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Thread: Takeoff

  1. #1
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    Default Takeoff

    Hello all,

    Here is a Poplar Borer (Saperda calcarata) I photographed last July 26th, 2009 at Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada.

    This is a quite big bug and was very fascinating to observ. I was able to get this picture with my bridge Panasonic FZ-20. I had to wait until he decided to take off!

    Thank you for your comments :)

    Michel

    Swollen bark areas, sap run and piles of frass around the entrance to galleries near the base of the trunk and the roots are signs of the poplar borer’s presence. Bark swelling caused by larval activity is more visible in young poplars. The insect prefers trees with a diameter just over 10 cm, in low density stands.

    The insect has a long life cycle, extending over 3 to 4 years. The adults feed on the foliage and the tender bark of twigs. The females lay their eggs in slits they have cut in the bark. After hatching, the larvae begin feeding in the cambium and then penetrate into the heartwood by creating deep galleries. In the spring of the last year of larval development, the larvae change into pupae and then into adults.

    The poplar borer is a species native to North America. It is found throughout the geographic range of poplar in Canada and the United States. The borer usually attacks poplars growing on poor sites.






    Make = Panasonic
    Model = DMC-FZ20
    Orientation = top/left
    Software = Adobe Photoshop CS Windows
    Date Time = 2010-04-18 19:33:33
    [Camera]
    Exposure Time = 1/250"
    F Number = F4
    Exposure Program = Normal program
    ISO Speed Ratings = 100
    Exif Version = Version 2.2
    Date Time Original = 2009-07-26 09:09:10
    Date Time Digitized = 2009-07-26 09:09:10
    Exposure Bias Value = -0.33EV
    Max Aperture Value = F2.83
    Metering Mode = Spot
    Light Source = unknown
    Flash = Flash did not fire, compulsory flash mode
    Focal Length = 6mm

  2. #2
    Mike Moats
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    Default

    Hey Michel, very cool critter find. Love the tones in the wings, and he stand out well against the nice BG. I would suggest a slight crop off the top, seems like more negative space then is needed.

  3. #3
    Julie Kenward
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    Default

    I agree with Mike that you have more space at the top than you really need. I'd go up about an inch above his antenna and crop it there. I also wish the left side of the tree were more in focus or out of the image. It looks funny to me that the right side is so sharp and the left is not. I know they are on two different planes but it feels odd for some reason. Let's see what the others have to say.

    Excellent details on the insect, though. I really like the angle that you photographed him at - it almost looks like he's getting ready for take-off!

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    Default

    Hey Michael, this is a great shot, IMHO. Your timing was excellent! The OOF area on the left doesn't really bother me. I agree with others that you should crop some from the top.

  5. #5
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    Default

    Hello all,

    Thank you very much for your pertinent comments always so appreciated :-)

    I agree with you to apply more some cropping. Like Ken, the OOF area on the left doesn't really bother me too.

    So here is the modification.

    ORIGINAL:
    =======





    AFTER CROPPING:
    =============





    Do you prefer it like that as I do?

    Cheers,

    Michel

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