Pyrausta laticlavia - Southern Purple Mint Moth

[Ian Cassell]

Canon 7D
Canon EF100mm f/2.8 Macro
Canon 430EX + Lumiquest Softbox Manual @ -1/3

1/250 Sec f/16 ISO 200

NR of BG in Noiseware Pro
Crop, S/H, Sharpening in CS5
Removal of small offending twig in RL corner

It would have been nice if I could have gotten him exactly parallel to the sensor, but he was too close to the ground for that. Unfortunately he's a pretty uncommon moth in these parts, so it's probably unlikely I'll get another shot with him in a better position. (His actual size is ~1.5 cm)

[OvidiuCavasdan]

Nice found, leaf and wings texture works well together imo, also like the colors. Would have been nice to have better focus/dof on wings. I find the bright spots/lines (spider web?) above the leaf a bit distracting.

[Julie Kenward]

He's a beauty, Ian! I find the BG distracting - I'd consider taking it almost all the way to black to keep it from fighting with the moth so much. You did fairly well on getting him in focus - that right wing tip is the only area that really shows up. Try a little selective sharpening on his eyes, too...I think you could bring out a bit more punch to them!

[Ken Childs]

Ian, when I read the size you listed for this moth, I was surprised. It's bigger than I thought it would be. :)
I've had a bunch of Pyrausta tyralis coming to my lights here lately and they've been running less than 1cm.

I agree with Jules about the BG and sharpening. If you have the canvas, I think a slight CCW rotation might look better and a little more contrast would help this 'pop'.

[Adrian David]

Interesting capture! Nice colors on the moth...I also wish for more details on the wings...

[Roman Kurywczak]

Hey Ian,
Yep.....try the selective sharpening mentioned......this one is close. I do think you can try getting the 7D to ISO 400.....so you can choose more DOF(in this case) or SS....when you need it. Just something to keep in mind in the field.

[Ian Cassell]

Thank you everyone. I'll go back and play with the sharpening and darkening the BG and see how it works. I wish the guy (or his brother) would come back so I could get another try!