A Mantis for A Smile

[LinzRiverBalmer]

So while I'm bummed out about no computer, decided to look at some of my favorites that Mom has saved to her iPad.

i must admit these critters can always make me smile.

sorry I have no exif data at all, can't even remember which camera.

i know it was macro manual, handheld, no flash.

was going for the upside down rock climber pose.

taken from above straight down, this rock is sort of triangle with harsh edges.

[Jonathan Ashton]

Linz, you have a "very nearly" shot. I like the angle and the the position of the head with the forelimb extending forwards. There is no way the fore limb would be entirely in focus due to depth of field, the head however is not quite sharp. In the absence of the exif I would guess the focus was probably close if not perfect, along with perhaps a less than ideal aperture.
In situations like this I would always recommending using a tripod or monopod, anything is better than nothing. This would slow you down and enable perfect focus.

[LinzRiverBalmer]

Thank you Jonathan....

i think this s another glitch in the iPad dilemma.

my photos are posting soft, went to my file and the eye on the mantis is way sharper than what uploaded.

checked on one in eager to earn that I posted of a Sandhill crane, same thing, softer than my file.

im uploading per the guidelines but resizing on the iPad my go very small, but not sure how its affecting the upload quality.

hmmm, thank you for all the other input. I know I should use a tripod but I'm not quick enough to grab, set up, yadda yadda, I move way to slow for most living things.

[Mitch Haimov]

Very cool subject and pose. I think you could have composed a little tighter on the right and a little looser on the left and bottom--have a little clipping of an antenna and a tarsus going on. Also, you may want to try a little selective noise reduction on the OOF areas of rock. And if you had a third hand a pocket diffuser (very portable and cheap) or even a hat could have tamed those highlights... Good luck with your computer problems.

[LinzRiverBalmer]

Thank you Mitch, you learn something everyday, I had to look up what a tarsus was.

one that isn't showing up on google... What is a pocket diffuser???

the highlights, are you talking about the whitish areas on the rock?? If so those are veins of white quartz, should I burn them down??

thanks again for all input, hopefully a computer will solve the soft upload of the pictures, has to be a conversion from iPad happening.

[Mitch Haimov]

Well, there are some bright spots on the sunlit areas of rock that could come down bait IMHO (e.g., a triangular area between the front legs). But the mantis it self would have benefitted from softer light, and that is not readily replicated in image editing software. With diffused light there would not be shadows and bright areas on the mantis. Of course, this is a matter of personal preference--don't listen to me if this is the look you like!

Pocket diffuser: Mine is a 12" Photoflex LiteDisc. Collapses to about 4 1/4" in a little case for easy carrying. <$20. Translucent white, so can be used as diffuser or a soft reflector. Also available in silver, gold (reflectors) or black (flag). There are other brands as well (and larger sizes). No diffuser? No problem--use something to cast a shadow instead. (Will make things a little darker.)

[Stu Bowie]

Hi Linz, great 3D feel to this, as the forearm looks like its coming out my screen. Cool upside down pose. Hope you sort out your PC problems.

[Steve Maxson]

Hi Linz and welcome as a poster in the Macro forum! I find mantises fascinating - they always seem to be doing something interesting (unfortunately, they don't occur where I live). I like the upside down pose. You already have some excellent comments/suggestions above to consider and these cover my thoughts on the image very well - so I won't repeat. Like Jon says - you have a "very nearly" shot - and a few tweaks will make it even better. I hope to see more of your work here in Macro.