Horse Fly

[Steve Maxson]

h took this image of a Horse Fly during a recent macro workshop in Missouri. It was a cool early morning, the fly was still rather lethargic and posed for a few photos. 5D II, MP-E 65 mm, 1/80, f/14, ISO 100, MT24-EX macro twin flash (diffused), HH. I cleaned up some bits of debris on the leaf that were illuminated by the flash and ran nr on the background. All comments are welcome and appreciated.

[Nancy Bell]

OMG Steve, that is way too cool. Those eyes look like huge sunglasses! You are a master with that MP-E65 lens. I really like this front view and the symmetry you achieved, and how you captured the fine details of the hairs and the facets of the eyes.

[Jerry van Dijk]

Just one word Steve: wow! Great capture. Colors, details and BG are all spot on and you got one of the best subjects for insect macro's! I would be inclined to apply a slight CCW rotation to level the fly a bit.

[Ken Childs]

Wow! She's a beauty and I don't you could have done a better job of capturing her beautiful eyes. I had the same thought as Jerry about leveling it out but the more I look at it, the more i think it looks perfect as is. Very well done! :cheers:

[Arthur Morris]

Killer. Eyes and pose amazing. How you can hold still at such high magnification is way beyond me.... If you scroll slowly the eyes shimmer!

[John Storjohann]

Stunning shot....absolutely stunning. The eyes...WOW...and the sharp details in the front legs and the mouth...I wouldn't change a thing. Where in Missouri were you?

[Brendan Dozier]

Wow! Steve, this is an absolute stunner, definitely a podium finish somewhere! And HH at 1/80 shutter speed?!!! Holy crap! Excellent work! :cheers::cheers:

[Paul Lagasi]

Steve, amazing, agree with all the comments above, a beauty ...:tinysmile_shy_t:

[christopher galeski]

its all been said,an excellent image.well done.

[denise ippolito]

Steve, Excellent! Great use of flash. I like the beautiful BG and the in your face comp!!!:S3:

[Ron Sprunger]

Count me in as an admirer. Fabulous! Which of those parts does he use to take chunks of my flesh so painfully?

[Jason Stander]

Hi Steve... this is outstanding... everything is perfect... 10+/10... I am very envious... still want my first sighting of this critter... VVWD!:w3

[Andrew McLachlan]

Hi Steve, this one is fabulous. Great shot!

[Steve Wasson]

Outstanding!

[Carel v/d Sanden]

I love this beautiful.
The sharpness of the eyes are great.
Too bad the lens is so expensive.
My intressen to this is great.

[Steve Maxson]

Thanks everyone for your kind remarks! :S3:

John: This image was taken at the Shaw Nature Reserve at Gray Summit, MO - near St. Louis. It's a great place for insect photos with a mix of prairie, woodland, and wetland habitats.