Whadda ya want? Photo

Photographer’s Note

Soldier Beetle - cantharis fusca. While the name may imply something less than desirable, Soldier Beetles (family Cantharidae) are considered to be beneficial insects. These good bugs are predators to a host of bad bugs including cucumber beetles, aphids, spider mites, various caterpillars, grasshopper eggs, beetle larvae and other insects and their eggs. While both the adults and larvae are predators, the adults will supplement their diet with pollen from plants such as wild lettuce, milkweed, hydrangea, and goldenrod - good things to have growing in your garden to encourage them to stay.

The adult beetles resemble fireflies, but don’t light up. They are slender, elongate, relatively flat insects, 1/3 - 1/2 inches long with a narrow, black abdomen, a bright red head or thorax and long, leathery wing covers.

The larvae are flat and dark-colored and covered with hairs that give them a "velvety" appearance. The immature stages of soldier beetles are somewhat like the immature forms of lady beetles but are larger and more slender. Also soldier beetle larvae tend to be terrestrial rather than living on plants as lady beetle larvae do.

Soldier beetles go through a complete metamorphosis. Adults lay the eggs in clusters in the soil and have one or two offspring during the season. The larvae over winter in the soil and pupate in the spring.
Treatment: Crop, contrast +10, saturation +10, USM and resize.

elroyie, prlcs, Didi, RobBrown, cool_s15, sunny, Burnham, Jeppe, mogens-j, joseelias, lemon_logix, Steft has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

elroyie (2750) 2004-05-30 16:23

Great macro, very good colours and composition.

Ebbe (9571) 2004-05-30 16:51

A fine portrait Bente! The DOF well placed on his pritty face. The composition is also nice with the straw and the body forming two crossing diagonals and the aerials making nice leading lines to his face.

prlcs (63) 2004-05-30 16:58

Très très beau portrait. Le contrast du vert et du rouge est splendide. La profondeur donen une belle netteté sur la tête de l'insecte. Du beau traail. Félicitations !

Didi (35648) 2004-05-30 17:07

Excellente macro avec une bonne netteté, mise au point sélective bien isolé du fond. Les couleurs sont parfaitement saturées.
Le cadrage donne à l'insecte un aspect menaçant prèt à l'attaque.

Excellent macro with a good clearness, selective setting well isolated from the background. The colors are saturated perfectly.
Framing gives to the insect an aspect threatening ready to attack.

capa (815) 2004-05-30 17:30

excellent macro, good colors.5*

RobBrown (1789) 2004-05-30 18:17

Well I am glad I didnt post the one I had looking almost the same becaause this leaves mine stand far back out of sight. It really is a good shot those close up lens are really starting to pay for them selves.so is the grass seed head.

yesterday (9787) 2004-05-31 4:26

Simply SPLENDID macro, all is so excellent about it.

FLOT arbejde.

cool_s15 (4044) 2004-05-31 5:44

Very wonderful Macro shot here, Bente.
Love all the details and color. It seems that the small guy is enjoying your camera. :D
Beautiful shot.

Piotr (0) 2004-05-31 5:47

Excellent macro, well done, colours are great!

lost (694) 2004-05-31 5:49 [Comment]

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steffleu (1373) 2004-05-31 5:54

Tout simplement parfaite cette image ! Félicitations !

henrye (3498) 2004-05-31 6:43

This is great macro photography. The simple composition, the very effective DOF, the details and the interesting subject make for a great photo. Nice caption too :-)

wilkinsonsg (8644) 2004-05-31 7:15

Amazing clarity, the subject and notes add up to make a great post.
DOF,colours and composition al spot on IMHO :)

sunny (3068) 2004-05-31 9:50

Hehe, Bente, this is a gorgeous sight of that beetle! :-)) Lovely colours, great sharpnes and clear details - it all works together to make it a perfect macro shot. Excellent capture!

Burnham (2426) 2004-05-31 11:38

Good title for this shot! Agreeing with everyone else this is great, and even if it seems that you narmally prefer a less shallow DOF than here, I think it's just perfect.

cdewet (0) 2004-05-31 14:19

Bente
I wish we had those emotioncons on TE, then you would get three off starring popping eyes. This is magic!

Jeppe (18623) 2004-05-31 14:26

Wow - what a bug - and he literally seams to say the words (would it be an australian accent ;-)

Fantastic DOF and sharpness - great little work indeed Bente - Congratulaion with the fine result.

mogens-j (56) 2004-05-31 18:46

I have seen a lot of your pictures Bente and we have had a lot of talks about the pictures, but I have never seen anything like this - this a second to none shot - congratulations.

jrj (34777) 2004-06-01 4:34

Impressive tech and incredible details of the Solidier - you really made him appear in the most scaring way. Good thing he is not 2m long.. ;- O
Your series from the insect world is most impressive - but for the charmers I hope to see more of your bird pixes Bente..

joseelias (367) 2004-06-19 18:20

Really excelent note! And excelent photo also. Very good control of the macro. The DOF is great as well the colors, details and composition.

lemon_logix (1054) 2004-07-22 9:25