Mantis in Rose Bush - D200 Converted for IR
One more round of “The Great Mantis Shoot” IR this time. I was taking the IR converted D200 with me today because the sky was blue with puffy white clouds, an IR kind of day. I checked the garden on the way out and found the mantis are still here…so I shot them in IR of course.
Makes them look even more alien then normal…
Mantis in Scotch Broom - D200 Converted for IR
Female Mantis - D700, 70-200mm w/500D
The fascination with bugs continues…now officially called “The Great Mantis Shoot”. Got to shoot them while they are here, could be gone tomorrow. Here are two more shots of the large female. I was snapping away in the breeze and a fly landed on the leaf beside the mantis. Well, with lightning speed she snapped the fly up and began feasting on it. I snapped a few with the fly but not quick enough to get anything in focus or any good. Not that you would want to see a fly being decapitated by a mantis…or would you?
Female Mantis 2 - D700, 70-200mm w/500D
Leaf, Grass and Clover - D700, 24-70 f/2.8
Hard to believe that summer is gone…but it is! Saw this while walking around the yard this morning and was attracted to all the textures. All the detail in the leaf and water droplets don’t show up very well on this small version. Seems to be a sign of summer ending and fall beginning…
Female Mantis - D700, 70-200 w/500D
Walking by the rose bush this morning I spotted this large female mantis. As I was about to get the camera I also spotted two more, males this time. Don’t remember seeing this many at once…
Shot this with my D700 with a 70-200mm f/2.8 and a Canon 500D close-up lens added. Also use a SB-800 with LumiQuest softbox off camera as a fill light. Pretty good detail in the shot as you can see by this 100% section off the head.
Female Mantis 100% view of head
Garden Mantis - D700, 70-200mm w/500D
For the last few years we have been lucky to have some praying mantis in the garden. As it gets cooler they seem to be easier to spot, sunning themselves in the scotch broom. Here’s one I shot this morning. He didn’t mind me at all…to busy trying to get warm.
Lilly Rhys Upside-down - D700, 70-200 f/2.8
We were over at my brother-in-law’s home today and of course I took the camera to shoot some updated family photos. Today’s subject, Lilly Rhys, my great niece. I set up an SB-800, clamped to a tripod, and had one of the well-trained family lighting grips hold a 32″ multi-disc diffuser in front of the flash to make for soft shadows. These were shot on the porch because it was raining. A few adjustments in CS3 and we have updated photos of the family for the fridge.
Lilly Rhys Rightside Up - D700, 70-200 f/2.8
Digit Napping - D700, 70-200 with 1.4x
Playing around with a off camera fill flash with a LumiQuest softbox. Digit, one of our cats seemed like just the subject. Laying on the chair back with the sun coming in the window behind him. Set the exposure to keep the window from blowing out and filled the shadows from camera left with an SB-800 on a light stand. Also using a LumiQuest softbox to soften the shadows from the flash.
Here’s a few more shots from my photo session with Digit…I took a nap after all this excitement.
Digit Awake - D700, 70-200 with 1.4x
Digit Napping #2 - D700, 70-200 with 1.4x
Lensbaby Flower - D700, Lensbaby Composer
A few Lensbaby shots from our visit to a friends garden in Bucks County, PA. Hard to believe that summer is almost over! I guess I’ll have to visit Longwood this winter for my flower fix…
Lensbaby Flower & Bee - D700, Lensbaby Composer
Lensbaby Flower 2 - D700, Lensbaby Composer