Insect - Aside Volume 6

 More from the world of the tiny.

Insect-Aside Volume 4

Aphid ranching, predation, and SPIDERS.

Above and two below, ants herding aphids.  Ants feed and protect the aphids and the aphids in turn provide a sweet, nutritious secretion for the ants.  Everyone is happy. 

American Hover Fly getting a taste. 

SURPRISE!!!

The shot above shows a spider which lay in wait for the hapless honey bee on a thistle..

Taya A Teen

Top picture is Taya two years ago..... just starting her pageant work.  Now she is the ripe old age of 13 :)

 Now she is a pageant winner.  Missouri Perfect Junior Teen.  We did another series of portfolio shots as she gets ready for Nationals.

 Great fun to work with her... she has a great personality and loves taking picture.

 Some application of digital powder. Slight lightening of eyes and teeth.  Removal of fly-aways... and that's about it for post processing.

 Studio shots with the Nikon D800 and 105mm macro lens.  ISO 100, F16-18, 1/200th shutter.  Two lights to four lights depending.

 Kauffman Gardens.  Nikon D800, 70-200mm lens for all shots, F56 mostly, ISO 400.

 These two above and below used fill-flash... most others available light.

 Above is Taya's favorite.  I can't pick a favorite.

 Although I really like the one above and the next two.

Leslie

 Every now and then I have a very nice friend who will let me take his or her picture.   This time it's a her (yeah, like I had to tell you) and it's Leslie.   Local newspaper editor(The Northeast News), Salsa Dancer Extraordinaire... and terrific person to be around.     She was game to let me try different lighting set-ups and different camera files so I could tweak my work flow.

 All shots are taken with the Nikon D800.  Studio shots ISO 100, F16-22, Nikon 105mm macro.  Outdoor, ISO 400, F5.6, Nikon 70-200mm lens.   Locations, studio, back yard, and the Colonnade over here in Northeast.

 I love the eyes in this one.  Single pan reflector around a bare tube head covered with translucent rip-stop nylon held in place by gravity and electrical tape...  high class operation over here.

 Outdoor shots available light with no fill.

 I hope to trick her into doing this again in the future.    She's also an excellent videographer in her own right and takes all the pictures for the paper....