Predator-Prey Role Reversal

[Chris Starbuck]

~6pm CDT 9/3/05, St. Charles County, Missouri; open shade at a vernal pond
Canon 20D, 100-400 IS @ 400mm, 500D close-up lens, tripod
ISO 200, 3.2 sec @ f/22, auto WB
ACR: noise reduction & WB tweak (warmed & removed remaining blue cast)
PSCS2: dust cleanup, contrast tweak, small saturation boost, sharpened

Spent a wonderful 30-45 minutes kneeling in about 6" of mud at the pond's edge photographing this guy and an equally cooperative leopard frog who were about a foot apart, and both less than 18" from the front of my lens. Didn't even notice the mosquito at first, but it was stuck there throughout the shoot.

All comments/critiques always welcomed!

Chris

[david cramer]

Nice and sharp! And a great caption. Doesn't look like a mosquito, but whatever it is, it seems to be having a meal!

[Gus Cobos]

Excellent Chris,
I love the action here...razor sharp details and good color rendition...congrats...:cool:

[Robert O'Toole]

I really like this one, different, interesting and nicely done!!!

As fine points I would crop a little from the right to de-center the eye and maybe run NR on the BG.

Robert

[Julie Kenward]

Love the frog...you did an excellent job of getting nice, crisp details throughout. I would like to suggest darkening the BG as the light/dark tones that run throughout are a bit distracting. That mosquito/insect sure is a nice bonus!