melolontha melolontha - cockchafer in silhouette

[Geoff Warnock]

Prior to this spring I had only found larvae of these impressive beetles, but as luck would have it they came to me (literally at home) to be photographed this time! It seems they are rarer than they used to be thanks to years of being treated as a pest to crops, but may be rebounding as less pesticides are used.

Here I went for a silhouette by floodlight, with a wide aperture to enlarge the light spot.

Nikon D90
Sigma 50mm macro
1/60th, f4, iso 200

Comments welcomed!

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5261/5654563835_6616ee52c6_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/53654547@N02/5654563835/)
Silhouette, Melolontha melolontha, cockchafer, meikever (http://www.flickr.com/photos/53654547@N02/5654563835/) by Geoff Warnock (http://www.flickr.com/people/53654547@N02/), on Flickr

[Julie Kenward]

Geoff, this is a very different perspective on a beetle! I like what you did here but wonder too if I'd like it better if he was going either straight up or straight across. I'm usually all for diagonal lines in these macro images but this feels a little off to me for some reason.

Just my two cents...

[Mitch Haimov]

I like this image, Geoff, including the angled composition. Very original. I do wish your light source were a little larger though so it would show a little more to the right/above the branch and in front of the face. I find myself trying to decipher what's going on just past the light at the head end. Even so, very nice work!

[Geoff Warnock]

Thank you both. Mitch, I wouldn't have minded a larger light source either, so maybe if I get the chance to repeat it someday I can try it with flash instead of just being opportunistic with spotlight in the garden (fixed btw). Julie, I appreciate your comments but must say that I just about always prefer a diagonal!

[Ken Childs]

Hi Geoff,
I like the concept and the shot but I do agree that a larger light source would have taken this one up a notch or 2. I get what Jules is saying but I think all this needs to feel more "right" would be a vertical crop instead of a horizontal one. With that black BG it would be easy to crop in the sides and to add more canvas on the bottom. :bg3:

[Geoff Warnock]

Hi Ken, easy to do as you say. I'll take a look, thanks.

[Steve Maxson]

Hi Geoff. I like what you're trying to do here - it's a creative approach. I would agree that a larger light source would help and I think Ken's idea of a vertical comp is worth considering. Keep them coming. :S3:

[Roman Kurywczak]

Hey Geoff,
Another vote for bigger light.....it would make for a very cool rimlit effect.