close iframe icon
approved icon rachaelboardley avatar
rachaelboardley
Banner

Preying Mantis



behind the lens badge

Preying Mantis on Naviti Island, Western Fiji

Taken with Nikon D3200

Preying Mantis on Naviti Island, Western Fiji

Taken with Nikon D3200
Read less

Views

195

Likes

Awards

Zenith Award
Moderator Award
Creative Winter Award
Brilliant
  View more
Superb Composition
mufaddalkk pernillanillaheljelid connorkent SYBarresi ilsevandeventer_3036 woahbailey moulix +19
Top Choice
lisamurraywalters AshrujitRoy katiemariechambers valliguhan brianowens alekseyalekseev alexandermorrow_2235 +15
Absolute Masterpiece
lupepereyrairaola jhiezhelle_17 Pasquale11 ViktoriaGaponova kayleighayres_3289 dalalessa10 Kbegay46 +10
Outstanding Creativity
kennethford Lfelstead_ allanahfrancesfelljohnston manuelrosas ericmatos_2848 TedAlexander soorya1999 +9
Superior Skill
CCMitroff daveslaughter_5055
Magnificent Capture
gregmorgan

Top Ranks

Change Of Seasons Photo ContestTop 20 rank
Change Of Seasons Photo ContestTop 20 rank week 1
The Wonders of the World Photo ContestTop 20 rank
The Wonders of the World Photo ContestTop 20 rank week 1
Everything Nature Photo ContestTop 30 rank
Everything Nature Photo ContestTop 30 rank week 1
The Emerging Talent AwardsTop 20 rank
Our Natural World Photo ContestTop 30 rank week 1
Animal Kingdom Photo Contest Vol 1Top 30 rank week 1

Categories


See all

Behind The Lens

Location

Naviti Island in Fiji is an amazingly beautiful place, where I had the opportunity to stay for a week in May. This preying mantis was standing overlooking the Pacific Ocean when I managed to creep up behind it and get some shots. We were blessed with glorious weather - clear blue skies that mirrored the intense turquoise blue of the ocean; I feel that this played a massive impact on the outcome of the picture. The red of the creature's catwalk was a great contrast in the picture, which was great also as the paint was chipping away - highlighting the fine detail in the macro ability of the lens.

Time

I remember walking out of the hut with with a coffee in the morning in my hand and immediately caught a glimpse of this fascinating creature sitting on the wooden decking. I had to run back, trying not to trip up on coconuts, to grab my camera in the fear that this wee guy had disappeared. Luckily, I discovered that they have a distinct walk, which is very slow and so I managed to get loads of snaps of this green guy! This photo was taken May 28 2014 at 9:41am.

Lighting

Fiji screams paradise and so I wanted to portray the vibrancy of the island. I originally tried it without the basic flash, but it didn't do it justice. The use of the flash would also increase the detailing which is key in this picture. Natural lighting however played a significant role.

Equipment

This was shot with a Nikon D3200 with a standard lens. No tripod, no flash, no other equipment. It's amazing that you can still get a good shot with the bare minimum. It just goes to show, as long as you've got your camera, there are no limits.

Inspiration

The simple fact that I had never seen anything like this before was the inspiration behind this photo. I enjoy taking pictures of animals as there is little you can control about the way they hold themselves - it makes it more exciting and often more challenging. With a landscape or an object, it is so easy to make the picture as you want it, which in my experience is not always the best way.

Editing

I used some minimal post-processing techniques involving reducing the exposure, increasing the shadows and highlights as well as increasing the vibrancy of the colours of the photo.

In my camera bag

As a very amateur photographer, I have yet to acquire a good collection of equipment. I have my Nikon D3200, with about 5 SD cards always with plenty of space on them - I hate deleting photos and tend to just add to my memory card collection instead. I also only have one lens - a basic

Feedback

The weather and location was key to this photo, and something that is down to luck unfortunately. However, should you be lucky enough to get this, these creatures do move slowly and so you actually have a fair amount of time to get a good shot. The speed of the creature also means that you don't really need to play about with shutter speed. Ensure good lighting, flash on and playing with the macro settings will mimic what I did to achieve this shot.

See more amazing photos, follow rachaelboardley

It’s your time to shine! ☀️

Share photos. Enter contests to win great prizes.
Earn coins, get amazing rewards. Join for free.

Already a member? Log In

By continuing, you agree to our Terms of Service, and acknowledge you've read our Privacy Policy Notice.