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Thread: Studio Patent-leather Beetle

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    Default Studio Patent-leather Beetle

    Attached Images Attached Images
     
    Canon EOS REBEL T1i
    Canon 100mm f/2.8 Macro
    Manual mode
    1/250"
    F16
    ISO 200
    Canon 430EX: On, Fired
    HH
    ACR and CS5


    This is Odontotaenius disjunctus, AKA the Patent-leather Beetle. I found it under the bark of a dead Hickory Tree.

    Shot in the foam board lightbox. Cropped, curves, softened some of the flash highlights by lightly painting over them, contrast, SH, high-pass and smart sharpening. Blurred the shadow under the beetle.

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    That's it, I've got to build me a lightbox! These images of you and Steve are marvellous! DOF and details on this one are outstanding! I would take some of the bottom, there's a lot of empty white space now. I think a pano crop would work well.

  3. #3
    Julie Kenward
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    Gorgeous detail but he's still totally creeping me out! Excellent work as always, Ken.

    P.S. Are you going to offer up any of these to some of the websites/books, etc. that identifies insects because they have such great detail...I can't imagine anyone not wanting to use them for ID purposes.

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    BPN Member Steve Maxson's Avatar
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    Hi Ken. This is outstanding! You did an excellent job of controlling the lighting on this shiny-bodied beetle and your DOF got everything sharp. I also like the low shooting angle. Is this guy missing an antenna or am I missing something? You have a winner!

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    Jules, yes I submit my images to many bug ID sites. I have around 600 images just of moths to submit so it takes a lot of time but eventually I'll get around to it.

    Steve, both antennae are there but for some reason one looks really fuzzy and the other one doesn't. I'm not sure if it's the angle or the lighting or if one really has more fuzz than the other.

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    BPN Member Steve Maxson's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ken Childs View Post
    Jules, yes I submit my images to many bug ID sites. I have around 600 images just of moths to submit so it takes a lot of time but eventually I'll get around to it.

    Steve, both antennae are there but for some reason one looks really fuzzy and the other one doesn't. I'm not sure if it's the angle or the lighting or if one really has more fuzz than the other.
    OK. That fuzzy one does look really odd and I thought it must be a mouthpart or something - I would expect both to look like the one on the right. I wonder if it has some kind of fungus or something growing on it??

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    Brendan Dozier
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    Wow, so cool, Ken! Great job, and this light box thing does look like a lot of fun!

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    BPN Member Don Lacy's Avatar
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    wonderful detail Ken
    Don Lacy
    You don't take a photograph, you make it - Ansel Adams
    There are no rules for good photographs, there are only good photographs - Ansel Adams
    http://www.witnessnature.net/
    https://500px.com/lacy

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    Quote Originally Posted by Steve Maxson View Post
    OK. That fuzzy one does look really odd and I thought it must be a mouthpart or something - I would expect both to look like the one on the right. I wonder if it has some kind of fungus or something growing on it??
    I just looked at some other shots of this beetle and both antennae are fuzzy. I guess the fuzz is overpowered by the white BG.

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    BPN Member Steve Maxson's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ken Childs View Post
    I just looked at some other shots of this beetle and both antennae are fuzzy. I guess the fuzz is overpowered by the white BG.
    OK. Question answered.

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