Favourite of 2007

[Jeroen Stel]

Hi Guys,

Weather over here has been awfull the last few weeks and no insects until spring...
So...therefor i have been going through some of the old files and came across these two giant Stag-Beetles wich where wrestling and wich i consider to be one of my favourites of 2007.

Hope you like it too....

Greetings,

Jeroen Stel

Canon Eos 1D Mark2N
Shutter speed: 1/90 sec
Aperture: F 9,0
Exposure mode: AV
Exposure compensation: +1 1 /3
Flash:yes+ diffuser
Flash exposure compensation: -2 1/3
Metering mode: Evaluative
Drive mode: AI Focus
ISO: 400
Lens: Sigma 150mm F2.8 + 12mm Ext tubes
Focal length:195 mm
AF mode: ManualFocus
Handheld
Levels/Curves/USM/Contrast/Saturation/Noise Ninja/Lab-Sharpening

[Robert O'Toole]

Jeroen,

Wow i like how the eyes are clear and the 2 feet making a heart shape to the right. Very nice.

What was the location? Wild? Studio? You dont have stag bettles there in NL (other than a collection or zoo of course).


Who won the battle?

Great work, thanks for posting.

Robert

[Jeroen Stel]

Hi Robert,

Thanks for your swift reply! We DO have Stag-Beetles over here (allthough they are very scarce!!)and this was shot in the wild near Apeldoorn at nature reserve "Het Aardhuis" where my friend Edwin Kats works as a guide. He informed me he had seen some Stag-Beetles there last August and i went there for a couple of days to shoot them during their mating fights. I was very lucky to capture this moment as it was over in just a second! It is amazing how strong these guys are and sometimes they even cut a rival in two pieces!!!

I will surely go back there next summer to try and get some more shots!

Greetings,

Jeroen Stel

p.s: the guy lifting the other also won this fight!

[Axel Hildebrandt]

Amazing image, Jeroen. I like the 'wrestling' action, details and BG.

[Robert O'Toole]

Oh, I had no idea you can find them in the wild there. Thanks for the image and the information.

Just looked again the image is really excellent!

To give any critique at all it would be the slight posterization in the background. I had to look closely to even see it.

Robert

[Kaushik Balakumar]

splendid moment - well captured.
rich colours, nice background. if at all i yearn for something more in this image, it wud be a li'l more DOF to bring both beetles in sharp focus...
but then i guess, u wud'nt hav had enuf time to react ...

rgds,
Kaushik

[John Cooper]

I can see why its one of your favourites Jeroen - quite a stunning action shot!! Well captured especially with such a good BG!!

[Alfred Forns]

That is one Sick image !!!!!!! Love it Big Time Would be my favorite also !!!! Big Congrats Jeroen I'm impressed !!!!!

[Fabs Forns]

This is incredible, Jeroen!

[soleynicola]

Superb... quality is outstanding and enviable..
love the perspective.

N