The Mile High Club

[Vida van der Walt]

Tiny 4mm Pipunculidae flies mating in flight. This shot was more luck than effort (it normally takes me many hours and even days of stalking insects to capture in-flight shots with my lens). I was walking in my garden looking for insects to photograph when I saw something moving in the air in front of me. Had time for 3 shots before they took off in another direction. The behaviour puzzled me and I posted the shot on a website for diptera specialists to get an ID and explanation. I find the laid back position and folded legs of the bottom fly funny (as in ha-ha:)). It looks like it is enjoying the ride!
Unfortunately I mostly end up with black backgrounds when I capture in flight shots. I tried to change the black bg to a coloured one but in the end decided to stay with the bg as shot.
MP E 65mm; MT 24EX
apert f16; ss1/200; iso 200
A fairly large crop, shrp, nr, levels, softened flash highlights.

[Stu Bowie]

Hmmmm... Ive often wondered what they meant by the mile high club. I thought it was something else.;) Vida, Im amazed how you managed to capture these two in midflight, knowing the sensitive DOF of your lens. Lovely colours on the wings, and Im glad to stuck with your original BG. Very well captured.

[Allen Sparks]

Vida, another amazing shot. You continue to outdo yourself in these incredible behavioral captures. I like the wing color and the black background.

[Ken Childs]

Vida, I'm beginning to think that you're not human. No human could be that good or that lucky! :D

Another amazing shot. Those colors you captured are fantastic! You really should be entering these shots in Mike's contest.

[Vida van der Walt]

Stu, Allen and Ken, thank you very much for the great feedback. Ken, I promise I'm not an Alien.;):D I've got one more in flight shot (of a really tiny fly) that I'll post sometime. It was my very first in flight shot and I am still surprised that I managed to capture it. I never really thought that in flight shots with my lens were possible because of the extremely limited dof, but I had to try.:)
The ideal lens for in flight shots of insects would probably be a 180mm macro, but the thing with the MP E is that if you manage to get the shot, it will have detail that no other macro lens can capture.

[Charissa]

The proof of the MPE detail, is in the pudding, and yours looks delicious. Jaw dropping detail, sharpness, and die black BG is perfect IMO. A looooonggg way for me to go, still. Great shot, congrats.

[Julie Kenward]

That is just unbelievable. I mean REALLY. Good grief, woman...is there nothing you can't do? Amazing image. The position, the detail, the focus...fabulous.

[Richard Waas]

Fabulous image. I love the fact that you have great detail and a painterly feel. Super Congrats!!!

[Doug Brown]

Stunning image! Better to be lucky than good sometimes!

[Myer Bornstein]

Vida
You have the most amazing pictures. I love looking at them and the make me jealous. could I do anything as well

[Harshad Barve]

Vida , This is super stuff ,
TFS

[Vida van der Walt]

Hi Charissa, Jules, Richard, Doug, Myer and Harshad. Your comments are highly appreciated.:)