front or underneath her, hope i'm making sense.

[Jonathan Ashton]

Dan I think you will have to join the lightbox club if these little guys are around for some time! The flash isn't bad but as you mention it is a little stark. The DOF is very limited and the forelimbs are not ideally positioned he almost looks as if he is stepping into a void - you are at the mercy of a cooperative/non cooperative subject of course. Perhaps a slightly lower angle would have been better - but easier said than done I suspect.

[Adrian David]

Interesting photo of the ladybug. It would have been better if you've had a "perch" more in focus. As is, it's like is floating....

[Alan Lillich]

Great head-on pose and perfect focus placement. I could spend a long time studying the bilateral symmetry. Was this hand-held or on a tripod? What do you think of this tighter crop?

[Daniel Cadieux]

Hey guys, thanks for the comments/feedback/suggestions! Alan, this is handheld, and I do like your crop. I'll post another of this fella with a better leaf edge and overall setting. I kinda liked the effect of it hanging over the edge here, but I get what you guys are getting at.:c3:

[Steve Maxson]

Hi Daniel. Lots of good suggestions above - and I don't have anything new to add - except an ID. This looks like an Asian Multicolored Lady Beetle (Harmonia axyridis). They were introduced to eat aphids particularly in apple and pecan orchards. In the fall they gather to hibernate en masse - often in people's houses. I have a bunch of them in my house as I write this. :S3: