That’s what I’d say to a guy with a camera who snapped me just after I’d tried to catch a butterfly and missed (I also caught it with the butterfly beside it, but there are limits). Taken in September 2013.
All comments welcome.
Is this a composite: No
D90 + 105mm macro f 13 1/60 ISO 1000
Original processing forgotten - ran through Topaz Denoise and Sharpen to spruce up.
Am as green with envy as your mantis. I have never seen one IRL and I want to. Not, perhaps, feasting on a butterfly, but what the heck…I’d take it.
Terrific pose and the flower is amazing. Do you have a shot where the bottom is completely in frame? The contrast in colors is so arresting and the background perfect for showing off both. Just wow.
Fantastic! The Mantis is so personable and cute. He looks like an alien creature. I’ve never seen one, but would like to. That flower is amazing. The color and textures are gorgeous. What is it? Where was this taken? You did a wonderful job with this photo. Thanks for sharing.
Definitely Red and Green, Mike. The mantis looks great and they will “look you in the eyes” as you approach (bother…) them. That flower is also great with it’s color and all of those frills.
Stunning, Mike. Wonderful composition, lighting and detail in both the mantis and the flower. Great catch and nicely done.
Mike, what a shot! The way he is giving you the stare does seem like he is blaming you for the missed opportunity for a butterfly meal. Love the colors and you captured nice details throughout the mantis.
Holy Moly! What a terrific shot, Mike. Especially in large view. Perfect focus, perfect composition, perfect processing. Wow.
@Kris_Smith No shot of larger part of bloom, but they are starting to appear in the garden now (mantises and cockscombs) so maybe I’ll get one this year.
@Chris_Baird Taken in our garden (S. Korea), the plant is Celosia argentea, or cockscomb. It has two varieties with red, white or yellow flowers, one where the blooms are upright, and this one where they are , well, cockscomb-like. In some countries the leaves and seeds are eaten; indeed they have many good nutritional properties, like so many plants we ignore thanks to monoculture. I plant a lot of these as they produce so many seeds - however, they don’t seem to attract insects much, so our mantis was, er, barking up the wrong tree.
Terrific capture, Mike. Colors are amazing and that Mantis is really staring you down. Great catch and even better execution.
Wow, what an image! The mantis and the flower are perfectly captured, the framing, position, details and colors are all great. Technically and artistically very well done! Nothing to improve here.
@Kris_Smith @David_Bostock @linda_mellor @Shirley_Freeman @terryb @Ola_Jovall @Mark_Seaver @Chris_Baird Thank you for your kind comments.
