Golden-backed Snipe Fly (Chrysopilus thoracicus)

[Paul Gustafson]

http://gallery.photo.net/photo/17784276-lg.jpg

[Jonathan Ashton]

Paul welcome to the Macro forum. Please include the technical info when posting eg hand held/tripod, ISO +/-, camera/lens/mode/aperture/shutter speed/+/-flash.
Subjects like this present a great compositional and technical challenge. For the image to be successful it has to be obvious to me what the photographer is portraying.
The right eye appears well focused, the yellow hairs are a little bright and distracting as is the right foreleg. Much easier said than done and easy for me to say but I think a head on image would have had more impact.

[Paul Gustafson]

Thanks. Here's a head on view of the fly, gold hairs desaturated a bit. Fly is about 1 cm in length. Hand held Canon 5D MK II, MP-E65 lens, Twin Flash macro lens, Manual, 1/200 sec, ISO 100, f16, flash sets exposure.

http://gallery.photo.net/photo/17888630-lg.jpg

[Paul Gustafson]

Here's a crop of a different head on pic. Hand held Canon 5D MK II, MP-E65 lens, Twin Flash macro lens, Manual, 1/200 sec, ISO 100, f16, flash sets exposure.

http://gallery.photo.net/photo/17888632-lg.jpg

[Diane Miller]

This last one lets me really appreciate the detail in the eyes -- and your ability to capture it! I like the simpler composition of the closer crop.